Roanoke Drug Company has a long and complex history. Commercial druggist companies boomed in the 19th and 20th centuries.
One such company that began during this time was Benton, Myers, and Company formed in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1884, Benton Myers
merged with the Hall-Van Gorder Company. Meanwhile, in Roanoke, the Bowles-Robertson Drug Company had a shop in downtown
Roanoke on Salem Avenue. In late 1916, the name changed from Bowles-Robertson to Roanoke Drug Company. It would remain Roanoke
Drug Company until 1929, when drug conglomerate, McKesson-Robbins took over after merging with Hall-Van Gorder the previous
year, in 1928. Many of the records have Dorothy Layman’s name on them. Ms. Layman began working at Bowles-Robertson while
in her 20s. She later married and became Dorothy Cline, as some of the memos indicate. She was the only female accountant
and office manager the company ever employed