If you live in or around Naperville, you've likely heard of or even frequented Oswald's Pharmacy. In fact, your great grandparents may have too. That's because it's been around for 150 years.
"The pharmacy opened in 1875 in downtown Naperville, which around that time, the population was about 2,000, a small farming town. It was started by two physicians," recalled Alex Anderson, Owner, Oswald's Pharmacy.
"My great, great, great, grandfather William Wallace Wickel came to town in 1877, that's when he joined the firm. By 1881, he purchased the pharmacy and that kicked off the legacy in my family. His daughter married my great grandpa Oswald in 1909 and he bought the pharmacy in 1915."
Anderson is sixth generation owner.
"When Grandpa Oswald opened the store, he installed the soda fountain in 1917. The pharmacies of that era, especially around Prohibition, it became important gathering places in a lot of communities. The soda fountain kinda bounced around the store between 1917 and 1955."
Later, Anderson's great grandfather did a major remodeling in 1960 and would expand with a cosmetics counter.
"We became the destination for cosmetics. He then put another addition to the store, starting from its apothecary size at 2,000 feet, then doubled to 5,000 and then to 10,000. He dramatically expanded the size and the footprint of the store so we became the destination pharmacy. Oswald's was the largest and keeps changing with generations."
After 129 years, The family would move to another location in 2004, but the history went with them.
"Downtown had changed so much. Naperville became more of an outdoor, entertainment district so we decided to move a mile south. It's where a previously owned drug store was for decades. It's a very service oriented grocery store. It was heartbreaking to leave a location after 129 years especially for my father and grandmother. It was necessary. I don't think we could've survived downtown Naperville the way it is now, with parking etc."
Anderson says it's not lost on him the legacy he carries. And the impact his family has had on Naperville and its generations of residents.
"The fact that this small business, the sixth generation, is special. It was such a unique place to grow up. I grew up knowing about my great, great, great grandfather because my dad was working in the same business that he did. It's in your blood, you just grow up being a part of it. It's so special to be the sixth generation carrying it on. It drives me everyday to be better, to keep changing, to keep adapting, to keep supplying what our community needs and be a fun place to visit."
For long time customers, Oswald's has become a staple of the community.
"We've been coming here for 36 years," said Mark Riordan. "We love it because of the people who work here. We use the pharmacy primarily. This is a connection to the community that is key."
"It's pretty incredible especially in this day and age hearing about an independent surviving," said Katie LeFredo. "We have customers who say their parents brought them here, now they are bringing their kids here."
"It can still be a community pharmacy that's engaged in town, knows the neighbors, knows the community and we're going to take so much better care of your family because we are part of this community too," said Anderson.
Oswald's has seen two world wars, the depression, prohibition and two pandemics. The key to longevity, Anderson says, is customer service, community and adapting to change.
"Independent pharmacy is such a hard industry. Profitability has gone down so much. We're competing with chains, battling insurance companies. We've had to diversify what we do over the decades, we need trusted pharmacists on the bench that can take amazing customers the way the previous generations of my family, is so important. "
Keeping the vintage vibe alive makes Oswald's unique.
"Older people compare us to a Five-and-dime, a Ben Franklin or a Woolworth's, where we have a little bit of everything. "
To kick off celebrating this summer, Oswald’s Pharmacy has launched an exclusive line of apothecary products and craft sodas to celebrate their roots as an apothecary in the late 1800s and a soda fountain in the 1920s.
"My dad always loved the soda fountain it was such an important part of playing homage to that, we have apothecary products like old lip balms, foaming hand soaps, bath salts and some old recipes and old products when we used to compound stuff. I designed this puzzle with old photos over the past decade of the pharmacy and of Naperville."
In commemoration of their sesquicentennial, Oswald’s is partnering with local history museum Naper Settlement to preserve their legacy. Throughout the summer, both organizations will work in tandem to curate artifacts from the family’s 20th century personal collection to join the museum’s archive.
In addition to the donation, Oswald’s has selected the Naperville Heritage Society as their nonprofit partner for 2025.
Oswald’s is inviting community members to submit items for a 150th anniversary time capsule. The capsule will be sealed in the Fall inside the original Oswald’s building on Jefferson Avenue– currently Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen– where the family-owned pharmacy operated from 1874 to 2004. The official ribbon cutting and birthday party will be Friday, September 26th.
Submissions will be accepted through August 31, 2025. Details on the time capsule and the submission process are available on Oswald’s website.
Oswald's Pharmacy is the second oldest business in Naperville and the oldest continually owned family pharmacy in the Midwest.
"Being a brick and mortar legacy business at 150 years old, I want people to feel that history and to feel that excitement and the uniqueness of stores you just don't see anymore." smiled Anderson.