BENTON, Ark. — A historic piece of Saline County now sits empty and closed.
According to Smith Caldwell Pharmacy's website, they can track their business back over 100 years, but now signs in the windows direct customers around the corner to Walgreens on Military Road.
Although phone calls to Smith Caldwell still list their name on the caller ID, an automated Walgreens line picks up.
Longtime customers like David Stewart said they never saw this coming or even heard it was happening.
"It's a shock to us all," Stewart said.
Many customers stopped by Friday while our crews were there, wondering the same thing – what happened? Those details are still unclear.
Long lines and a filled parking lot were easy to spot Friday afternoon at Walgreens, where customers' prescriptions are now available.
"It's sad," Stewart said. "It's going to change a lot of things around here for everybody."
Those lines aren't just at Walgreens. West Side Pharmacy said they've stayed busy as customers look for a new home.
"Slammed with patient calls, patient transfer requests," West Side Pharmacy Owner Blake Torres said. "It was shocking not only to us but shocking to patients."
Like many in Saline County, Torres was connected to the historic pharmacy.
"Smith Caldwell is massive," Torres said. "I mean [it's] literally the cornerstone of pharmacy in Saline County."
Torres said it's always hard to see someone in their industry go out of business, especially in a place as historic as this.
"I don't know, it's hard to describe," Torres said. "They're no longer at the dinner table, which is mind-blowing."
West Side is filling patient orders as fast as possible while people like Stewart search for a new pharmacy.
"[It's] kind of urgent because I need to get a prescription filled pretty ASAP," Stewart said. "When it comes to dealing with your health and stuff, you have to have a backup just in case something similar happens."
We contacted Walgreens for more information, such as what will happen to the Smith Caldwell building and if former employees will be offered employment.