If These Walls Could Talk. . . . (part 4)
by Kathleen Tusa
Pfeiffer’s Pharmacy has been doing business at
roughly the same location in Pequot Lakes since April
7, 1938. Actually that’s the date that Loy Pfeiffer
took over the business. Previous owner was A. S. Rasmussen.
All four of the Pfeiffer daughters, Mary, Joanne, Lois,
and Kathleen, followed in their father’s footsteps
and became pharmacists. Mary Pfeiffer continues to run
the business today.
In the 1950s my friends and I would stop at the drug
store after school. There was nothing like a lime phosphate
or a cherry coke to refresh you while you talked over
the events of the day. You could buy a fountain root
beer, served in a pewter mug, for only a nickel.
In the summertime, a favorite concoction was the Whirl-a-whip.
The fountain girls would put ice cream and your selected
toppings in a metal funnel, place it on a machine, pull
down the handle, and after a series of scraping, grinding
noises, the softened and blended ice cream would come
out into a cone. Much more exciting than today’s
soft-serve cones.
At the Historical Society’s museum there is a
display of interesting old bottles that held things
like Oil of Lemon, Denatured Alcohol, Lupulin, and a
mysterious container that says Pettit’s Pile Salve!
But no Whirl-a-whip machine. Hmmm, maybe we’ll
have to ask about that.
Do stop in at the Museum to see these and other reminders
of the past here in Pequot Lakes. We’re open Saturdays
from Noon to 4 PM. If you have a church group or youth
group that would like to tour, call one of our officers
to see what may be arranged.
Stop in at the museum to get a glimpse of the good
old days and bring the grandchildren and tell your friends.
We’re open Memorial Day to Labor Day on Saturdays
from Noon to 4 pm. Admission is $1.00 per person. Memberships
to the Pequot Lakes Area Historical Society are available.
Arrangements to visit the museum at another time can
be made by calling one of the Board members. Click
this link for more contact information on the Pequot
Lakes Historical Society.
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