File:1920 - American Medicine Company - 643 Hamilton Street - Allentown PA.jpg

English: 1920 photo of the American Medicine Company, 643 Hamilton Street.

The store was purchased in 1904 by Jacob B. Waidelich (in the straw hat at right), and opened it as a drugstore. Waidelich was Lehigh country Sheriff from 1902-1905 and was a Democrat, attending the Democratic National Convention in 1912 supporting Woodrow Wilson.

In 1925-1926 Waidelich built a new structure at 627-629, later known as the Waidelich Building. Waidelich died on March 13th, 1927 and his ventures were taken over by his sons Harold (in cloth cap on right), and Frederick (in white shirt behind his father). The American Medicine Company closed during the depression, later becoming a Sun-Ray Drug Store, and later Emil B. Otto a woman's clothing store that was a fixture on Hamilton Street until the 1990s.