James Drug West

The James Drug building is one of Ely’s earliest structures.  It was built by Abijah James in 1888 and provided a venue for the sale of medicines and medical supplies for over 100 years. While the drug store business flourished on the main floor, the second floor was filled with offices and small businesses. In 1999 James Drug closed and the building was left vacant. Fifteen years later the Ott Family (Alley A Realty) purchased the building and completed a stellar renovation. It is now a kitchenware and gift shop, called Potluck, with offices in the back and once again on the second floor. 

Abijah James was born in Pennsylvania in 1858, the seventh of ten children.  In 1880, he was working on his brother’s farm in Pennsylvania.   But he must have craved adventure because he left Pennsylvania and headed west. In 1887, Abijah took the train from Duluth to Tower and then walked the 22 miles on an Indian trail to the fledgling mining camp that is now Ely. Upon his arrival, Abijah was diagnosed with typhoid fever. During this significant illness, Abijah was befriended by the local mining company doctor, Charles Shipman.  

This friendship developed into a business partnership. Together they started the James Drug Store, initially in the lobby of a local hotel. On August 28, 1888, James Drug was opened on this site, occupying the west side of the building. Dr. Shipman had his infirmary on the second floor. Within a year Abijah returned to Pennsylvania, married his sweetheart, Francis Raub, and brought her back to Minnesota. Abijah and Francis had one son, David ‘Raub’ James, born on January 8, 1894.

People still remember the James Family and one of the more popular stories about Abijah follows:

              Abijah was a thin man and at some point, made an effort to gain weight. He consulted his friend Dr. Shipman, who recommended he try beer to facilitate the weight gain. Abijah bought a case of beer and after a month, went back to Dr. Shipman and told him that the beer wasn’t working. Dr. Shipman asked him how much he was drinking and Abijah said he took a tablespoon every day.

In 1916 Abijah died unexpectedly during a buying trip to Chicago. His son Raub, who was just 22 at the time but educated as a pharmacist, took over the drugstore business.  

In 1940, when Raub was 46, he also experienced an unfortunate accident while traveling – this time in Florida, where he had gone for his health.  Both his mother, Francis, and long-time friend and spinster schoolteacher, Elaine Fenske, rushed to Miami to nurse him back to health. On April 22, 1940, Elaine and Raub married in Miami Florida at the First Presbyterian Church of Miami. 

In 1944, just four years later, Raub died, leaving, Elaine to run the business with the help of assistant pharmacist Elmer Kero. 

The building experienced a significant fire in 1947 incurring damages of $75,000 to $100,000. Elaine repaired the building and maintained the business until her passing in 1955.

Pharmacist George Berttula bought the business and the building in 1959 from the James Estate. In 1967 he hired Lee Schumacher and expanded the drug store to include the east side of the building.  In 1977, Lee bought the business from George and ran it until 1999, when the James Drug Store closed its doors for the last time.  

While the drugstore business flourished on the first floor for over 100 years, the upper floors were always busy with offices and shops – beauty shops, real estate, dental, and law offices.

The building rested for a while, under the ownership of Ken and Keith Abney. 

Most recently, the Ott Family (Alley A Realty) renovated the building, and on June 5, 2018, the popular ‘Potluck’ kitchenware and gift shop opened on the main floor. Offices again fill the second level. Stop by to see ‘Potluck’s’ unique kitchen gadgets, distinctive gifts and fun antiques. If you have more time, take a break at the small park next door, Chapman Street Commons. 

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1888 – James Drug opens in this building

1916 – Abijah James dies in Chicago; son Raub manages the business

1940 – Raub James and Elaine Fenske marry in Miami

1944 – Raub dies unexpectedly in New York; Elaine manages the business

1947 – the building burns; Elaine repairs it

1955 – Elaine passes

1959 – George Bertala buys the business from the James Estate

1977 – Lee Schumacher buys the business

1999 – James Drug Closes after 111 years in business

2008 – The Abney brothers buy the building but do not run a business here

2015 – The John Ott Family (Alley A Realty) buys the building and begins renovations

June 5, 2018 – Potluck opens for business

The Sanborn Insurance Maps 1900-1924.

1900 AND 1907 Ely City Directories

Ancestry.com. Accessed April 8th, 2022.

Ely Since 1888 (The Blue Book. Ely, Mn. The Ely Echo. 1988.

The Anniversary Committee (author), Centennial Roaring Stoney Days – In Commemoration of Ely’s 70the Birthday 1888-1958; Edition Second Edition October 30, 1982, Ely Minnesota; Ely-Winton Historical Society, 1958 (publisher)

Ely Miner Newspaper (1916, 1940, 1944, 1955)

Ely Phone Directories from 1949 to 2020 (available at the Ely-Winton Historical Society)

Information from Lee Schumacher (owner of James Drug)