City Drug Store, a family owned pharmacy that made its mark in the Big Bend area, continues to provide personalized service and retains its friendly, small town roots thanks to the Bow family. The original founder of City Drug, Robert A. Bow, first ventured out West after graduating from the Louisville College of Pharmacy in Kentucky in 1906. Robert worked under Alpine pharmacist and drugstore owner P.D. Coulson at Coulson Pharmacy. In 1936, Robert purchased the business from Coulson, and named it City Drug Store. Jack Bow, one of Robert’s sons and part owner, stated in a 2005 newspaper article, “After coming to Alpine, my father become the 308th registered pharmacist in Texas, a fact he was very proud of. In the early years before City Drug Store, Dad left Alpine on several occasions, but always came back. Sara Bow still owns the building where City Drug stands, but the pharmacy is now owned by Mario Juarez, a Fort Stockton-based registered pharmacist. City Drug is also a part of Health Mart, a network of more than 3,500 independently owned and operated pharmacies in the U.S. Jack passed away in 2018, but his vision and outlook on the community reverberates today. Twenty-one years ago, Jack said, “I think Alpine is a good place to live – the climate is good, and the people are nice. I think most small-town pharmacists agree that they enjoy the job because we have personal relationships with the customers. There is a lot of satisfaction in knowing you’re able to serve them. We never tire of the trust and friendship people place in us.”
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