Charles Walgreen was born near Galesburg, Illinois in 1873. After a work accident in a shoe factory, he was encouraged to become a druggist’s apprentice.
On April 26, 1898 Charles enlisted in Company L, 1st Illinois Infantry. The regiment first traveled to an encampment at the Chickamauga battlefield in Georgia, then moved to Ringold, Georgia where it finally boarded a train for Tamp, Florida, arriving on June 5, 1898. The 1st Illinois Infantry sailed for Cuba on June 30th. It arrived at Siboney, Cuba on July 9 and moved to the trenches around Santiago, Cuba on July 11. Charles was detailed for duty in a hospital in Siboney. He served in the hospital from July to August 1898. The regiment sailed for the States in late August and arrived in Chicago on September 10, 1898 and given a 60 day furlough, then mustered out on November 17, 1898.
Mr. Walgreen retuned to Chicago and continued his practice as a pharmacist. He was employed by, then bought out the owner of a drug store in 1902. By 1916 he owned seven stores and changed the name of the chain to Walgreen Company. In 1927 he owned over 100 drug stores.
Charles Walgreen died in 1939.