Pharmacist George Nolan, his son, Lyle, and their canine companion, circa 1928
Athletic Drug Store opened in 1915, operating close to campus on West Street, provided school supplies, candies and fountain drinks to west Ames residents and in its early years operated a Post Office substation. It was built by R.E. Sloan and S. V. Whittaker. It was built in a small business district west of the college West Gate. In the 1910s both West Street and the area that would later be known as Campustown were equal business rivals. At the time it was unsure which area would go onto becoing the main business section of the college.
The interior photo above from the late 1920s shows pharmacist George Nolan, his son, Lyle, and their canine companion. At this time, the store is owned by Lydia Knepper (later married Joe Swatosh). In 1943, Lydia Knepper Swatosh sold the Athletic Drug Store to D.L Peterson who renamed it Peterson Drug Company.
This segment of a 1920 Sanborn Insurance map highlights the location of the Athletic Drug Store. The location has the address 2818 West Street on this map. Later maps show the address as 2816/2818 West Street. As the area transitioned from homes to businesses, the address changed to reflect the increased density of construction. Today the address of the former Athletic Drug Store site is 2814 West Street.
West Street Grocery (the former Peyton's Meat Market, and later the site of Dugan's Deli) is listed on this 1920 Sanborn Insurance map portion as 2840 West Street. Later it would be known as 2902 West Street, and is assigned the current address of 2900 West Street. Learn more about the West Street Grocery.
Peterson Drug, 1963
Athletic Drug Company Building Businesses
1916-1942 - Athletic Drug Company, 2816 West Street
1943 - Peterson Drug Co. - Leppo's Food Market, upstairs
1945-1953 - Peterson Drug Co. - College Food Market, upstairs
1954-1963 - Peterson Drug Co. - Apartments upstairs
1964-1966 - Peterson Drug - Vern's Shirt Laundry, upstairs
1968 - Peterson Drug Co. - Dick & Eva's Cafe, upstairs
1969-1972 - Peterson Drug Co. - Tork's Tavern, upstairs
1973 - Vacant (the former Athletic Drug Co. building assigned new address of 2814 West Street)
Tork's Tavern relocated next door (one story building taking the address of 2816)
1974 - Apartments
1975 - Apartments
1976 - Apartments
1977 - Vacant
1978 - Aquaterra
1979-1980 - Vacant
1981-1983 - The Beer Baron
1984 - Kelding Cycles
1985-1993 - First floor vacant, apartments upstairs
1994 - Maintenance Club
1995-2019 - Rose Tree Fiber Shop
After some renovations the Athletic Drugs stone inset in now visable again, 2010
