Chicago's Blahnik Pharmacists

Lorenz Blahnik - The First Czech Pharmacist in Chicago

Lorenz Blahnik was born on 12-29-1844 at Polenka #5 to his father Jan, and Jan's first wife, Anna Bosak. (View Record) (4)  Lorenz was their second child known to survive beyond a year or two from birth.  Four other children have been discovered so far from this marriage.

An excellent article, published several decades after his death, described that Lorenz Blahnik received his education in Bohemia, along with four years of apprenticeship in Blovice under the direction of pharmacist K. Poteuk.  Wishing to have his own pharmacy, but not having resources to do that at home, Lorenz departed for the United States, arriving from Bremen to Baltimore on 10-3-1867, after a long and difficult crossing.  The ship's registry already listing Lorenz as a druggist. (View Record) Lorenz first sought his future in the city of Pittsburgh.  The article mentioned that he did not fare well in Pittsburgh, not finding work as a pharmacist due to his lack of English speaking skills.  Menial jobs, low pay, and a cold winter pushed Lorenz to leave for Chicago. (5)

Lorenz credits the changes for the better in Chicago when he received help from Mr. Pracna, Mr. T. Korinek (slightly misspelled and copied incorrectly on the 1870 Illinois Cook Chicago Ward 9 Page 167 dwelling number 1144 are Thoma Korank and John Braka - Praka on record.  They live only a few houses from Lorenz on the 1870 census record) and employment from a German pharmacist named Kharst.  (The 1870 Chicago Business Directory lists Lorenz as a pharmacist at 428 S. Jefferson, along with a Thomas Kroink at the same address, but no Kharst is in the directory - www.chicagoancestors.org) Blahnik's ability to attract Czechs to Kharst's business earned him a raise and soon the opportunity to begin his own business.  The 1871 Chicago Directory lists Lorenz at 428 S. Jefferson and Thomas Korink as having a new drug store at 622 S. Halsted.

During the time between Lorenz's 1868 arrival in Chicago, and the 1870 census, he was aided by fellow Czechs, employed by a German pharmacist, married Marie Tomsa (who seemed to have lived close by to Lorenz), (while Lorenz and wife Marie have Catholic registry baptism records in Bohemia, a search of the very close by Saint Wenceslaus Catholic Church does not yield a marriage record for them.) and is listed as one of two pharmacists at 428 S. Jefferson.  The 1875 Business Directory (www.chicagoancestors.org) only listed Lorenz as a pharmacist at his new location of 88 West 18th Street, and no pharmacy at 428 South Jefferson.  The 1880 census confirms Lorenz, as druggist, at the same 88 West 18th Street address.  (View Lorenz Blahnik as listed in Chicago Directories - www.chicagoancestors.org)

In 1907, a newpaper article provided an explanation of who took over the 428 S. Jefferson property.  "Lorenc Bláhník bought the first larger Czech pharmacy on the corner of 18th Street "Kanalport" as early as 1869, when he had previously sold the small one on Jefferson's corner to Jefferson's corner at DeKoven to the Czech and excellent doctor, Dr. Chládek." (Google Translation of Article) (6)

Anthony Chladek
1871 Chicago Directory (from www.chicagoancestors.org)
Chladek, Anthony, Physician, 428 S. Jefferson, r. 461 S. Canal, w 9 m2 f2 T4, b Bohemia

Lorenz and Marie do not appear to have had any children (probate records for Marie list she had an adopted daughter, Marie, by the time of her 1912 will), but they did not live alone.  Lorenz's sister, Anna, Marie's mother, Marie Tomsa, and Marie's sister in law, Louisa Tomsa, spent time with them.  Anna Blahnik arrived in the USA on 3-15-1875 in New York City, aboard the ship Hermann.  She would marry Frank Frish in 1882 in Chicago.

Blahnik's interests went beyond building his pharmacy.  He was involved in Chicago's Czech community.  He had political leanings (Republican), and served many times as a ward election judge. (7)

In 1882 the "Clenarska Besede (Literary Association) of Chicago" was incorporated,  Lorence Blahnik was listed as one of several Czechs who were the "Incorporators". (8)

Blahnik's business was operating a pharmacy.  But he did seem to have a great interest in using that pharmacy to combat a medical threat of the time, small pox.  His early advertisements were directed toward providing small pox vaccinations.  Small pox appears to have continued as a threat to the Chicago community well into the future.  After Lorenz's death, widow Marie is mentioned in an 1894 newspaper article describing the continuing work of Chicago doctors to vaccinate for this disease.  (9)