Courtesy Photo
The location of the Foster Building and Quinn Drug Store as the space looks today along West Davis Street across from the Montgomery County Courthouse

Beneath the contemporary exteriors of a pair of buildings on the north side of the square — the central business district of downtown Conroe surrounding the Montgomery County Courthouse — lies a rich history of early law, nickel sodas and the essence of life in a simpler time in America.

Like much of the commercial space in the downtown area, the Judge Foster Building and the adjoining Charlie Quinn Drug Store location in the 200 block of West Davis are now occupied by attorneys. The modern exteriors, however, don’t detract from the important role these buildings played in the history, growth and development of Conroe.

Courtesy Photo
Judge William N. Foster, born in 1872. His law office
was built in 1910 and the structure is the oldest law
office still standing today
 

Built in 1910 by Judge William Neblett Foster, born 1872, the structure is the oldest law office still standing today. Foster and his partner, Judge William Williams, had law offices on the second floor — leaving the ground level space available for a variety of retail operations throughout the following century.

Courtesy Photo
Judge William Williams had law offices on the second floor of the Judge Foster Building leaving the ground level space available for a variety of retail operations throughout the following century

The single story brick building next door was constructed sometime after 1920. It housed a number of business, including Whitt Brogdon’s Drug Store, but most locals recall as the Charlie Quinn Drug store that operated until the owner retired from the pharmacy trade.

Courtesy Photo
Foster Building and Quinn Drug Store next to the First National Bank building on the courthouse square in July 1920, prior to the large fire that destroyed most of downtown area on Feb. 21, 1911. The First National Bank building maintains a similar look today at the corners of Main and Davis streets.

“Back then as well as now, lawyers want to have offices as close to the county courthouse and the district clerk’s office as possible,” said attorney and former Conroe Mayor R. A. Mickey Deison. “It was common for lawyers and doctors to have offices on the second floor of a building and leave the ground floor for various retail shops and businesses.”

Courtesy Photo
Downtown Conroe following a major fire on Feb. 21, 1911. The courthouse, First National Bank building and Judge Foster Building are all that remained in the left of the photo. Mostly due in part that they were brick structures while the others of the time were lumber.

The Judge Foster Building was constructed less than a year before a massive fire destroyed much of downtown Conroe in February 1911, but the structure survived in large part because it was built of brick rather than lumber.

The first floor of the building house a number of retail and service businesses over the years, including a Goodyear Tire store and Southwest Furniture.

The Charlie Quinn Drug Store was one of five pharmacies surrounding the Montgomery County Courthouse — the others being Carter’s Drug, Capitol Drug, Scott’s Pharmacy and Clark’s Rexall Drug.

“This was back when downtown Conroe was the central shopping area for the county,” said Steve Kasmiersky. “Back then there were no malls, no Internet and no online shopping. If you wanted to buy something, you went to town.”

Courtesy Photo
The location when Southwestern Furniture was doing business in the spot in December 1965.

In addition to filling prescriptions, early drug stores offered a variety of shopping opportunities for sundry items, notions and household necessities. They were also a good place to grab a sandwich, a cold drink and talk with neighbors about the news of the day.

“Most of the drug stores had a soda fountain and they had specialties — things they were known for,” said Kasmiersky, who enjoyed regular visits to the soda fountains and lunch counters in the mid-60s. “Carter’s had great ice cream sodas. Quinn’s had great grilled cheese sandwiches.”

Dr. Bill Quinn, now a local dentist, recalled working for his father at the drug store when he was 12 and 13 year old. He would sweep the floors, empty the trash and make frequent visits to the soda fountain where five-gallon containers of Swift’s Premium ice cream were housed.

“I’d mix different types of soda syrup and ice cream for my friends,” he recalled.

Back in the day, many sodas were hand mixed, explained Quinn. The soda attendant — or jerk — mixed a shot of syrup with carbonated water to make soft drinks like Coke, Pepsi, root beer, green rivers and other drinks. The system allowed patrons to customize their drink by varying the ratio of syrup to soda water.

Quinn recalls the lunch counter served grilled sandwiches and barbecue. Coffee and small soft drinks were a nickel. The drug store lunch counters were popular places for local attorneys and county workers to get lunch, according to Deison.

“Dad had one of the earliest air conditioning systems in Conroe in the store,” recalled Quinn. “He also liked baseball and used to have the radio on so customers could hear the games. A lot of times people would hang out and listen to the game and chat at the store.”

For Conroe residents going through hard times, Quinn remembers his dad filling prescriptions on credit if they had no money. Most, he said, paid their bill eventually. Honor was an important part of life in Conroe.

Quinn eventually sold the building when he retired in 1972. Later that decade the new owner, Dan Madeley, arranged to have new, modern facades installed on both buildings. Considering the age of the buildings, experts are doubtful whether the structures could be restored to their original brick exterior appearance.

The look may have change, but the historical legacy of the buildings lives on, a tribute to a different time in Conroe — long gone, but not forgotten.

For information on Conroe and Montgomery County history, visit www.heritagemuseum.us or call 936-539-6873.