From A History of Coleman County
and Its People, 1985 edited by Judia and Ralph Terry, and
Vena Bob Gates - used by permission --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brink's Pharmacy, formerly
Mayes Drug, was first established in
Coleman before the turn of the century, in
1895 by J. R. Chadwell - making the store
one of Coleman's oldest. The history
of the store is a continuous one, with
several changeovers in owners down through
the years. T. E. Garrett bought the
business in 1905 from Chadwell. J.
Lee Mayes came to work for Garrett as a
pharmacist in 1912 and after Garrett's
death in 1920, Mayes purchased the store
from the Garrett estate and was the sole
owner until 1927, when J. B. Atkinson and
C. A. Gordon bought an interest in the
firm. It was then located on the
corner of Commercial Avenue and Pecan
Street.
In January 1947,
they moved to 11l West Pecan and in 1950,
Eddie Brink bought the interest owned by
Mr. Atkinson, who retired from the firm.
C. A. Gordon came to
Coleman in 1909 from San Angelo and worked
as druggist for Bowen Drug until
1919. He then went into the dry
goods business, Gray-Gordon Dry Goods and
remained there until 1923, when he went
into the drug business.
In February 1954,
the business changed hands again, when
Brink and Ed Hunter bought out the
interests of Mayes and Gordon. Then
in September 1956, Brink became sole owner
when he purchased Hunter's interest and
changed the name to Brink's Pharmacy.
In 1962, Gaines
Food Store at 215 West Pecan Street
burned, and when it was rebuilt, Brink's
moved there, west of the post
office. Bob Tyson, started to work
for Eddie Brink in 1967 and became a
partner in 1976. On August 1, 1979,
Bob and Jo Tyson purchased the store and
retain the name "Brink's Pharmacy" today.