Reburn's Drug Store
Scope and Contents
This collection is comprised of one Dr. Caldwell’s Christian Home Entertainer booklet from 1912 and a deck of eight Numerical Mind Reader cards circa. 1904, both which were sold at Reburn’s Drug Store located at the corner of Main and Rose Streets in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
William Warren Reburn was born on February 22, 1876 in Allamakee County, Iowa. He married Anna Phoebe Bulman (b. June 15, 1878) on January 1, 1901 in Union City, Iowa. According to the 1900 U.S. Census, William lived in Grand Rapids, MI. In 1902, he and Anna moved to Kalamazoo and opened Reburn’s Drug Store located downtown at 202 West Main Street (now Michigan Ave.) Known as “the perfume store,” Reburn’s remained in business until 1913. It is after that that the store disappears from city directories. According to his WWI draft registration card, William and Anna had moved to McMinnville, Oregon by 1918.
William died on March 24, 1939 in Oregon. Anna died on March 31, 1963 also in Oregon. They are both buried in St. James Cemetery in McMinnville, OR.
Dates
- Creation: 1904
Christian Home Entertainer History
The Dr. Caldwell’s Christian Home Entertainer, contained in this collection is a small booklet published by the Pepsin Syrup Company of Monticello, Illinois. Dr. W.B. Caldwell’s Syrup Pepsin was an herb and alcohol based laxative syrup, advertised to cure a variety of ailments such as dyspepsia, headache, sour stomach, liver trouble and other ills caused by “bad digestion.” Used for advertising purposes, the booklet contains many testimonials for the medicine as well as general useful information such as weights and measures, and the history of the U.S. capitol.
Numerical Mind Reader History
The Numerical Mind Reader made by the J.L. Bieder Co. of Chicago, IL, is a game made up of a deck of cards with various cutouts and numbers on them. Numbered one through eight, the cards can tell the correct age of a person by following the instructions given on the first card. The deck was handed out compliments of Reburn’s Drug Store for advertising purposes.
Extent
0.05 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
Physical Description
This collection amounts to 0.05 cubic feet of space and is comprised of one Dr. Caldwell’s Christian Home Entertainer booklet published in 1912, which measures 4 ¾x6 ½,” and one deck of eight numerical mind reader cards circa. 1904 that measures 4 ¼x6.” The booklet is in good condition except for minor wear around the edges and yellowing of the inside pages. The numerical mind reader cards are also in good condition except for minor wear and creases where some of the cards have been bent.
Notes
Purchased with funds from the Starring Endowment
- Title
- Reburn's Drug Store Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Ashley Kirvan
- Date
- 1904
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Western Michigan University Archives & Regional History Collections Repository
Charles C. and Lynn L. Zhang Legacy Collections Center
1650 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5307 US
(269) 387-8490
arch-collect@wmich.edu