Dr. Charles B. Hervey, Optician - HERVEY

Des Moines Register, Jan. 19, 1905.

​Last night I discovered that my 3rd great-grandfather was an ophthalmologist in Des Moines, Iowa. (Turns out I do a LOT of research centered in Iowa, no matter which line I'm looking at, but that's another story.)

Dr. Charles B. Hervey is on my Smith side (see family chart in photos) and his business model was selling $1 eyeglasses.

Before he was at the Loper Drug Co. on 5th & Walnut Street in Des Moines, he worked at the Iowa Pharmacy at 128 W 4th Street and in 1901 applied for a permit "to sell intoxicating liquors" there. I'm not sure if the pharmacy ever received the permit or if that was a common permit for such an established to have at the time, but he had moved on to the next shop by 1905. Loper Drug Co. later moved to 412 East 5th Street which is the only three of these buildings to still exist. It is currently a tattoo shop.

Anyone up for a road trip to Des Moines, IA to get an eye tattoo there?

Snippet from Charles Hervey's family tree.

Des Moines Register, Aug 13, 1901

Des Moines Register, Sept. 30, 1909

Des Moines Register, Feb. 21, 1904

412 E. 5th Street, Des Moines, IA. Location of Loper's Drug Store. Today, it's the Black Magic Tattoo shop. Image from Google Street View.