Friday, June 29, 2012

Wall Drug in Wall, SD

We visited the historic Wall Drug today.  In 1931, after the depression, Dorothy and Ted Hustead purchased a tiny drugstore in Wall, SD.  Ted had just graduated from pharmacy school and Dorothy was a school teacher, who left teaching and went to  work in their drug store.  Times were very hard and they did not know whether their drug store would make it or not.  After five years of struggling, Dorothy decided she had to promote the pharmacy so that travelers would stop by their place.  She came up with the idea that they would post signs (large signs or billboards) stating "Free Ice Water".  By the time the Pharmacist returned from putting up some of the signs, they had a store full of travelers....   The Drug Store has grown, bringing in good business...

 

The town is in the middle of nowhere on the edge of the South Dakota Badlands.

Wall, SD 001

Wall, SD 002

Wall, SD 003

Wall, SD 004   Wall, SD 006

Wall, SD 010

Wall, SD 008    Wall, SD 009

Wall, SD 011    Wall, SD 014

We had lunch here....                                             They have many many wood carvings...

Wall, SD 018     Wall, SD 015

These carvings are support posts in the building...

Wall, SD 013  Wall, SD 012

   Wall, SD 016

Wall, SD 020

Wall, SD 024

Wall, SD 026

Wall, SD 028

Wall, SD 029

Wall, SD 032

Manuel poses with the hat he bought here...

Wall, SD 037

Wall, SD 035 

   Wall, SD 034

Wall, SD 038

This was one more town to visit....very interesting.

Yesterday, Lorraine and Chuck North called us.  They are on their way to Rapid City.  We met them in Quartzsite, AZ several years ago.  They also visited San Antonio a couple of years ago.  We look forward to seeing them.   Will await for their call when they get here.

No comments: