Before William Albert Pryor became an apothecary, there were only a few men who made their mark in Shasta's colorful history as a pharmacist. Pryor, sometimes referred to as 'Will,' was one of Shasta's most enterprising entrepreneurs, successful in his trade and very popular among the locals during his generation.
Pryor was born on June 16, 1853, in Calaveras County, California. According to the 1860 U.S. Census, Pryor was the second child of pioneers Joseph Pryor and Prescilla Thomas Pryor, who had four children — three boys and one girl. Joseph Pryor was a native of England who came to Shasta County in 1854 and purchased a piece of property at Huling Creek in western Shasta County, near the settlement of Eagle Creek, which became the town of Ono in 1883.
His father's occupation was listed as a miner. Their children's adventures kept them busy while they were growing up, as Shasta County offered lots of recreational activities, as well as the general education they needed to succeed in life.
Joseph Pryor sold their property sometime between 1859 and 1862 before moving to the town of Shasta. At age 21, he registered to vote on June 20, 1874, in Shasta and listed his occupation as a telegraph operator. William Pryor relocated to Sacramento, where he lived and worked as a store clerk for a very short time.
When he returned to Shasta County, William Pryor was hired as a bookkeeper for J.E. Church in Red Bluff. As he approached the age of 30, he won the heart and the affection of Josephine Litsch, a daughter of pioneers Charles Litsch and Julia Behrle Litsch. They were married on April 22, 1885 at the home of the bride's parents in Shasta.
William and Josephine Pryor had two daughters, Alice and Ethel. William Pryor purchased the Spatz & Litsch Bakery Saloon from his father-in-law, Charles Litsch, and he remodeled the interior of the building and turned it into a thriving pharmacy named the City Drug Store. Among other products, Pryor sold standard patented medicines at his store.
Professional druggists had their own drug prescription forms printed. Pryor had his printed on standard paper with his company logo. He sent them to various doctors in the area, and the doctors would fill out each form and sign their signature or mark on the bottom line. When a form was sent in to him by a doctor or the doctor's patient, Pryor would review the form and fill it accordingly to the directions given by the doctor.
The prescription forms would chronicle the patient's name, the name of the medicine and how to proceed with taking the medicine. Like today, consultation would be rendered by Pryor to each patient.
Between 1885 and 1889, Pryor served as a post master for the town of Shasta. At age 43, the 1896 Shasta County Great Register describes him as 5-foot-7, with light complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. His occupation was listed as a druggist.
Surprisingly, Pryor acquired a secondary job in 1903 working as a telephone agent in Shasta as he operated his pharmacy. Around 1905 or 1906, he closed the City Drug Store and moved his family to Sausalito, where he was hired by the Northwestern Railroad Co., leaving the apothecary trade for good.
In 1912, his family moved to the Claremount District of Oakland, where he took a leave of absence from the railroad company as William and Josephine were building their new home at that location. Only bits and pieces of information can be found on Pryor's life after 1912, but we do know that his wife died in 1918.
In 1920, Pryor was living in San Francisco as a widower. He died June 2, 1927, at the age of 74. During his lifetime, Pryor was a charter and active member of the Shasta Parlor No. 35, Native Sons of the Golden West and was a member of the Castle Lodge No. 62 Knights of Pythias in Red Bluff.
From the collection of Jeremy M. Tuggle
(This article was written by Jeremy M. Tuggle.)
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