Photograph of the entrance of Cadman's Pharmacy.

Once we moved, we became regular customers of what was then the only drugstore in the village. It had been founded a decade before as a branch of the original Maurice D. Cadman Pharmacy in Pleasantville. Maurice D. Cadman’s son went by his middle name, M. Donald Cadman, and was familiarly known as Don Cadman. And locals never called the store anything but just Cadman’s.

We quickly learned that Cadman’s offered more services than filling prescriptions, and a lot  more goods. It had its own house brands of over-the-counter drugs such as aspirin and nose drops, plus a wide variety of toiletries, from witch hazel to green liquid shampoo. Its candy counter featured sweets ranging from nickel Oh Henrys and Hershey Bars to pricier Whitman’s Samplers. There was also a counter for shelled nuts sold by the pound, not only the usual peanuts, cashews, walnuts, almonds, and pecans, but also more sophisticated blends such as bridge mix.

Speaking of Whitman’s Samplers, Cadman’s was appreciated as a good source for gifts, including perfumes foreign and domestic, stuffed animals and other toys, and greeting cards for all occasions. It was also a major source for periodicals – magazines and newspapers, local and national. It even contained a small rental library, sometimes offering current books before the library did. And like virtually every drugstore before the dangers of smoking were recognized, it stocked many brands of cigarettes, cigars, and pipe tobacco. When I was a teenager, I was allowed to freely scrounge empty cigar boxes for my smaller tools and school supplies. I particularly favored the boxes of the more expensive brands, since instead of cardboard, they were sturdily constructed of aromatic cedar wood. I have a few of them still.

Cadman’s also endeared itself to the community by the high level of its services, both obvious and unobtrusive. For Don Cadman and his wife, Pearl, the pharmacy was not so much a business as a calling. The store opened early and closed late. Everyone knew that in an emergency, the Cadmans could be phoned any time at home, and would respond without hesitation or complaint. There were little kindnesses as well, such as a bathroom discreetly available on request, and a free telephone for local calls. And Don Cadman and his assistant pharmacists could be relied upon for sound medical advice and even some minor treatments. For example, when I went to the city for a matinee or museum visit, more than once I got a painful windblown cinder in my eye, and no amount of blinking or eye-rolling would dislodge it. As soon as I got off the train at Chappaqua, I would hasten to the drugstore, where Don Cadman had an expert way of rolling back the eyelid and removing the offending particle.

The elegant interior of Cadman's Pharmacy, which was selected by the BBC/CBS Radio International Exchange Program, Transatlantic Call, as the "typical American drugstore." September 1930.

Of course, what made Cadman’s such a popular gathering place was the soda fountain, with its multiple small tables and wire-backed chairs. From the marble-topped service counter were served a range of classic confections. Besides black-and-white sodas, I favored vanilla malted milkshakes with an extra squirt of vanilla syrup, and, best of all, hot fudge sundaes – vanilla ice cream, warm chocolate sauce, and extras such as wet nuts (chopped walnuts in sweet syrup), whipped cream, and a maraschino cherry. I was a small, skinny kid, so there was no danger of my getting fat from all those sweets. The effects on my teeth were less benign. At a time when fluoridation was still unheard of, I emerged from childhood with a mouthful of silver-amalgam fillings, administered without anesthetics.

Forty years after founding the pharmacy, Don Cadman retired in 1967. In 1970, the Town Club honored him with its Citizen of the Year award. For a few years, the business continued under new management, but competition from the new Right-Aid a block away eventually overwhelmed it. The building at 20 King Street has continued to serve other businesses since, and is now occupied by Serenity Spa. I think of Cadman’s nostalgically every time I pass by, especially since the front entrance has changed very little. And I do miss those hot fudge sundaes, however fattening for me they have become.