According to the Mableton Mail Newspaper dated July 5, 1961, there was only Drug Store in Powder Springs. The druggist and pharmacist was Andrew Jack “Doc” Lane, Jr and commonly known as “Doc” Lane.
“Just about everyone in Powder Springs take their prescriptions to A. J. Lane whose skill and accuracy they have learned to trust for the last 18 years.”.
Doc Lane was born August 21, 1912 in Franklin, Heard County, GA. and passed away on January 3,1990. He married Miss Virginia Webb in 1937. Virginia was born on May 10, 1917 in Carroll County, GA. and passed away on November 6, 1997. Both are buried in the Powder Springs City Cemetery.
The Lanes moved to Powder Springs sometime in the early 1940’s and raised their three children here; a son, Andrew Jackson “Jack” Lane, III and two daughters, Linda and Ann.
The Powder Springs Pharmacy was previously owned by Mrs. D. F. Gillham. Doc Lane purchased the Drug Store sometime in the early 1940’ (about 1943). There is no connection between Mr. Lane and large chain stores of the same name. His is a family owned and independent Drug Store as it was under D. F. Gillham’s ownership.
Even though, Doc Lane has been filling prescriptions for the past 18 or so years in Powder Springs, it is only a part his experience. Being a registered pharmacist, he worked several years at Dalton, GA. in the profession before moving to Powder Springs.
His son, “Jack” works part time at the Drug Store as a pharmacist. Mrs. Lane and his daughters also worked in the store at various positions making it a friendly place to do business and visit. One daughter, Ann, became a pharmacist, as an Equestrian Pharmacist, working with medicine for Horses.
The Drug Store was conveniently located in downtown on the corner of Marietta Street and Lewis Road and had a soda fountain. The young people especially enjoyed this feature.
It was here that two future Pharmacist worked as ‘soda jerks’ and learned assisting Doc Lane from time to time. John William “Bill “Cooper, who in later years, would open his own pharmacy in Powder Springs which was open for about thirty years. This was before the big box drug stores came along. Bill Coopers brother, Floyd Phillip Cooper, Jr., spent his career serving in the US Air Force, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.
The Lanes lived in the house next door to the Drug Store, that was originally built as a home and office of Dr. Frank Pickens Lindley, Sr.. Dr. Lindley practiced there for 40 years. He built a block house on Old Austell Road down from Atlanta Street, a few years later.
Lowell Lovinggood remembers the Lanes and the drug store very well. He and Doc Lanes son, Jack, were about the same age and were friends
growing up together. The drugstore was across Marietta Street from where Mr. Lovinggood’s father, Virgil, owned and operated a General Merchandise and Grocery Store.
The Lanes were the second family in Powder Springs to have a TV, which, at that time, had only three channels and broadcast locally from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm each day.
Doc Lane also had an appliance store located at the drug store (or next to the store) selling Crossley products. Lowell Lovinggood remembers buying his first appliances from Doc Lane after he and Pat married.
In later years, Doc Lane built a house on Hill Road and lived there until his death in 1990. Here he and Mrs. Lane continued to raise their family, serve their community and retiring. After Doc passed away, Mrs. Lane moved to Kentucky to live with her daughter until her death in 1997.
The Drug Store and the house have been gone for many years. A business was located in the house after the Lanes moved to their new home on Hill road. This house burned down in the 1980’s. The Drug Store was sold when Doc Lane retired and other businesses were housed there until, it too, as demolished.
The site where the drug store and house were located is now a parking lot next door to the Book Worm, who’s building has been there for over 50 years. That building was originally built and used as a Barber Shop run by Sandy Young, a prominent barber who started practice across the street in the Lewis Building.
There are still a few of those who remember the Lanes, the Drug Store, the soda fountain, the mixing of the drugs by Doc Lane, the appliance store and the houses where they lived.
We are thankful and grateful for the newspaper article from the Mableton Mail Newspaper dated July 5,1961 that was saved and is now on file at the museum. Many thanks to Mr. Lowell Lovinggood, lifelong resident of Powder Springs and President of the Seven Springs Historical Society, for sharing his memories of the Lanes and growing up in Powder Springs. Also, to others who have shared their memories and knowledge of growing up in Powder Springs.