Bradbury Bishop can’t be closed

It is sad to go by the Bradbury Bishop Deli and see the lights off. There is so much history inside that building, and the stories go on forever. Many a young girl had her first job behind that soda fountain. Ah yes, the soda fountain, there is quite a bit of history associated with that part of the drug store.

The building was built in 1887. It had been home to the Yankee Drug store, and in 1916 Clarence Bradbury purchased the store, changing the name to the Electric Drug Store. In 1917, medicine became more available from manufacturers, and the pharmacy business blossomed. Harry Bishop once stated there had been six drug stores in Webb City in 1917. Business was so good that the Electric Drug Store had five pharmacists. In 1931, the business name was changed to the Bradbury Drug Co. Harry joined his father-in-law in the pharmacy in 1939, and the name of the business changed to the Bradbury Bishop Drug Company. It was later known as the Bradbury Bishop Rexall Drug Co.

The first soda fountain in the building was installed in 1910, with a marble top, wooden fountain and wire stools. Harry modernized the fountain in 1955. More comfortable padded stools were also installed then. Harry was very fussy about those fountain stools. He insisted that when customers left, the employees were to straighten the stools. There were the classic Coca Cola glasses to serve the drinks, glass banana split dishes and glass sundae dishes to serve the customers in style. At one time, a root beer barrel joined the Coca Cola fountain at the counter. The Tom’s peanut jar always sat on the west end of the fountain. Cherry limeades were popular, along with phosphates of all flavors.

C.S. Bradbury had served as a pharmacist for more than 50 years, and Harry Bishop also made it to receive his 50-year certificate.

After Harry Bishop passed away in 1987, his wife, who was 71, just could not manage the business anymore and made the difficult decision to sell. Her father had purchased the store when she was only 3 months old, and she had been a part of that corner at Main and Daugherty streets all of her life.  She commented that she was serving a fourth generation before she closed the door.

There was an auction, which brought a crowd of loyal customers. Stories spread throughout the crowd as those who worked as soda jerks at the soda fountain shared their memories. Many commented that they had met their boyfriend there, or they received their first bottle of fancy perfume purchased at the Bradbury Bishop Drug Co.

As the time came to bid on the soda fountain, the murmuring of the crowd grew louder.

Eileen Nichols, owner of the building, bid as high as she felt she could but there was a man in the crowd who wanted that fountain enough to bid $2,250. Roger O’Connor, of Pittsburg, Kan., had plans to install the fountain in the historic Garland Center on the square in Carthage. He had been searching quite a while to find a complete fountain.

Before he could even glory in ownership of the fountain, citizens were asking him to please sell it back to Webb City so it could stay where it belonged. O’Connor threw out a large number saying he wanted to make a $2,000 profit, thinking it would be too high for the citizens to handle. O’Connor was sure he could bring in over $1,000 a month with that fountain, and he did not want to sell it. However, he did have sympathy for those who wanted to preserve the fountain. It was not a money-making thing. It was an act to preservation, and he knew that feeling. He agreed to sell the fountain back to Webb City.

A group of citizens headed up by Bud Corner started the Save Our Soda Fountain committee. Four members were able to secure a loan from the bank and they purchased that soda fountain in the name of the Webb City Historical Society. The plans were to keep it with the building so a piece of Webb City history could be preserved. In 1989, the Bradbury Bishop Deli opened by Pattie Graue and Don McGowan, and the fun began.

Not only did the citizens save the fountain from leaving Webb City, but the planned destination for the soda fountain, the Garland Center was destroyed by fire two weeks after the auction. So the soda fountain was saved twice without being moved.

The fountain has helped draw tourists to Webb City as the different owners sponsored car shows, hired D.J.s, and brought a party atmosphere to Main Street. Many parties and reunions kept the juke box jumping inside the old building and ice cream flowing at the soda fountain.

Sadly, daily operation of the soda fountain ceased after the last restaurant operator called it quits. The space, now called Confetti, is available to rent for events.

I, myself was one of those soda jerks from the past. I worked at the drug store for four years during my high school years, as did many of my friends. At one time, Harry Bishop estimated more than 300 girls had worked that soda fountain since 1940.

Harry had started out his career as a soda jerk making 50 cents a night. I worked there for 35 cents an hour and made it up to 50 cents an hour by my senior year. That wouldn’t buy you much fancy coffee today!