Auten Pharmacy

Our heritage in prescription drugs goes back to the Youngberg, Meek, Reed era. In 1937, Fred Wicke and George Hurst bought the Reed Rexall Drug Store, which was founded about 1900. This was the beginning of several acquisitions and consolidations of pharmacies in Osawatomie.

In 1940, Wicke-Hurst bought the prescription drug business from the Nyman Drug Store which went out of business that year. In 1950, Harry Lederer sold his drug store to Hunsperger and Bigelow, who continued with sundries and fountain service. Wicke-Hurst purchased the Lederer prescription business.

In 1952, Wicke bought out Hurst, and hired William Sinclair as a pharmacist. Sinclair bought Wicke Rexall Drugs in 1962 and changed the name of the business to Sinclair Rexall Drugs. In late 1960's/early 1970's, Sinclair Rexall Drugs bought Meek's Drugs Store, which was founded in 1879 by Abner F. Meek. When William Sinclair purchased Meek's Drug he combined the two pharmacies into Sinclair Rexall Drug and continued to operate Meek's as a restaurant and soda fountain.

In 1992, Steve and Teri Auten purchased Sinclair Rexall Drug from William Sinclair and changed the name to Auten Pharmacy. Auten Pharmacy operated in the same location until September 2009. At that time a new building was built on the East end of Main Street to provide better access for disabled patients and to enable the Auten's to add drive-thru service.