This is William L. Campbell with the baby Lewis (Lew) Campbell in front of their home at 129 Barrie Street. W.L. Campbell operated a drugstore on Holland Street for many years in Bradford. His descendants still live in the area.
A collection of items from when W.L. Campbell Drug Store was in operation and showcases the types of items that would have been sold there/the services offered. Items include lotions, powders, photo printing envelopes.
Bradford Witness newspaper article from 1974 about the closing of Ritchie's Patent Medicines. The business before being Ritchie's was W. L. Campbell's Drugstore. "During the 57 years it was in the Campbell name, the pharmacy also shared its quarters with William's father's lumber and grain business, as well as the doctor's office of his brother Lewis."
The mid-block building located at 10 and 12 Holland St. West was built in the Ontario Vernacular style around 1872-1899. The two-storey, commercial, detached ‘row’ building had a narrow rectangular plan with an asymmetrical organization. ‘Main street’ frontage with a typical storefront façade was located at the street line. The plain façade was characterized by a high, flat, ‘boomtown’ façade and cornice with brick dentils. The two bay-façade each had its own entrance and storefront. Existing doors and storefronts are not original. The original, large, second-floor windows (characterized by segmented arch openings and concrete sills) have been partially bricked in, but are still visible from the brick voussoirs. The building has masonry construction with brick cladding and a flat, built-up tar and gravel roof. (1, 3) The west side of the building (10 Holland St. West and the location of Pizzaville in this 1995 photo) was once the site of a drugstore run by W.L. "Billie" Campbell. Fred Cook helped him for a number of years. Billie’s son, Lou, and druggist Clarence Ritchie took over the business. Eventually Clarence Ritchie ran it on his own before he retired. Fred McKay sold phonographs on the upper floor and there was a pool room run by James Ferguson. The Salvation Army held services here in the 1930’s. (1, 2) Sutherland’s Grocery Store was once found at 12 Holland St. West (site of Karen’s and Tina’s Flowers in this 1995 photo). Alec Sutherland was a baker. He had a bakeshop on the south side of Simcoe St. that was run for many years by his daughter Jessie and sister Mrs. Bessie Ryan (and her daughter Betty). They eventually retired and moved to St. Catherine’s. There were living quarters upstairs. William Compton and his wife bought the store and ran it as an IGA grocery store. Gord and Marilyn Compton later took over the store. They built a new store on John St. (where Frank Kilkenny’s house had been). The Comptons’ store eventually moved to what was known as the IGA plaza (located at the corner of Collings Ave. and Holland St. West). As of 2014, 12 Holland St. West is the site of The Holland Bloom florist shop. (1, 2)
"This week's historical photo was submitted by Lew Campbell of RR 2, Bradford, whose father, W.L. Campbell (behind the counter) operated the drug store on Holland Street now occupied Ritchie's Variety Store. Fred C. Cook, standing in front of the counter, worked for Mr. Campbell for several years, intending to become a druggist. But he went into the insurance business instead. Mr. Campbell owned the drug store in Bradford for 57 years. He graduated from the Ontario College of Pharmacy in 1891, a silver medalist in his class."
A photograph of the window at W. L. Campbell Drug Store, taken by Lewis (Lew) Campbell in 1938. Buildings that burned down in a fire during the 1950s can be seen in the window’s reflection.
A page of Bradford business ads from 1933. Includes: Willson's Men's Wear Store, Nolan Motor Sales, Wm. Semenuk Electrical - Plumbing, Douglas Hardware, Bradford Flour Mills, L. J. McConkey & Son Supplies, Sutton's Hardware, Colly's Smoke Shop, Campbell's Drug Store, The Mercantile Co., Harry Barron Plumbing - Tinsmithing - Electrical, Melbourne Transport Service, Bradford Witness Print Services. Ads appeared in the March 1, 1933 issue of the Bradford Witness.
