The Curtsinger Drug Store, Frisco Texas

Samuel C. Curtsinger was born in Rhea Mills, Collin County, Texas on August 15, 1872. He spent his early life in the Rhea Mills area. We have a record of his being in business in Bolivar, Texas. He was married to Miss Ada France in 1897. To this union were born the following children: Claude, France, Irene, Ruby Mae, and Ray. After being in Bolivar for an unknown number of years, they moved to Paint Rock, Concho County, Texas, and established the Curtsinger Drug Store. Mrs. Curtsinger died in Paint Rock in 1909. In 1910, Mr. Curtsinger came back to Denton and married Mrs. Rosa Harris. Mrs. Harris had one daughter, Cornelia, and they all lived in Paint Rock until sometime in the early part of 1922 when the store was destroyed by fire.

They had gone through an extensive drought in West Texas and Mr. Curtsinger had decided, in as much as he had to re-establish his store, that he would come back into the North Texas area. He came to Frisco and bought out the W.G. Wolf Drug Store. He opened the Curtsinger Drug Store on August 5, 1922.

All three of Mr. Curtsinger’s sons eventually became pharmacists but France never came to Frisco. He was associated with the old Corner Drug Store in Waco. Claude was associated with his father in business as a partner until Mr. Curtsinger Sr.’s retirement. Claude bought out the entire store in 1948.

Claude was married to Miss Ina Sheradon. She died soon after coming to Frisco. On February 10, 1935, he was married to Miss Gertrude Lindley of McKinney. To this union, one son Charles was born.

Irene was married to Thomas Roach and they had one son, Sam, of Frisco.

The impact of this drug store on the entire community of Frisco was almost unbelievable. It became a focal point in the community. Only 30 days after the establishment of this store, the great fire happened and the town was almost laid to waste except for the block in which Mr. Curtsinger’s store was located. His store then became even more of a focal point.

It was traditional for the doctor’s offices to be located in the back of the drug store. When Mr. Curtsinger first came to Frisco, Dr. Rogers’ office was in the back of the store, which was located in the third building from the corner of 4th and Main, and between 4th and 5th Streets. Here Dr. Rogers stayed until his retirement. Dr. Saye's office had been in the Palace Drug Store, which had been destroyed by fire, so Dr. Saye became associated with the Curtsinger Drug Store.

In the early 1930s, in order to acquire more space, the store moved up the street nearly to the corner of 4th and Main Street next door to the bank. This almost doubled the amount of floor space. Tom Byrum had formerly occupied this building with a hardware store in the front of the building while the back of the building’s space was devoted to the use of the funeral home. The area, that had been devoted to the use of the funeral home, became Dr. Saye’s office. Also, a storeroom for the drug store was located here.

The status symbol for the young people of the town was to work at Curtsinger’s Fountain. There was a most complete fountain and much of the social life of Frisco centered on that fountain.

The things that happened in that store are almost unbelievable by modern standards. There was only one radio in town. It was in Curtsinger’s Drug Store. Mr. Curtsinger allowed the baseball fans to put up a blackboard about 5’ by 9’ on a stand. On occasions there would be many people gathered around that radio listening to the World Series and keeping score on the blackboard.

Claude, as well as Irene, was a very accomplished musician. Sometimes, visiting musicians, Ted Yarbrough, Rosie Rosamon and Clifford McElhanon from Prosper would come down. Claude and Irene would play the piano. Claude also played the violin. Ray played drums and Ted Yarbrough played the banjo. Many kids in town gathered around singing. These were not special occasions. They happened often.

The hours that this store operated were almost unbelievable. Mr. Curtsinger, ‘Mr. Sam’ as he was affectionately known, did not think that any store should close before 11 P.M. That only meant closing the front doors. Whatever bookwork he had to do and the cleaning would be done after that. Always at 7 A.M., the store was opened. Very few stores in North Texas area had the amount of diversified stock, which they kept. For any need, the slogan was ‘try the Drug Store first’.

The store stayed open seven days a week, Christmas and holidays. Christmas was a festive occasion and ‘Mr. Sam’ wanted all of his friends in on Christmas. If they ever took a day off, it would be May 1, when white perch fishing season opened.

The store was the bus station. There was a Dallas to Sherman bus and a Greenville to Denton Bus and an exchange of passengers was made here. Often, passengers waited at Curtsinger Drug Store for a long period of time.

The only pay telephone station in town was located at Curtsinger Drug Store. Many messages of all kinds were received and sent from here. When the telephone operator was trying to locate a person, she would call the drug store first.

In front of the fountain were two or three alabaster top tables with twisted iron back chairs or bentwood chairs. May conversations revolved around the table. Doctor Saye, when not on housecall, was always presiding at one of these tables. It has often been said by many people that more business decisions were made and more business transacted, more maps drawn, more roads built and better crops raised around those table than anywhere in North Texas. Alabaster was easily written on in pencil or fountain pen and the marks could be easily erased with a wet towel. For many, many years these tables in front of Curtsinger’s Fountain were the gathering place of people in Frisco.

A miniature roulette wheel was always on the table or on the fountain. Anytime two or more people came in, it was traditional to say, ‘Hey, lets roll for the drinks’. It was a process of elimination, high man out. Last man pays. The first wheel was all metal and used until all the numbers wore off. Then a walnut wheel replaced it. When the fountain was taken from the store, the wheel also left.

Mr. Curtsinger retired in 1948 and sold the business to his son, Claude. Mr. Curtsinger died July 24, 1950 and is buried in Bolivar, Texas.

Claude bought the store on March 1, 1948. He and Gertrude continued to operate the drug store on the same basis he and his father had run it. Claude was not among the most influential, but he was the most influential man in the community. He was father-confessor to all of the younger generation. Boys with problems always came to him. After Dr. Saye’s death in 1951, the town was without a doctor for a few years. Claude was, not only pharmacist and druggist, but also he was the doctor for the community. He was certainly one who recognized his limitations and would not prescribe anything of which he was not sure. He kept close association with other doctors, especially with Dr. Charlie Wysong. Claude had the privilege of calling Dr. Charlie anytime that he so desired to confer with him over the telephone. They knew that they could trust each other and there was a far greater relationship between these two men than the normal druggist-doctor relationship.

Claude served in the Navy during World War I and was a graduate of Baylor University School of Pharmacy. He was very active in the community. He served on the City Council, the Frisco School Board, the Collin County School Board, served as secretary of the Masonic Lodge, served as an associate member of the Collin County Draft Board in World War II and was secretary of the first Lions Club organized in Frisco. His influence on city affairs was far reaching. The fact that he always had a personal interest in the welfare of his friends and neighbors earned for him the highest respect of the Frisco community.

Claude and Gertrude Curtsinger sold the Drug Store on February 28, 1967. To those of us who have been here a great many years, on that day an era ended.

Claude died in his sleep, August 13, 1973. Gertrude continued to live in their home on Main Street until her death, September 14, 1994.

Curtsinger Elementary School in east Frisco was named in honor of Claude Curtsinger for his distinguished service to the City of Frisco and to his fellow man.

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Compiled by Gertrude Curtsinger and Benton Staley in 1975 and updated by Sam Roach in August 2001