Paulsen’s Pharmacy History

Paulsen’s Pharmacy has been part of Portland’s Hollywood District since 1918. Its history is tied not only to pharmacy practice but also to the building, the neighborhood, the soda-fountain era and generations of owners who kept the business operating through major changes in Portland and in community pharmacy.

From the Building to Nichols Pharmacy

The existing Paulsen’s historical record says the building was constructed in 1912 and completed in 1913, initially serving as a real-estate office. In 1918, Nichols Pharmacy opened a pharmacy practice in the building.

Charles Paulsen was working there as a pharmacist and purchased the business in 1918, changing the pharmacy’s name. The surviving pharmacy history describes Paulsen as a popular Hollywood neighborhood figure and credits him with helping establish the Hollywood business association and the Junior Rose Festival Parade.

The Soda-Fountain Era

The soda fountain became one of the pharmacy’s defining features. According to the pharmacy’s historical account, the fountain was built in New York and shipped to Portland. Neighborhood residents came for coffee and the morning newspaper, while children stopped after school for sodas and milkshakes.

That mix of pharmacy and neighborhood gathering place reflects an earlier era of American community pharmacy, when the front counter and soda fountain were often as familiar to local residents as the prescription department.

Jim Meade and Gary Balo

In 1946 Charles Paulsen brought pharmacist Jim Meade into the business. The existing history says Meade was from Indiana, attended Butler University and served in the Navy during World War II before settling in Portland.

Paulsen and Meade worked together until Charles Paulsen retired in 1968. The pharmacy’s historical page records that Paulsen died on November 26, 1980, at age 82.

Jim Meade continued operating the pharmacy and maintaining the soda-fountain tradition. Pharmacist Gary Balo joined in 1970 and became a partner in 1978.

The 1982 McDonald’s and Historic-District Episode

One of the most distinctive episodes in the pharmacy’s history occurred in 1982. The existing account says the business received an eviction notice after plans were made to purchase the building, demolish it and develop a McDonald’s drive-in restaurant.

Meade and Balo worked with the City of Portland and the Hollywood business community to oppose the demolition. The pharmacy’s historical narrative credits community letters, signatures and phone calls with helping protect the building and says historic-landmark action blocked the drive-in plan and eviction.

The episode is remembered by Paulsen’s as an example of the reciprocal relationship between the pharmacy and the neighborhood: the business had served the community for decades, and the community helped preserve the place when it was threatened.

Later Ownership

Jim Meade retired at the end of 1987, and Gary Balo became sole proprietor in 1988. Gary and Karen Balo continued the pharmacy’s neighborhood-service tradition for many years.

After 46 years at the pharmacy, Gary Balo retired and sold the business to Gary Basrai on April 18, 2016. The pharmacy’s historical account says the business subsequently underwent internal remodeling and expanded its pharmacy work into areas including medication support connected with hospice care in the Portland metro area.

Serving Portland Since 1918

Pharmacy practice has changed dramatically since Nichols Pharmacy opened in 1918. The soda-fountain era, ownership transitions and the services expected from a modern pharmacy belong to different periods, but the continuity of the location and neighborhood relationship remains central to Paulsen’s story.

Paulsen’s Pharmacy describes its core values in terms of empathy, accuracy and dependable service. The durable historical point is simple: the pharmacy has been serving Portland since 1918.

For the pharmacy’s current values, see Our Mission. For a current pharmacy question, contact Paulsen’s Pharmacy.