Kaplansky & Moran was a drugstore partnership operated by David Kaplansky and Edward M. Moran in Michigan City. The business was active from about 1899 to 1906. The business is listed in the 1899 directory. The Western Druggist (February 1900) reported that “Kaplansky & Moran’s new drug store at Michigan City was opened to the public January 17.”
It was first located at 509 Franklin Street and later at 631 Franklin Street, with a branch store at 407 West Tenth Street. In April 1906, a pharmacy publication reported that Edward M. Moran had succeeded Kaplansky & Moran, indicating that the partnership had ended and Moran continued the business on his own.
At this time, it is unknown whether Moran had any embossed drugstore bottles made after taking over the business. We have not come across any examples. We are also not aware of any surviving photos of the Kaplansky & Moran store.
David Kaplansky
According to U.S. Census records, the 1900 Census shows that he was born in May 1868 in Russia and immigrated to the United States in 1890. However, the 1910 Census lists his birth year as 1869 and his immigration year as 1889.
Minor differences like these are common in census records and were often caused by memory errors, language barriers, or mistakes made by the census taker.
He graduated from the Chicago College of Pharmacy on April 13, 1893. He was later listed as a druggist for Dorner & Co. in Chicago in the 1896 and 1897 Chicago city directories.
He married Eva Lucille Ellicott on August 29, 1897, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The marriage record shows that he was still living in Chicago at the time, and his occupation was listed as a photographer.
In the 1899 LaPorte County, Indiana, directory, he is listed under Kaplanski (misspelled) & Moran at 509 Franklin Street.
The January 25, 1900, issue of The Pharmaceutical Era stated that, “David Kaplansky, formerly manager of the Alliance Prescription Pharmacy, in the Alliance Building, Chicago, will open a new drug store in Michigan City, Ind.”
In April 1906, The Pharmaceutical Era reported that Edward M. Moran of 531 Franklin Street “succeeds Kaplansky & Moran,” indicating that Moran had taken over the business formerly operated by the partnership.
Kaplansky is no longer listed in the 1907 Michigan City directory. He is listed in the 1908 Oakland, California directory and in the 1910 Census as living in Oakland with his wife Lucille. His occupation is listed as a chemist.
He died on August 12, 1929 at Point Lob0s, Monterey County, California at the age of 61.
Edward Michael Moran
According to his death certificate, he was born on October 14, 1873, in Indiana. U.S. Census records indicate that both of his parents were born in Ireland.
The earliest city directory in which we could find him is the 1893–94 directory, where he is listed as a drug clerk at 231 Franklin Street.
He graduated from the Chicago College of Pharmacy on April 23, 1896.
He married Leona H. Holden on January 20, 1912.
He died of a heart attack on October 2, 1935.
Sources for Kaplansky:
Sources for Moran:
1) Santa Cruz Sentinel
Santa Cruz, California
August 14, 1929
David Kaplansky Dies at Pt. Lobos
David Kaplansky, formerly of this city, passed away Monday from heart trouble, at Point Lobos, Monterey county.
He was born in Liebu, Russia, and at the time of his passing was 61 years of age. He was a traveling salesman and well known throughout the state.
He was the father of Mrs. Gerald Bartlett, Earl Kaplansky and Lucille and Jean MacDonald.
The body is at the Wessendorf mortuary and the funeral will be held Thursday and will be strictly private.
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 14, 1929, page 1.
2) MICHIGAN CITY — Edward M. Moran, age fifty-nine, engaged in the drug business here thirty-five years, died in a hospital here of a heart attack. Although able to be at his store most of the time, he never fully recovered from injuries suffered about eight years ago when an automobile in which he was riding was struck by a train at Hammond.
Source: The Indianapolis News, October 3, 1935, p. 20.
Chicago, Illinois Directory
1896 — Kaplansky David (Dorner & Co.) 808, 100 State.
1897 — Dorner & Co. (Emil A. Dorner and David Kalplansky) druggists 618, 100 State. — home at 3133 Groveland Av.
LaPorte County / Michigan City Directories
1893-1894 — Moran Edward M., drug clerk at 231 Franklin, home at 308 E Market.
1899 — Kaplanski & Moran, D Kaplanski and E Moran, druggists, 509 Franklin. (misspelled Kaplanski)
1902 — Kaplansky & Moran, D. Kaplansky and Ed. M. Moran, drugs, medicines, stationery, 509 Franklin.
— David Kaplansky (Lucille), home at 810 Wabash.
— Edward M., home at 308 E. Market.
1905 — Kaplansky & Moran, David Kaplansky and Edw M Moran. Drugs, medicines and stationary 631 Franklin, branch store 407 W Tenth.
— David Kaplansky (Lucille), home at 1404 Washington.
— Edward Moran, home at 308 E Fifth.
1907 — Moran, Edward M., 407 W Boston; Mut. phone 637. — corner of Franklin and Seventh; Mut. phone 104; Bell phone 200.
David Kaplansky is no longer listed.
1909-1910 — Edwin M. Moran, Drugs and Sundries, corner Seventh and Franklin, ph. 200, home at 308 E Fifth, phone 489 Main.
1913 — Edward M. Moran, drugs 627 Franklin, residence at 1110 Washington (married to Leona)
1919-20-21 — Edw M Moran (Leona), drugs 629 Franklin, residence at 1110 Washington.
1925-26 — Edward M. Moran, drugs 629 Franklin, boards at Sheridan Beach Hotel.
1929-30 — Edward M. Moran, drugs 731 Franklin, boards at Warren Hotel.
1934-35 — Edward M. Moran, drug store proprietor at 731 Franklin.
Bottle Type: Druggist/pharmacy bottles
Embossing: KAPLANSKY & MORAN / DRUGGISTS / MICHIGAN CITY, IND.
Glass Maker: W.B.M.CO. (embossed on base), Western Bottle Manufacturing Co.
Other Marks:
Notes: Measurements from left to right: 6⅝”, 6⅛”, 5⅜”, 4¾”, 4⅜”, and 3½”.
Photo Credit: Indiana Bottle Collectors
Date Added: 6/14/2026
