Snellville Vietnam Veteran's Monument

I took this photo of the Vietnam Veterans monument near Snellville City Hall on Saturday. I think this is so nice. I like that it honors people who served in all branches of our military. In front of the monument, there are two nice marble benches for us to sit and reflect.

The memorial was erected in 2005 and presented/given by the Snellville Jaycees.

Visit Snellville City Hall and Snellville Historical Cemetery

Thomas Snell

Have you ever been inside Snellville City Hall? Maybe if you don't have any business to conduct there, you think there's no reason to go. It's okay - you can go in there just to look around. There's no tour guide, and you will need to be reasonably quiet, but you can see everything very easily in a 15-30-minute visit.

You will see the portrait (above) of Thomas Snell, as well as several historical items from James Sawyer's store. Also in City Hall are some early Snellville documents, and several paintings of some of the early Snellville buildings.

I'd recommend that you read up a bit on the history of Snellville here before your visit.

You can also walk from City Hall to the Snellville Historical Cemetery. The cemetery is a history lesson in itself. You will see many of the historic Snellville family's names, like Britt, Clower, and Snell. Thomas Snell died in 1896 at the age of 39. But Thomas Snell's grave isn't found in the Snellville Historical Cemetery - his remains were re-interred from Brownlee's Mountain to Lithonia GA. James Sawyer died in 1948 at the age of 91 and his remains are in a mausoleum in the Snellville Historical Cemetery.

If you have kids, and you're concerned they will be upset visiting a cemetery, it's all in how you project your own feelings about death & cemeteries, and how you explain it to your kids. The graves and markers are an important way to remember loved ones and learn about history. Every grave is somebody's beloved mom, dad, grandfather, uncle, etc.

As we left the cemetery, my 4-year-old son happily exclaimed, "I had so much FUN at this cemetery!"

Even I was surprised at that.

Snellville history: Snell's Pharmacy, 1956

Have you ever passed by a place for so many years it becomes like part of the landscape? We see it without really "seeing" it.

Snell's Pharmacy is one of those places, but it shouldn't be that way. It's time for our historic Snellville businesses to be noticed and honored.

It's been in business for more than 50 years. In October, 1956, Snell's Pharmacy opened in Snellville. Imagine all the changes that have happened since 1956. Back in 1956, the average monthly rent was $88, milk was .97 cents, a gallon of gas was .23 cents, and a postage stamp was .03 cents.

Pharmacist and owner Dr. Michael T. Briscoe tells the story of the beginnings of the business -

"In July of 2003, my cousin, Mary Bates, told me an anecdote of the year 1956 when her family made a pilgrimage from Columbus to Snellville for a family reunion. While they were in town my grandfather and future mayor of Snellville, T.W. Briscoe Sr., told her father, Dr. Joe Snell, that he needed to move back to Snellville and open a pharmacy because the town was growing and needed a place where people could get their medical needs taken care of. He did just that and in 1956 Snell’s Pharmacy was opened in the center of town.

Looking back it seems fateful if not a bit ironic that ownership of this Snellville landmark should befall me and that my dreams and aspirations should come to pass. I am proud to be the owner of an independent pharmacy, once a dying breed but now making a strong comeback throughout America."

Snell's Pharmacy accepts almost all insurance plans.
For more information, visit Snell's Pharmacy online at http://snellsrx.com/ You can also become a fan of the Snellville pharmacy on Facebook.

Snell's Pharmacy is located at 2295 Oak Road in Snellville.