Harmon Drug

   The interior of Harmon Drug.  The photo was probably taken around 1906 since there are both electric and kerosene lights in the building.  The flags to the rear of the building are 45 star flags.  Oklahoma became the 46th state in November 1907.  Guy H. Harmon is standing at the cash register second from the right sporting a bow tie.  The marble counter has a row of dispensers visible just behind the back edge of the counter.  What appears to be a Tiffany lamp is actually a dispenser with faucets.  Notice the counter clock, the stained glass built into the corners of the rear counter and and tear drop shaped lamps.  This building burned along with Weaver’s Drug in 1919.

Below:  Years later Guy Harmon waits on De Leon’s longtime photographer C.L. Huddleston at the same counter.  Note the wooden barrel which was probably for root beer and the beverage glass on the counter.

ABOVE:  Harmons later opened in the Ayers building at Texas and Reynosa.  Note the Dairyland Ice Cream ad on the sign.  Photo ca. 1930.

    The Harmon Drug legacy is difficult to follow with 100% accuracy.  Guy Harmon apparently acquired L.L. Thomas and Co., a drug store which occupied the building shown at the top of this page.  Harmon sold his interest to  D. Tomlin who in turn sold to Dr. J.T. Plemmons and his son O.E. Plemmons.  A fire in January 1919 destroyed the drug store along with Weaver Drug, and F.L. Terrill’s store.  Plemmons moved to the Ayers building probably after the fire.  In October 1934 Plemmons moved the store to the site of Rush and Rush Drug in the Hampton building.  The Kinnard family operated the drug store following Plemmons and sold it to Lex Shelby in 1953.

    Harmon apparently moved to Corsicana after selling to Tomlin but returned to De Leon taking over the Ayers building and reestablishing his store at that location.  In December 1938 he again sold the store, this time to Robert Guinn.  Guinn later moved the store two doors south eventually selling to Maxwell.  Maxwell closed the store in the late 60s but it was reoccupied when Shelby’s Pharmacy burned on March 20, 1970.  It served as Shelby’s temporary location.