We’ve been around since 1860.

Yeah, that’s a long time.

A home town legacy…

Rochester citizens have passed through the doorway at 724 Main Street to find a drug store. It is an astounding span of time at one location. No local establishment can come close to matching it, for Harry Webb’s Family Pharmacy today is serving a sixth generation of customers, reaching back to founder Asa Plank.

The longevity of this drug store locale has been marked by similar endurance among its proprietors:

  • Plank: 27 years

  • Ruh Family: 46 years

  • Baxter Family: 49 years

  • Webb: 33 years (as of 2023)

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Plank

It was in the summer of 1860 that Plank first occupied 724 Main Street. That space became the north half of the new Mammoth Building, a two-story frame structure, and the store remained there for almost two decades. In the 1870s came a downtown building boom and so in August, 1878, the Mammoth gave way to the present brick building, called the Central Block. Plank reoccupied the north half with what then became Central Drug Store.

Plank continued as proprietor until his death in 1887, ending a local retail career of nearly 40 years. 

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Ruh

Upon Plank’s death Alex Ruh (say it rue) came from Peru in 1888 to begin the era of his Blue Drug Store with its blue-painted front. The Ruh family held forth for 46 years and it was under Alex that the drug store installed tables and a soda fountain counter. It became a gathering place for the high school set and popular with everyone for new refreshments such as ice cream sodas, flavored Cokes and phosphates and ice cream sundaes.

Baxter

Ernest Baxter purchased the store in 1941, his son Parke Baxter began managing the store in 1960 and assumed total control from his father Ernie Baxter in 1981. Parke put his own mark on the business, adding a lunch room and creating major expansions, one to the west in 1961 and a significant enlargement in 1972 with purchase of the adjoining Felts cigar store.

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Harry

The present owner, Harry Webb, was hired by Parke as a pharmacist and in 1985, five years later, bought the store. He remodeled the store extensively in 1994, spun off a Radio Shack department to its own location across the street in 2000 and in 1995 purchased the pharmacy in Akron. A third location in North Manchester was opened in October 2018.

It’s quite evident that the 163 year stretch of drug store occupancy at 724 Main Street will continue for Rochester folks quite a while longer.

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We are proud to be part of a long history of people that have served the residents of Fulton County and the surrounding area with quality “customer focused” service. Many of our patients are lifelong customers, and for some, we have served several generations of their family members.

Historical Timeline of Webb’s Family Pharmacy

1860

Physician Asa Plank opens Plank’s Drug Store

1862

Plank closed store for 4 months to fight in the Civil War

1888

Alex Ruh takes over and renames it Blue Drug Store for the blue painted exterior. Ruh installed the soda fountain and lunch counter.

1938

Edith Ruh, daughter-in-law to Alex Ruh, sold to Charles Dyche. Dyche affiliated the drug store with the Walgreens chain. Dyche was found dead in what became known as Dead Man’s Woods near what is now Country Club Drive from apparent suicide.

1941

Ernie Baxter buys it and names it Baxter’s Drug Store

1961

Parke and Ernie expands the store

1971

Purchased Felts Cigar store, doubles the store in size and moves the fountain to the back.

1981

Parke Baxter, Ernie’s son, takes over ownership..

1990

Harry Webb. Purchases Baxter Drugs from Ernie and Parke Baxter

1991

Changed the name to Webb’s Family Pharmacy

1995

Purchased Harris Drug in Akron and started our second location in Fulton County

2008

Removes fountain and lunch room, added drive thru in back and moved pharmacy to back of store.

2011

Purchased 726 Main and expanded our home medical equipment into that space.

2016

Moved the Akron location into the RTC building across the street and remodeled the store.

2017

Historic renovation of the facade of the Rochester location.

2017-18

Purchased First Financial Bank branch in North Manchester and built our 3rd location, the new location opened in October 2018.

2020

Covid-19 Pandemic introduces innovative changes including curbside pick up, mobile delivery and online vaccine appointment scheduling.

Historical Archives & Media Features