W M & G


Company Names, addresses, dates: 1
  Walke & Williams, 108 Water, Norfolk VA (1875-1877)
  Walke & Williams, 108 Water Cor Roanoke Ave, Norfolk VA (1880-1895)
  Walke & Williams, 216 (108) Water, Norfolk VA (1897) 2
  Walke & Martin, 216 Water, Norfolk VA (1898)
  Walke, Martin & Gray, 216 Water, Norfolk VA (1899)
  Williams, Martin & Gray, 79-81 Commercial Pl, Norfolk VA (1900-1910)
  Williams, Martin & Gray, Inc, 149 Main, Norfolk VA (1912)
  Williams, Martin & Gray, Inc, 121 W Main, Norfolk VA (1913-1919)
  Williams, Martin & Gray Inc, 33 Fayette, Norfolk VA (1920-1925+)

Notes:
 There was a firm called "Walke, Martin & Gray" up until November 1899, when they were bought out and replaced by "Williams, Martin & Gray". Dr. F.A. Walke retired, and the firm was taken over by John N. Williams, A.S. Martin Jr., and George T. Gray.3 I suspect that bottles embossed with "W M & G" and "Norfolk" could have been from either (or both) of these 2 firms.

In late 1904, A.S. Martin Jr was the president of the firm, G.T. Gray was the secretary and treasurer, and John N. Williams Jr. was the assistant secretary. John Williams Jr. had purchased over 1/3 interest of the company from his father, John Sr, which is apparently why the name 'Williams' still came first in the firm name, even though John Jr was only an assitant secretary4,5. John Jr. would have been 22 years old at that time6.
Williams Martin & Gray renewed patent 51,512 for Ready-mixed paints on April 17, 1926, so they were likely in business until some time on or after that date.

WMG Bottles:

wmg_01 This is an aqua, 4.3" bottle embossed:
vertical: W. M. & G. / NORFOLK, VA.
base: W


Williams, Martin & Gray Bottles:
wmg_02 This is a clear, 1.75" vial with a label that says:
label: QUICKSILVER / WILLIAMS, MARTIN & GRAY, Inc. DRUGGISTS / Cor Union St and Commercial Place, NORFOLK / ... Gauranteed Under Pure Food & Drug Act, June 30, 1906
wmg_03 This is a clear, 6.8" unembossed BIM bottle with a label that says:
label: WILLIAMS, MARTIN & GRAY / DRUGGISTS / ALCOHOL / Norfolk, Virginia


1 Norfolk City directories, 1851,66,72,74,75,77,80,82,83,86,88,89,91,92,94,95,97-99,1900-10,12-14,16,19,20,22,25,30
2 Street addresses changed in 1897; 108 Water Street became 216 Water Street, but was the same location
3 Virginian-Pilot newspaper, November 25, 1899, page 2
4 Richmond Times Dispatch, January 12, 1905, page 10
5 Virginian-Pilot newspaper, June 23, 1909, page 2
6 US Census for 1900, Norfolk Ward 03, district 0095


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This page last updated on April 19, 2020.