HINTON W.Va. (Hinton News) – Every week, local history collector William Jones discusses items from his collection and their historical significance. In this edition of A Peek into Summers County’s Past, the topic is a revisit to Roses Drug Store.
This piece will be relatively short compared to my past articles, but I recently acquired this original photograph from roughly 1910 of a 4th of July parade in Hinton, West Virginia. It depicts floats and other very unique advertising gimmicks for Roses Drug Store. You can only imagine the reception that this stunt got Shane Rose, the owner and organizer of the pharmacy.
It is important to remember that this was before television and most movies did not cater to the science fiction realm. Even when War of the Worlds aired on the radio on Oct. 30, 1938, about a fictitious alien invasion it was met with unbelievable shock and horror. Granted they failed to fully explain that this “news break” or “breaking news” was not real!
You can imagine how this was perceived by the small town of Hinton, West Virginia some 20-odd years earlier. It must have done what Rose sought to do and that was to keep the public talking. That is just what happened which helped Roses become one of the most successful drugstores in this area at the time.
The advertisements that Rose used would certainly be questionable today. Such as the little goblin holding the sign that reads “Get it at Rose’s and never CROAK.” Take note of the sign on the building on the left. It reads “The Hinton Picture Company Photograph Studio Dealers in Cameras & Photo____” (possibly Supplies).
Another piece that relates to this that I uncovered since writing the original article last May is a little clear glass bottle from his store. I was at the big flea market held at the West Virginia State Fair each year and discovered this gem while digging through a box of other local items.
It is roughly 6 inches tall and says “Rose’s” with the “R” inside a mortar and pestle. I had never seen one of these bottles before and hadn’t found anyone who had. It is in great condition other than a small crack across the bottom. But due to its rarity, I could not pass up adding it to my collection, especially to display with my early photos of Roses Drug Store.
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