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All the United States Mississippi Hattiesburg Smith Drug Co.
AO Edited

Smith Drug Co.

This historic drug store-turned-museum served an important role in the Civil Rights Movement.

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Added By
Virginia Brown
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A popular meeting place, Smith Drug Co. became a hotbed for the Civil Rights Movement in Hattiesburg.   Courtesy of the Hattiesburg Convention Commission
A popular meeting place, Smith Drug Co. became a hotbed for the Civil Rights Movement in Hattiesburg.   Courtesy of the Hattiesburg Convention Commission
Popular for its soda fountain, Smith Drug Co. became a hoppin’ hangout for Hattiesburg youth in the 1950s and ’60s.   Courtesy of the Hattiesburg Convention Commission
E. Hammond Smith opened Smith Drug Co. on Mobile Street in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 1925.   Courtesy of the Hattiesburg Convention Commission
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In 1925, Calvin Coolidge was the U.S. President, F. Scott Fitzgerald published The Great Gatsby, and, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, E. Hammond Smith opened a drugstore that would play a central role in the community’s—and the country’s—history.

Smith was certainly ahead of his time. Born in Alabama, his family moved to Hattiesburg when he was a young child. Despite the segregated and limited education system available to him, he not only attended college but earned his degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville in 1924. A year later, back in Hattiesburg, he opened Smith Drug Co. on Mobile Street, which would become an anchor of the African American commercial district for decades to come. 

The store provided the community with necessary medicine and other personal items, but also served as a community connector. In the 1950s and ’60s, a soda fountain made it a popular hangout for the local students to grab a cold drink or malt on their way home from school.

The store was also an important focal point for the local civil rights efforts. “It served as a meeting place for local leaders and was visited by many national Civil Rights activists,” said Louise Revere, a former employee at Smith Drug. One of those leaders was comedian and author Dick Gregory, who wrote about bigotry and racism in the U.S.

Smith himself also served as a civil rights pioneer, becoming one of the first Black men to register to vote in Hattiesburg. He retired in 1980 and left the store to his protégé and fellow pharmacist Dr. James Cohen.

In 2020, the Hattiesburg Commission renovated and restored the shop, which today is part of the town’s Sixth Street Museum District. Be sure to order a malt milkshake before you go.

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Black History Local History Dessert History Stores

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Tours are available by appointment or you can visit on Saturdays from 12 to 4 p.m.

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Added By

Virginia Brown

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traceywilson

  • traceywilson

Published

December 2, 2024

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  • https://historicsmithdrug.com/#history
  • https://crdl.usg.edu/people/smith_e_hammond_edwin_hammond_1894_1985
Smith Drug Co.
606 Mobile Street
Hattiesburg, Mississippi, 39401
United States
31.335125, -89.2901
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Nearby Places

African American Military History Museum

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

miles away

Lucky Rabbit

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

miles away

Hattiesburg Pocket Museum

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Hattiesburg

Hattiesburg

Mississippi

Places 5

Nearby Places

African American Military History Museum

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

miles away

Lucky Rabbit

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

miles away

Hattiesburg Pocket Museum

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Hattiesburg

Hattiesburg

Mississippi

Places 5

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