Yerington Monday: The Rex Drug Co

Yerington Monday: The Rex Drug Co

The Rex Drug Co was started on November 18th 1905 by a local physician, Dr. Judson Smith. Dr. Smith also became the town's first mayor when the town was incorporated in May 1907. The store was then located across the street in the Kaufman-Downey building. The original store was 20 feet wide and 50 feet deep, it had 2 aisles and was a general drug store with some gift items.

James Ford bought the store from Dr. Smith in April of 1935. The business moved to its current location in 1961, when Jim Ford built a new building for the store. Milo Draper bought a percentage of the business in 1971 and then took over in 1977 when Jim Ford retired. Milo was the sole owner of the store until August of 1994, when James Christensen purchased a portion the company.. During the depression James Ford and his wife ran the store. At that time the store was open seven days a week 12 hours a day except on Sunday when it was open from 9 am to noon. The store closed the entire day on Sundays in the late 1950's. Milo Draper was hired as a pharmacist in February 1960 shortly after graduating from pharmacy school.

In July 2002 James Christensen became the sole owner of the drug store and Milo Draper retired after working at the store for 42 years. James son Matthew Christensen graduated from Pharmacy School in 2009 and started working as a pharmacist at the store. Matthew purchased a portion of the store in 2010. James and his wife left to fulfill an 18 month church mission to Togo in western Africa in September 2013. Matthew and his wife are currently running the business.

Current Rexall Drugs next to post office

Original name of Rex Drugs

Rex Drugs on Main Street, Yerington, NV 1940-1950?

Posted on Facebook December 8, 2014

Some Comments

• Chere Brown The old Rex Drug was my favorite after school candy stop off place. I shamefully admit that I had pocketed many a candy bar over the years. One time just as I was attempting to lift a "Mr. Goodbar" bar, Father Flahive saw me and said "Chere, shouldn't you be getting on to Catechism." Guess what I had to confess at the next confessional.

• Mary Burns When looking at the old pic of Main St , look down where the canopy is over the sidewalk THe old Lyon Mkt (Dad’s store before it burned down and he built the new one where Dotty’s is now) had an awning that is our old place goood memoreeees lv.mb
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• Donna Johnson I babysat for the Draper family the dad had a dry sense of humor and me the teenager learned the art of dry humor from him. Milo Draper I will always have a smile for you. Wonder if the daughter is still the pharmacist? ???

• Sharon Hall Provost-Brown I remember this well. I still remember bugging my mother for a dime and tripped her, she then fell into a display of rubbing alcohol. I disappeared into thin air at that point.

• Donna Johnson Sharon you did not trip her on purpose did you? She was such a nice lady..you had a great mom.

• Sharon Hall Provost-Brown No Donna I did not trip my mom on purpose, I just wanted a candy bar, but when she went down I knew I had better head for the hills. Maybe the car. In the the good old days the bottles were glass not plastic.

• Kathee Hall Speight Don't let Sharon Hall Provost-Brown fool you. Mom probably said no, so Sharon stuck her foot out. Mom went down, Sharon grabbed the candy and hightailed it out of there. She was the Evil sister.

• Sharon Hall Provost-Brown Kathee was always the "ODD ONE" we had to always pacify her. She wanted a candy bar and was throwing one of her fits. I had to take charge.

• Kathee Hall Speight I'm sure I got blamed for mom going down and I wasn't even there.
• Mary Burns I saw the entire trip thing IT WAS MAUREEN! lv,mb
• Sharon Hall Provost-Brown Mary It was in fact Maureen..thank you for remembering all of this. All this time I thought it was me. I was a good girl.

• Donna Johnson Sister Bonnie worked there for a few years and I worked at the old effnb which was then called Menesini's Fountain. Several people were confused that there was more than one Johnson girl...all those years they thought there was only one of us.

Nikki Newell Bryan Donna Johnson, Debbie Draper and her husband have a construction company and a lumberyard. Steve is the local dentist and Scott is the fire chief. They are great family.