307 East Main Street
The Tonkin Block - Dr. A.B. Tonkin, the first physician and mayor of Riverton, planned to build a brick drugstore in a partnership with Ira J. Burleson, a pharmacist from Casper, just west of the First State Bank (now First Interstate Bank) to be one of the first business blocks in Riverton.
Construction began on the Tonkin building in August of 1915 with the excavation completed by the 13th of August and the construction finishing between September and November of 1915. The Burleson Drugstore was installed on the street level portion of the building in late 1915, Dr. Tonkin’s office was in the upper portion of the building, and jewelry store owner Joe Evans moved his store in the week before Christmas of 1915.
Tidbit:
- In one of Riverton’s newspapers, the Riverton Chronicle, dated September 6, 1917, Tonkin bought out local businessman H.O. Barber’s interest and became the sole owner of the block.
