The History of Schilling Drug Company in Kentwood, LA

Schilling Drugs
Photo Credit: Antoinette Harrell

In the small town of Osyka, Mississippi, three brothers were born and raised: Clyde Leroy, Frank Charles, and Henry Leonard Schilling.  It was in 1891 that Frank was born. In 1893, Clyde was born, and Leonard, affectionately called Eaph, in 1901.

Clyde worked in the Osyka Drug Store in 1908 as a soda clerk and a clean-up boy. He studied pharmacy at the Atlanta College of Pharmacy in Georgia for six grueling months and graduated in 1914. Frank, his brother, took the course and failed twice. Afterwards, he earned a degree in business administration. After attending college in Atlanta, Leonard received a degree from the college.

Clyde decided to expand his business into Kentwood. The two became business partners while Leonard served as their druggist.  There is no exact date, but many people recalled the early 1940s. In 1946, Leonard, Natalie, Bettye, and Fran moved to Kentwood and settled on Avenue H., a short distance from Main Street, where the drugstore is located.

The store was filled with beautiful cases which were originally built in the 1930s for a model drugstore. The wall shelving had inlaid wood carving with lots of glass. The high ceiling of the room was adorned with fans and lighting fixtures. Ice cream and cokes were served at marble top tables and wooden chairs. In the early days, Schilling Drug Co. had a soda fountain that the local shopper enjoyed.

Leonard carefully measured and weighed compounds and powder behind the prescription counter using an old manual typewriter and scales. He then mixed them in large mortar with a pestle. (You can still see the mortar and pestle at Schilling Drug today). After a family dispute, Clyde gave the store to Leonard in 1959. Leonard brought Natalie, Fran, and Bettye into the business.

Natalie sold the store in 1970 to her son-in-law and daughter, Harold and Betty Fussell. Schilling Drug Co. had operated on Main Street until 1977, when it moved to its new location on Avenue G. In an ironic twist of fate, all three brothers died within nine months of one another. Leonard passed away in June 1969.Frank died in March of 1970 and Clyde in January of 1970. In May of 1988, another member of their small family became a pharmacist.

Reprint from the "Schilling Drug Co." Kentwood Historical Cultural Museum

Kentwood's Main Street activities draw crowds on Saturday

Kid Vegetable Growers
Photo Credit: Antoinette Harrell

Kentwood Main Street was live with activities on a pleasant morning in March.  A large number of people out and about taking advantage of the pleasant weather and local activities. People attended Kentwood  Main Street Market to shop and listen to live music. At the close of the market , the  Kentwood Rotary Club's 1st Annual Pet Parade started at 2:00 p.m.  The events was well attended with a large number of participants. 

Angus Cattle Community Farmers Association, Inc., hosted their first annual "Remembering the Dairy Days" in Kentwood. During the event they provided a number of activities for the youth. LeBlanc Dairy Farm  provided two calves for the children see and feed.  There was a lot of excitement among the children when they fed the calves. The kids were taught how to plant a bean by Tri-Parish Vegetable Growers after they fed the calves.  Inside the library a photography exhibition digitally displayed featuring Eric Gordon, Jr., a third grader at O.W. Dillon Elementary School in Kentwood.  The ACCFA, Inc., invited Nicholas Muse, Assistant Area Agent for St. Helena and Tangipahoa Parish to talk about the services they offer after the exhibition. 

Dog Parade Participant
Photo Credit: Antoinette Harrell

Local vendors provided shoppers with a variety of good like plants, vegetables and fruit,  fried green tomatoes, and other items. Nutrition 51 store,   located across the street from the library, had  shoppers in search of healthy drinks and treats. It was a beautiful Saturday, and the streets and sidewalks were full of people enjoying themselves on a lovely day.  Pets and  their owners lined the streets.  Dogs dressed in costumes made friends with one another. Some of the pet won award for the best costume and for being a cutie.  

Both events were attended by Mayor Irma T. Gordon and Councilwoman Wilkerson. Everyone was pleased to see local activities taking place in the town. When I was a member of Moving Kentwood Forward, we discussed many activities that could be started right here in Kentwood.  A possible example would be dressing up bicycles with lights and riding them around town.  Food vendors could be invited out, and live music could be performed at the conclusion of the ride. Small town can be revitalized in an infinite number of ways. To revitalize their communities, many small towns in America organized art shows, open art galleries, coffee shops, wine tastings, and White Linen nights.

Kids feeding the calves
Photo Credit: Antoinette Harrell