Just weeks after a historical marker was unveiled to honor the former Young’s Pharmacy — a cornerstone of North Tyler’s once-thriving Black business district — the sign was damaged in a minor car crash. According to Beverly Beavers-Brooks, the incident happened on July 7 just before 4 p.m. when a driver crashed into the sign while driving on North Palace Street.

“People treat it like a race track,” Beavers-Brooks said. “They speed through there all the time.”

Now, members of the community. including city councilwoman Shonda Marsh, are working to replace it, hoping to preserve the legacy of a place that served as much more than just a drug store. Judge Quincy Beavers Jr., Beavers-Brooks’ brother, made the original donation for the marker for $7,000, which was in dedication of their mother, Ophelia Jeffery Daniels.

“The challenge is… the whole thing is metal,” Beavers-Brooks said. “While the parts with all the words are fine, the stand it’s on is damaged. That part is embedded into the concrete. So, we hope to raise the funds to have it replaced.”

Before there was equal access, there was Young’s Pharmacy — a North Tyler institution that not only filled prescriptions but also served as a pillar for the community. On June 28, the city honored the legacy of Dr. Noble Earnest Young, simply known as “Doc,” by dedicating a historical marker in his name. This tribute highlighted the impact of Black entrepreneurship and resilience during a time of segregation, when Black communities thrived despite systemic challenges.

“It was such a wonderful experience,” Beavers-Brooks said. “And I can truly say that everything that I have become in life — and I’ve had a very successful life — is a result of growing up in this area, being mentored and being taught by people in the area.”

Young’s Pharmacy wasn’t just a place for medicine. Inside, families could gather over banana splits and ice cream sodas, or browse magazine racks filled with African American publications from across the country. It was located at the heart of a thriving Black business corridor known as The Cut, a vibrant community where people not only found health care but also jobs, mentorship, and a sense of belonging.

“This is where everything took place,” Beavers-Brooks said. “We had large Black communities in the East End and the West End and what was called the Saint Louis community right on (Highway) 155 there… but this was the center. This was where even those people who had grocery stores and things in their own neighborhood would come.”

The pharmacy was just one of many Black-owned businesses that once lined The Cut. Others included: Big O’s Fine Foods, Billie Brewster’s Black Art Studio, Eva Lewis Grocery, McAfee Fina Service Station, McCoy’s Funeral Home, North Tyler Apartments, North Tyler Skating Rink, and many others. Churches such as Houston Temple COGIC, North Tenneha Church of Christ, and St. Mary Baptist Church also served as central community hubs in the area.

Dr. Young, a graduate of Meharry Medical College at just 19 years old, was more than a pharmacist. He was a teacher, mentor, and dedicated community leader. After earning his degrees in chemistry and biology from Bishop College and continuing his education at the University of Nebraska, he opened the drug store in 1946 and devoted his life to serving the community until his retirement in 1984.

Young’s contributions went beyond filling prescriptions. He extended loans to struggling families without interest, provided jobs to young people as clerks or magazine delivery workers, and even funded senior memorabilia for Emmett Scott High School students who couldn’t afford them. He also provided scholarships for students in need, including a future Judge Quincy Beavers.

“He paid for my college tuition… all four years, he paid for it,” said Judge Beavers, Dr. Young’s godson who went on to become the first Black man elected as justice of the peace in Smith County. Judge Beavers served for 28 years before retiring in 2022.

“The business helped develop me as a teenager and gave me guidance,” Judge Beavers said. “A lot of the folks who had businesses in the Cut looked out for me — for all of us… they helped raise us. So that’s why I decided to do this marker. It will be here forever.”

The historical marker, installed just off West Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, was donated in memory of Ophelia Jeffery Daniels, owner of Nu-Way Beauty Shop and mother to Judge Quincy Beavers Jr. and Beverly Beavers-Brooks. The marker not only honors Young’s legacy but also spotlights the vibrant community that thrived despite discrimination. 

In 2012, the City of Tyler also placed a historical marker at the location, 1711 North Palace Avenue.

“I just want our young people to keep this going,” Beavers-Brooks said. “To learn from it, expand on it, to continue to make history and preserve the history.”

Reflecting on the impact of integration, Beavers-Brooks said it both opened doors and posed challenges for Black-owned businesses in the area. While it opened doors to new businesses that people hadn’t been able to support before, it also meant the local Black-owned businesses lost customers and struggled to survive.

“That village atmosphere no longer existed for our community,” Beavers-Brooks said. “You were just… so much more close-knit back in the day. You knew your neighbors… now, we’re all scattered, we don’t all know each other, we don’t communicate with each other.”

Still, the legacy of Young’s Pharmacy and The Cut served as a reminder of the strength and unity that built the community.

“It was just a thriving community,” she said. “My dream would be for this area to be thriving again.”

To donate to the restoring of the historical marker, visit gofund.me/8673da39. As of Monday afternoon, $435 of the $2,400 goal had been raised.