Our History
Meyer Pharmacy began at 94 E. Bremer Ave in Waverly, IA in the year 1913. The business was born when E.H. Meyer entered in to a partnership and purchased the existing John Nix Drug Store.
Following World War II, John E. Meyer joined his father in the business and eventually became sole owner of Meyer’s Rexall Drug Store. In 1958 John partnered with the owner of Stauffer Pharmacy, Max Eggleston, and formed the College Hill Drug Company.
In July 1965, the store moved from its 52 year downtown location to a new shopping center on 10th St and W. Bremer, now known as Collegetowne Plaza. At that time the current soda fountain/ grill operation was scrapped for a Hallmark Card department. To date, Meyer Pharmacy is the oldest current Hallmark Card account in the State of Iowa.
In 1976 J.E. Meyer sold his interest to his partner Max Eggleston. Under Eggleston’s direction College Hill Drug Company bought a pharmacy located in the new Willow Lawn Mall and another in Independence, IA. Eventually, these two locations were sold.
In June 1984, Eggleston sold the stock of the College Hill Drug Company to Thomas J. Taiber who had been a staff pharmacist at Stauffer Pharmacy since 1973. Under Taiber’s direction the College Hill Drug Company opened Julie’s Hallmark card shop in the new Village Square Shopping Center. In 1995 Taiber made the business decision to remodel and expand the Meyer Pharmacy location on W. Bremer and absorb the downtown Stauffer Pharmacy business. Stauffer Pharmacy was then closed. In January 2006, Julie’s Hallmark was closed and assimilated into the Meyer Pharmacy location. In January 2007, Meyer Pharmacy joined a growing network of independent pharmacies under the Health Mart franchise name.
After 23 years of sole ownership, in March 2007 Taiber sold the assets of the College Hill Drug Company the the fledgling company RYKA Incorporated owned by Ryan and Kate Frerichs. The Frerichs’s continue to operate Meyer Health Mart Pharmacy today.
