Lauvaux Pharmacy

02 Jul 2022, last revised 14 Jun 2026

A bottle from Lauvaux Pharmacy was discovered after the publication of the bottle book in 1978. The local newspaper mentioned Leon Lauvaux having a pharmacy in Houghton. Interestingly, the drug store itself had a history that started with Shelden & Sheffer.

History of the Drug Store

Shelden & Sheffer opened a drug store in Houghton in Oct 1864 (2). Sheffer then purchased Shelden's interest by Mar 1869 and continued the store (3). Based on having the same location, Graham Pope presumably was the one to reopen the store in 1869 after it had been closed for a few months (13). Pope then sold the drug store to Hebert & Deschamps in Feb 1872 (4). In Dec 1876, they moved the store two doors east of Isle Royale block (5,6). Hebert & Deschamps dissolved in Mar 1881 and Hebert continued the store (7,8).

Lauvaux as Proprietor

In Feb 1883, "Leon Lauvaux of Copper Harbor" purchased the drug store from Sam Hebert, including the building and the stock of drugs (1). He was to take possession in the next month with Paquet being in charge of the drug business (1). In Mar 1883, Dr. E. H. Paquet took over the business from Hebert (9), and in the following month, he received a full line of fancy goods and medicines (11).

Strangely, the newspaper announced in May 1883 that Lauvaux had sold the stock of drugs and fixtures back to Hebert, who intended to open a drug store in Superior City (10). It was expected, however, that if Lauvaux could make the proper connections, he could open a first-class manufacturing chemical laboratory and drug store in the Hebert stand (10). The newspaper then announced on 13 Sep 1883 that "Leon Lauvaux's new drug store, at Hebert's old stand, on east Shelden street, is now open for business..." (14). It is unknown when the store closed, but their ad in the Portage Lake Mining Gazette last ran on 09 Oct 1884. Thus, Lauvaux operated the drug store for at least a year.

We could not locate genealogical records for Lauvaux, but he was from France, since he vacationed there to visit "his home and friends" (12). His one bottle is one of the oldest embossed pharmacy bottles of the Copper Country.

Citations

1. anonymous. (1883, Feb 15). Local jottings. Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
2. anonymous. (1864, Oct 15). Drug store. Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
3. anonymous. (1869, Mar 25). ad for Corner Drug Store Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI).
4. anonymous. (1872, Feb 15). Sold out. Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
5. anonymous. (1877, Jan 11). ad for Hebert & Deschamps. Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 1.
6. anonymous. (1876, Dec 14). untitled. Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
7. anonymous. (1881, Mar 31). Local jottings Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
8. anonymous. (1881, Mar 31). Notice of dissolution. Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
9. anonymous. (1883, Mar 08). Local jottings. Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
10. anonymous. (1883, May 03). Local jottings. Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
11. anonymous. (1883, Apr 05). Local jottings. Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
12. anonymous. (1886, Jun 10). Personal. Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
13. anonymous. (1904, Mar 29). A. J. Scott sells out. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
14. anonymous. (1883, Sep 13). Local jottings. Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.