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101 North Meridian Street
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Before it was Haines Rexall Drugstore, it was Beasley and Waltz. Beasley and Waltz bought the store in 1936 and named it: Beasley and Waltz. Wallace Haines moved to Winchester, Indiana from Tipton with his family in the fall of 1954 as a new pharmacist. Haines soon bought Beasley and Waltz on November 14, 1954, renaming Beasley and Waltz, to Haines Rexall Drugstore. In 1976, Haines occupied the former By/Lo Furniture store, so that Haines had more room for the pharmacy. Haines had the opportunity to take part in a new store format offered by Hallmark called the “Gold Crown” Store. However, the new format would require a complete renovation of the store and the removal of a long held tradition, the Soda Fountain.
By the late nineties, Haines was changing. The demand for prescription drugs was rising, with large pharmacy companies becoming more popular. In 1997, Haines made the decision with his son, Tom, to sell the pharmacy portion of the business. Haines and Tom renamed Haines Rexall Drugstore to Haines Hallmark and Gifts. In 2005, Wallace Haines passed away. Tom Haines took over after his father’s death. The store continued to sell items such as greeting cards, gift wrap, seasonal decorations, party supplies, and everyday gifts.
In early 2012, Janis Haines, Wallace Haines’ daughter, took the role of manager, changing multiple aspects about Haines. By the fall of 2012, she hired an entirely new staff, which was composed of young, energetic people. The employees worked hard to keep the magic of Haines Hallmark and Gifts alive. They have tried to maintain the highest quality of product and inventory.
Dustin Shannon, current employee at Haines, said, “I started working at Haines around 2010. Janis [Haines] had tried to get me to come over to work for her for a while, but I was working at my family’s hardware store at the time while going to college. I remember when I started, the outlook of the business was bleak. It was in need of some new life. Janis had been working to get in new merchandise and bring in new customers when I started; that was my main objective: to support what she was doing and bring in new ideas. Many of the vendors and suppliers that they had used for years had gone out of business during the Great Recession, so one big hurdle was to find new suppliers for things like gifts, decorations, candles, all while working with a very limited budget. The huge display windows became a priority for me. I would change them regularly and always make sure they had a theme or purpose. Those helped to draw people.”
Haines Rexall Drugstore went through a lot of changes throughout its history. It was originally a pharmacy, and then changed to a gift shop. Shannon said, “I think that Haines has had a significant impact on the community. It has long been a staple of businesses on the square. Back when it was a pharmacy, they offered home delivery of medications and often worked with the other drug stores on the square to ensure that everyone in town was served efficiently.” It is now a place for people to go and visit. Janis Haines is still the owner of Haines Hallmark and Gifts to this day, and is still open as Haines Hallmark, Gift Shop and Soda Fountain. Shannon claims that Haines has “seats that have the best view in town.”
By the late nineties, Haines was changing. The demand for prescription drugs was rising, with large pharmacy companies becoming more popular. In 1997, Haines made the decision with his son, Tom, to sell the pharmacy portion of the business. Haines and Tom renamed Haines Rexall Drugstore to Haines Hallmark and Gifts. In 2005, Wallace Haines passed away. Tom Haines took over after his father’s death. The store continued to sell items such as greeting cards, gift wrap, seasonal decorations, party supplies, and everyday gifts.
In early 2012, Janis Haines, Wallace Haines’ daughter, took the role of manager, changing multiple aspects about Haines. By the fall of 2012, she hired an entirely new staff, which was composed of young, energetic people. The employees worked hard to keep the magic of Haines Hallmark and Gifts alive. They have tried to maintain the highest quality of product and inventory.
Dustin Shannon, current employee at Haines, said, “I started working at Haines around 2010. Janis [Haines] had tried to get me to come over to work for her for a while, but I was working at my family’s hardware store at the time while going to college. I remember when I started, the outlook of the business was bleak. It was in need of some new life. Janis had been working to get in new merchandise and bring in new customers when I started; that was my main objective: to support what she was doing and bring in new ideas. Many of the vendors and suppliers that they had used for years had gone out of business during the Great Recession, so one big hurdle was to find new suppliers for things like gifts, decorations, candles, all while working with a very limited budget. The huge display windows became a priority for me. I would change them regularly and always make sure they had a theme or purpose. Those helped to draw people.”
Haines Rexall Drugstore went through a lot of changes throughout its history. It was originally a pharmacy, and then changed to a gift shop. Shannon said, “I think that Haines has had a significant impact on the community. It has long been a staple of businesses on the square. Back when it was a pharmacy, they offered home delivery of medications and often worked with the other drug stores on the square to ensure that everyone in town was served efficiently.” It is now a place for people to go and visit. Janis Haines is still the owner of Haines Hallmark and Gifts to this day, and is still open as Haines Hallmark, Gift Shop and Soda Fountain. Shannon claims that Haines has “seats that have the best view in town.”
Joey Feltis, Juan Castillo, Brock Goforth, Adam Moore
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