W. J. Coulson came to Coleman in 1886 and found work with the L. E. Collins drug store which was popular here at that time.  Here he worked for five years before he and Mr. Chadwell merged their savings and bought out Mr. Collin’s interest in 1891.  The original stock was estimated at $5000 and the business had about $1,500 a year turnover.

The Coulson drug store of 1891 really takes one back to the days of the pioneers.  The days when the novelty of a fountain drink made of charged (carbonated) water was just too fascinating and appealing for words.  One could not pick up the telephone and have a drum of gas delivered in ten minutes then  as is the case today.  The carbonated water was made by a tedious process then as this fact attests.  Mr. Coulson was at the store bright and early each morning to prepare, with the assistance of his clerk, the gas to supply the demand for the popular drinks of that day that required carbonated water.  The principal drinks at that time were ice cream sodas, and the two most popular flavors were vanilla and sarsaparilla.

Mr. Coulson humorously recalls the popular demand for prepared chalk in five and ten cent packages and powdered carmine, the only form of rouge available then.  These were the ever popular beauty requisites of milady of that day.  Women would come into the store and in suppressed tones, order prepared chalk and the powdered carmine as if their foolish indulgence in unnatural beauty aids might provoke unpleasant comment.

Then, there were the days when Mr. Coulson arose before dawn, milked the cows and hurried to the store with the milk in order to get the ice cream ready by the time the store opened.

This store, through fair dealing, has continuously grown throughout these years and that original $5000 stock has grown to well over fifty thousand dollars.

There is another Coulson drug store now, making two in Coleman.  The second one is located in the Coleman Hotel.  Both of these stores are beautifully arranged and conveniently located.  The artistic display of merchandise is appealing to the most fastidious.

Messrs C. S. Polk and L. S. White who came to work for Mr. Coulson when they were young men in the prime of life, probably called young blades in those days are still with him.  They have all been closely associated for about thirty to thirty-five years and are as one big family.  In later years they bought interest and now are one-third owners in the business.  An equal share is held by each.

Mr. Coulson and his entire personnel are happy to serve you and are determined to please you.  That has ever been the policy of the store which in a measure accounts for its outstanding success.  They are grateful for your past patronage and await your call either in person or by telephone with eager anticipation to be of further service to you.