Smithville’s downtown square once was the main hub of everything, but as the town has changed and grown things have also changed for the F.Z. Webb & Sons Pharmacy and Gift Shop.
The pharmacy will soon be moving to a new location on Highway 56 South, and the gift shop will be closing.
Annette Greek, owner of the gift shop, has worked hard to maintain something meaningful to her family heritage and hates to see this happen. She has been the sole employee of the shop for the past 26 years. Even when Greek held other jobs, she made sure she could still manage the gift shop.
"This has been ‘the’ spot for years and years and I think it’s sad that it’s having to end," Greek told the Smithville Review, "but I hope something really good comes back into the building because you know, town squares are really special. I hope the move of the pharmacy benefits them the way they want it to."
Greek grew up in the pharmacy and gift shop, working there with all of her siblings. The Webb family is the oldest family in Tennessee to be a part of the pharmacy business and, as far as Greek knows, the second oldest in the nation. Ten years ago Alan Webb, owner of the pharmacy turned the gift shop over to her completely.
"It is my heritage, I wanted to make this work," Annette said. "I am not ready to retire but I am ready to be home for a while.
The gift shop is not only something truly special to Greek, but it is a special landmark to the town. Not just because of its long history with the town but the gems that are held within it: local historic photos, toys, candles, history books, jewelry, UT items, even bottles that were once in the original pharmacy in 1881 line the shelves of the gift shop.
"I don’t know of anywhere else in the town you can get a postcard from Smithville besides here," said Greek.
"I think the closing of the gift shop will be a great loss to the community," added George Oliver, Greek’s cousin. "This has been here for years and years and years. People always came down here. This is where everything happened. If you wanted to find out what was going on, you came to the drug store and soda fountain. Now, everything has changed but this is a landmark. Progress is good I guess but it sure leaves her (Annette) hanging here but I hope their move is successful."
The pharmacy’s soda fountain was always the hang-out spot of the town. If you wanted to know what was happening you went to the soda fountain and drug store, but as the pharmacy expanded the soda fountain was eventually taken out. However, there will fortunately be a soda fountain at the new pharmacy’s location.
"People always come in here, and they are so thrilled that we are still here," added Greek. "I like to find places like this when I go somewhere. It’s always been a special, special place and people come in to this day asking if we still have the soda fountain, 17 years later.
"It ain’t gonna be right to me. I used to come here when I was a kid. Right here to the soda fountain," she concluded.
Donald Haggard, a regular to the gift shop, said as he pointed to where the soda fountain used to be, "My grandpa would get me a hamburger; it was awesome. You can’t get a hamburger like that now."
Lisa Garrison and Rhonda Caplinger are also a couple of regulars to the gift shop who hate to see it go.
"I always love coming here and finding things," said Garrison. "You never know what kind of treasure is in here.
Annette is unsure of the last official day of the gift shop but feels it will be in July.
The first year of the Fiddler’s Jamboree F.Z. Webb Sons Pharmacy and Gift Shop was the only place open with food. They have been open during the Jamboree every year since then. Her future plans are concerned with getting through the Jamboree.
