Charles E. Van Avery (6/5/1876-9/24/1957) started Van Avery’s Drug Store in 1901. The store was located at 735 Portage Street in Kalamazoo. In 1908, a second location was opened at 502 West North Street by Charles’s brother Ray Van Avery (5/7/1881-5/1/1955). By 1916 Charles’s store at 735 Portage had closed. However, he opened a new location located at 714 North Burdick St. in 1921 named C.E. Van Avery and Son. In 1926 Ray Van Avery’s store was taken over by Charles’s son Gerald (b. 1896). In 1935, Charles’s younger son Donald (b. 1906)0 took over the Burdick St. location. By 1950, the location at 714 West North Street was gone from city directories and by 1965 the Burdick Street location had closed as well. It is the Burdick Street location which is featured in the newspaper article contained in this collection.