Bradley's Inc.

According to information provided by Kathryn Ann Bradley Linkous, her grandfather Smith Bradley was baptized “Smithson.” He changed his first name to “Smith,” a simpler version.  That name appears on most records and on his gravestone. The Bradley Genealogy is in the Stories section of Athens We Knew.

From about 1910 to 1928, Dr. Smith Holland Bradley (1883-1938), his wife Ella, and their children lived in Bluefield, West Virginia.  During those years he was a pharmacist and manager of several drug stores: Southside Drug Store, The Central Pharmacy and The White Pharmacy.

In 1929 he briefly moved his family to Roanoke, Virginia. He moved from Roanoke to Athens  in 1931.

On August 3, 1931, the Athens Drug Company was incorporated by Roy D. and Virginia Carter Hankla from Bluefield, West Virginia. The Hankla’s owned several businesses, including a drug store in Bluefield.

When Smith Bradley moved his family to Athens, he became the pharmacist for the Athens Drug Company. The store had a soda fountain with tables and chairs where customers could sit, eat, and socialize. In the back of the store Smith Bradley dispensed medicines and sold over-the-counter remedies. There were also sundries, knick-knacks, and magazines for sale. 

After Smith Bradley’s death in 1938, the Athens Drug Company was closed on July 11, 1939. On that day Smith’s son, J. W. 'Buddy' Bradley, opened a business in the same building, Bradley's Incorporated, featuring school supplies, gifts, cosmetics and light lunches.