A GRAND OPENING 130 YEARS IN THE MAKING
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 -- 1:46 PM
Things are hopping at Sniteman Pharmacy today, Day Two of their Grand Opening, which started yesterday and runs through tomorrow.Sniteman?s has been a fixture in downtown Neillsville for a long, long time. It?s hard to prove, but the drugstore could very well hold the distinction of being the longest running drugstore in the same location in the state.
"Over 130 years in the same downtown locations. Several owners have occurred, of course, over those years," explains owner Bill Weiler.
He's owned Sniteman?s since 1989. Dave Klieforth became an equal partner in the mid-90s, more than one hundred years after the business was purchased by a C.C. Sniteman in 1879.
Weiler and Klieforth remodeled the store to keep up with changes in the business.
They moved the business office upstairs. They found some unique items in the remodeling process.
"The coolest thing I found was way in the back of one of the rooms was a sign that hung out in front of the drugstore between 1880 and 1920," Weiler says, "The Klopf Jewelry store was in the same building as the Sniteman Pharmacy."
"It's solid steel. It's in remarkably good shape. I found it in the original shipping carton. It's in mint condition," he describes.
He has the sign on display this week, along with historic pictures and other artifacts.
Sniteman?s is teaming up with Memorial Medical Center in Neillsville to offer some special screenings and giveaways during the Grand Opening, which, again runs through Friday.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.