Former Druggist in the Wallace Block
Part of the Wallace Block Series
Alfred H. Ramey, a former Sandwich druggist, died December 3, 1923, at his home in Aurora.
Born in Peoria, Illinois, on January 6, 1846, Ramey came of age during the Civil War era. In 1864, he entered government service freighting supplies to frontier military posts and assisted in the construction of Fort Phil Kearney and Fort Smith. In 1865, he volunteered for military engagements against Sioux and Cheyenne forces.
Wounded five times, he lost his right leg to amputation at the hip. In July 1866, he returned home after a long recovery.
Determined to rebuild his life, Ramey attended Commercial College in Peoria and began business with only four dollars in capital. After early ventures in fruit and grocery trade, he studied medicine and chemistry and entered the drug business.
During his years in Sandwich, he conducted a drugstore in the Wallace Block on Railroad Street. The storefront he occupied later became home to Wertz’s Bakery.
Ramey’s life, shaped by frontier hardship and perseverance, forms part of the commercial history of the Wallace Block and downtown Sandwich.
The Wallace Block Landmark Series
Explore the articles that tell the story of the Wallace Block and the businesses that shaped its history.
- The Wallace Block – Landmark Overview
- Businesses of the Wallace Block
- Sedgwick Bank in the Wallace Block
- Wallace Brothers