The Soda Fountain

E.W. Thomson Drug Company, the longest continuously running pharmacy in the state, is a place where history and culture combine to cohesively reflect the nationally important landscape of Northeast Louisiana.

Article by Vanelis Rivera and photography by Taylor Bennett

Running parallel to railroad tracks and tucked inside E.W. Thomson Drug Company, located on the quaint strip of Depot street in Delhi, Louisiana, a retro soda shop turned grill is ready to serve all-American favorites. Operating as a pharmacy, gift store and grill, this is not your average drugstore. Decked out with whimsical displays of delightful knick knacks, part of the store bears resemblance to a boutique. With an assortment of unique home-decor items, jewelry and clothing, you’re sure to find something new with each visit. Whether it be ‘Bless Your Heart’ mugs, ‘Gather Around the Gumbo’ kitchen towels, or ‘Grandmother’s Make Life More Beautiful’ wood plaques, the options seem endless. The gift area also features novelist Becky Smith’s new The Delhi Mafia and a curious historic manuscript titled Delhi/Deerfield: History, Legends, and Lore. A children’s gift section is a popular browsing area, suitable for a one-of-a-kind birthday or shower gifts. However, if you’re interested in stepping into nostalgia, take a sharp right when you walk inside and grab a seat by the lunch counter. Sit on any stool. They’re bound to have as as many stories to tell as any great-grandparent.

IN 1873, MR. E.W. THOMSON, a pharmacist from Alabama, settled in the town of Delhi and proceeded to open the drugstore. He had brothers and a son who served as a US ambassador, a general of the US Army, and an admiral. His sister married a Mr. Hawley, a local man whose home was located at what is now 510 Second Street in Delhi. Mr. Hawley is known for drilling the first oil well in the area located in the Bush Community, though it turned out to be a dry hole. Just after the turn of the century around 1905, construction on a new brick building began for the pharmacy, which at the time was an old wooden building. It was moved into the street west of the current location in order to keep business operations uninterrupted. Thomson Sr. prospered in Delhi. Several postcards from travels to Cuba, Puerto Rico and Mexico were found years later in nooks and crannies of the drugstore. When Thomson Sr. died of an apparent heart attack, his widow, Mrs. Jessie Thomson, moved to Oklahoma but retained ownership of the building and possibly of the business. Thomson’s sister and her husband, Mr. Hawley, operated the drugstore for a while.

In 1922, Neal McEacharn Jr. returned to Delhi from duty in WWI, and with his father, Neal McEacharn Sr., purchased the store from the heirs of E.W. Thomson. They hired S.A. Mayes, also known as Mr. Sam “Doc” Mayes, as their pharmacist and employed him for more than forty years. During that time, the drugstore became the highest prescription-volume independent drugstore in the state. In 1954, Neal Jr.’s son, Neal Doyle McEacharn, returned to Delhi upon graduating from the “Ole Miss” Pharmacy School. He began working at the drug company seven days a week from 7-9 p.m., at times offering curbside service from the soda fountain. Neal Doyle, along with his five sisters and one brother, practically grew up in the store. His engagement in the store peaked, when in 1970 he enlarged and remodeled the store. He later bought the business in 1972, working in the store until his retirement in 1990. Neal Doyle’s son, W. Bruce McEacharn, 4th generation Eacharn and current owner, started working at the store in January 1980, shortly after graduating from Pharmacy School at what was then Northeast Louisiana University, now known as the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He had the privilege of working with his dad for ten years, eventually buying the store from him in January 1990. Instilling his own alterations to the store, Bruce broke tradition and started closing the store on Sundays for the first time in 117 years.

