Naperville native Alex Anderson never thought he would get too involved in his family’s business after college, much less own it. Now, the sixth-generation owner of Oswald’s Pharmacy is preparing to celebrate its 150th anniversary.
“It feels really special, and we’re really excited to celebrate the community this fall,” said Alex.
Located in the city’s Plaza Shopping Center, Oswald’s Pharmacy has been serving the community since 1875.
William Wallace Wickel bought the business in 1883, kick-starting the family ownership. In 1915, he sold it to his son-in-law, Louis Oswald, after whom the pharmacy is named.
Since then, the business has been passed down from generation to generation, leading up to current owner Alex, who took over the business from his father, Bill, in 2021.
Bill had owned the business since 1991, and much like his son, he never planned to run the pharmacy, first exploring careers in ceramics and welding.
“One thing about welding, it made me sure that I didn’t want to be a welder the rest of my life. So, I was still living at my parents’ house at the time, when one night, my dad comes in and says, ‘Hey, we just lost the girl at the front register. Can you help me out?’ And I’d like to say that I’ve been helping out at the front register for the last 40 years,” said Bill.
Fifth-generation owner reflects on the history of Oswald’s
He experienced several key moments working at the pharmacy, including the day a humidor holding cigars went up in flames, setting fire to the front of the store in the summer of 1971.
“Thankfully, it didn’t burn the whole store down, but at that time…besides all those cigars and pipe tobacco, there were probably… maybe 800 cartons of cigarettes, and it all went up in smoke, and the store was just filthy. That was quite an adventure,” said Bill.
During the 90s, when Bill would share ownership of the pharmacy with his siblings, they would expand the gift and toy selection, just in time to capitalize on a timely toy.
“Beanie Babies exploded, and that was the craziest time in retail that I think I would ever experience. It was just absolutely crazy,” said Bill.
Over time, the pharmacy’s growing selection of toys, puzzles, and other Naperville-branded merchandise made it a go-to spot for items beyond medications.
And the customers proved to be loyal, creating a multi-generational following and staff base.
“There’s been multiple generations of kids working here. So their grandmother worked here [then] their mother, and it’s fun to see them…and there are customers that come in that just brighten your day, and that’s what keeps you going day in and day out,” said Bill.
The move from downtown Naperville and the shock of the global pandemic
In 2004, Bill would facilitate the business’ significant move from downtown Naperville to its current location, a choice that received some scrutiny, but which he says he’s proud of.
“A lot of people said, ‘Your grandfather would kill you if he knew you moved out of downtown,’ and my grandfather, he would have been all over it. He would have loved the move. And then, of course, we opened up another 5,000 square feet and we put in medical equipment…I’m very happy with both of those decisions,” he said.
The expansion to sell medical equipment came in 2015, and a year later, after some time away, Alex returned to work at the pharmacy, with a focus on marketing.
However, when the pandemic hit, the second one in the pharmacy’s history, he shifted to managing critical logistics that would keep the business running.
“He was able to finagle it, go through vendors, trying to get masks. And then we started doing COVID-19 testing, and he got us a CLIA license to become a laboratory. And so we started doing COVID testing, and that kept everybody busy,” said Bill.
Alex Anderson becomes the sixth-generation owner of Oswald’s
As Alex took on more and more responsibilities, his desire to run the family business grew.
At the height of the pandemic, he would become the new owner of Oswald’s Pharmacy.
“We joked about wishing we could talk to Grandpa Oswald, who ran the pharmacy through the 1918 pandemic. But I’m sure things have changed so dramatically. I don’t know. It was a lot of work, and it was just pivoting on a dime at any moment, just doing everything we could do to serve the community,” said Alex.
The father and son pulled through the chaos, and since taking over, Alex has worked to revamp the store ahead of its anniversary, including conducting renovations and expanding their products.
“It’s bringing in new lines that we create here, and we’re doing our own soda lines, our own apothecary lines of like, bath salts and hand soaps with the Oswald’s name and with Naperville on it,” he said.
Preparations for the 150th anniversary
The limited-time soda line, implemented as part of the 150th celebration, is a nod to the soda fountain that was once a significant part of the pharmacy during the early 1900s.
One of Alex’s goals is to bring it back.
“That was always something I wanted to see come back, and it’s still on my goal list to do a soda fountain one day,” said Alex.
In honor of their anniversary, he also created a new Oswald’s puzzle that celebrates the history of the business and Naperville, joining their large puzzle assortment.
“I feel very intertwined in the community. When it’s an Oswald’s item. It’s also something that represents Naperville, too,” he said.
The pharmacy is also creating a time capsule that will be sealed inside the original Oswald’s location, now Ramsay’s Kitchen, later this year. Community members are invited to submit items to be included in the commemorative capsule.
Despite the ups of downs of owning the business over the years, the family says it’s all been worth it to serve their community.
As they prepare for the 150th anniversary ribbon cutting on Sept. 26, the father and son are hopeful for more anniversaries to come.
“I just hope I can do as wonderful a job as my father and grandfather, and great-grandfather, and just the previous generations of the family. I hope I can do everything I can to keep it a welcoming pharmacy that people value as a part of the community,” said Alex.
“I’m proud of the current generation, what Alex is doing with the pharmacy, and God willing and the creek don’t rise, we’ll be here for another 50, 60 years,” said Bill.
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