Submitted by the staff of the Orillia Museum of Art & History (OMAH)
Working in a museum, certain names and faces start to linger, almost haunting us with their mystery.
Now and then, a name emerges that we’ve never come across before — and that’s where some of our work at OMAH begins. It's our role to delve into these figures, uncovering stories that enrich our understanding of Orillia’s rich past. With each discovery, we bring Orillia’s history to life, making the past feel a bit closer with every piece of research. At OMAH, history is always unfolding.
Usually, this process is begun when a name is spotted on one of our artifacts. One of these mysterious characters is Herbert Cooke. Recently, we came across an envelope that advertises his pharmacy, which was located on Mississaga Street. He was, by all accounts, an energetic and committed man. Charles Harold Hale, a well-known local journalist, described him as “a longtime druggist, with a business situated on Mississaga Street. He was superintendent of the Presbyterian Sunday School for 35 years, and leader of the Presbyterian Church choir for 30 years. He was also a member of the Orillia Public School Board.”
A second photograph of him notes further information that aided our understanding of him: “Herbert Cooke, Chairman Public School Board and Liberal candidate in 1912.” Apparently, Herbert took life very seriously, considering his role as successful businessman, political candidate and church supporter. He must also have had considerable energy and strong convictions, considering his long-term commitments to the Orillia Presbyterian Church.
Cooke was no slacker as a businessman. He started his pharmacy around 1884 and continued its successful operation until after 1934. When the craze for postcards began in this country just after 1900, Cooke’s drug store adapted to the demand and became the place to buy them. The artifact that introduced us to Cooke tells us so much about his store. It seems while it began as a pharmacy or “druggist,” the store eventually expanded to include “fancy china,” “High Class Stationery” and “the Latest Fiction, Magazines and Papers.”