“There’s a lot of sentimental value,” says Bruce who plans to keep the business in the family. Bruce remembers cleaning the floors of the drugstore as a child when the maintenance guy went on vacation. “Didn’t really enjoy it,” he says with a smirk. Admitting that he wasn’t crazy about settling back into Delhi, Bruce says that it took him a while to adjust to. He was single at the time and didn’t really care for working at or running a pharmacy that much. The turnaround came when he heard his preacher tell a story during a sermon. “Son, I want you to go mow the yard,” it began. Clearly the boy in the story had no interest in manual labor, which catalyzed the moral of the story: “He said, well, you don’t really have to want to, you just have to go out and do it.” That lesson put a lot in perspective for Bruce. He realized that if he was going to “serve the Lord,” he didn’t have to like it; he just needed to be willing to do it. Giving in and peacefully submitting to what he considered his calling—going into pharmacy—Bruce ended up enjoying what he was doing: “It made all the difference.”

Whether it’s a diner with a pharmacy or a pharmacy with a diner, what the drugstore grill radiates is a “remember when” feel. “I’ve got people that still come in here, been coming in here sixty years, way before I started working,” says Bruce. Kids would come in after school, play songs from the jukebox and just roam around. “The other day, a lady from out-of-town came in and told me she would come into town and the store when she was visiting her grandmother,” says Bruce. She was around seventy years old and from Wisconsin. This place can be a special stop for anyone, no matter whether they are from Delhi or not.

“The soda fountain has always been here, from the time my grandfather remodeled it,” says Bruce. And though the stools and tables have been covered, they are the originals. During its early years, the diner area just served ice cream, soda drinks and cold sandwiches, like tuna, chicken salad and roast beef. These were the set-up of soda fountains in the early 20th century. The space was often the choice hangout after the “picture shows” at the Cave Theater during the weekends. The store would stay open until midnight on Saturday nights accommodating folks coming into town from the countryside. In 2008, Bruce remodeled the entire dining area, incorporating a full grill, and usually filled to its approximately fifty seat capacity at most lunch times. With the help of grill manager Cathy Lingefelt, the lunch crowd keeps steadily growing. Regulars include the workers from the aluminum extraction plant Sapa Extrusions and from Lamb Weston, the sweet potato plant that supplies the grill with its sweet potato fries. “They bring them directly to the pharmacy,” says Bruce.

Popular menu items are the same as what the grill started with, such as their tuna and chicken salad clubs. Bruce enjoys the chicken salad plate with pimento cheese. Some customers have kept coming back for the po-boys, your choice of roast beef, ham and cheese, or Philly cheese steak, which are served with fries and gravy. All are a must-have with their jalapeño sourdough bun. The cheeseburgers are another classic menu-grab. New items on the menu include the pork chop or chicken breast plate and grilled pork chop or chicken breast served with your choice of fries or fried okra, green salad, Texas toast and a drink. You can also opt for the grilled pork chop or chicken breast as a sandwich. A breakfast menu includes all the favorites: omelette, scrambled eggs, chicken biscuits, and biscuits and gravy. Don’t forget to venture into the dessert section, showcasing pecan pie, cheesecake with toppings available, brownies served with ice cream and lemon pie. A fine array of appetizers and salads are also part of the menu.

E.W. Thomson Drug Company, the longest continuously running pharmacy in the state, is a place where history and culture combine to cohesively reflect the nationally important landscape of Northeast Louisiana. Yet, Bruce doesn’t consider the drugstore his. When someone mentions to him in awe, “you own this,” Bruce follows with, “I really don’t.” He considers that everything he has, and, everything anyone else has for that matter, belongs to the Lord. “We’re not here long on this earth. We’re just managers of what belongs to him for a little while. He’s just letting us use it for a little while.” Smiles and kind words are sure to greet you from behind three counters at this store. So venture into a staycation in a town boasting a proud, 145-year-old history, through a distinct space offering good food, curious novelties and well-being.

E.W. Thomson Drug Company is located at 213 Depot St. in Delhi, Louisiana. You can call them at (318) 878-2261 or follow them on Facebook to stay keep up with new gift items and/or lunch specials and possible new menu additions.