A Drug Store ... and Much, Much More

Prior to 1897, Western Springs did not have a drug store. But, in that year, Julius Keil, a young pharmacist with a degree from Northwestern, opened a store at Grand and Burlington avenues. He and his family lived in an apartment above the store.

Within just a year or two, Keil’s became known as the place in town for ice cream sodas and phosphates. In fact, village residents would often request his recipes for chocolate toppings and soda syrups.

In 1899, Keil’s became the village “communication center”. That’s when the store acquired the town’s first telephone switchboard. Incoming phone messages were hand-written and delivered by a runner to homes that did not yet have their own telephones.

Always looking for publicity, on July 4, 1914, Keil participated in a one-eighth mile automobile race on Grand Avenue. His partially home-built, steam-powered car was named the “Steam Roller” and competed against the “Chugmobile” owned by J.J. Campbell. Unfortunately, there is no known record of who won.

Also in 1914, Keil expanded his business by manufacturing bottled soft drinks using the name “Deep Well Ginger Ale”. This became the soft drink beverage of choice among many downtown Chicago hotels, restaurants, and even railroads.

Like many other early druggists, Keil sold fire insurance to his customers. In fact, Julius was a charter member of the Underwriters Association of Illinois. By some accounts, the store seemed to offer everything one might need with the exception of clothing and shoes. Second Photo.

In 1925, Keil re-located his store to Hillgrove Avenue, just west of Wolf Road. This was based on his firm belief that that block would eventually become the heart of the downtown business community.

Always looking for ways to attract more business, Keil gave his store a face lift in the 1940’s by adding a colorful “rainbow” storefront. Third photo.

In 1949, Julius passed away and his son Herbert, also a pharmacist, took over the store. While he continued operating it in much the same way as his father, in 1956 he removed the soda fountain. It was a victim of changing habits and a need to devote more space to higher profit items.

By 1969, the store had survived the Great Depression and two World Wars. But, in that year, Herbert passed away. So, after an amazing 73 years in business, the Keil family reluctantly sold the drug store to Prosch’s. However, the business only continued until 1972, a victim of increased competition and changing shopping habits.

Photos:
Keil’s Drug Store – circa 1920
1920’s Keil Advertisement
Sketch of Keil’s Drug Store with Rainbow storefront – 1940’s

Each week, the Western Springs Historical Society presents a “Blast from the Past”. To view prior stories, visit us at www.westernspringshistory.org or just click on the author’s name shown above.