Now You See It, Now You Don't!

TellZall's object for January is the Soda Fountain.
Many Americans today associate teenage life in the 1950s with soda fountains. In the days before fast food restaurant chains, soda fountains were a popular gathering place. Many drug stores and diners had soda fountains during this era. Customers could order custom-made sodas and ice cream. Soda "jerks", as the operators of soda fountains were known, mixed soda water with flavored syrups to create carbonated beverages and ice cream floats, among other tasty treats. Soda water, basically carbonated water, was created by infusing water with carbon dioxide. Teenagers often stopped at the local soda fountain for a snack after school. In addition, many teenage dates took place there, as the selections were relatively inexpensive.

Although most people associate soda fountains with popular culture in the 1950s, the soda fountain has a much longer history in the United States. Americans in the late 1700s and early 1800s believed that drinking mineral waters could improve health. Not everyone could travel to locations where mineral waters were available, and entrepreneurs looked for ways to create an artificial version of mineral waters. The United States government issued its first patent for artificial mineral waters in 1810, and nine years later Samuel Fahnestock received the first patent for a soda fountain. This soda fountain looked significantly different from soda fountains in the twentieth century, resembling a beer keg instead.

Throughout the nineteenth century, inventors made numerous improvements of the soda fountain's design. By 1870, Gustavus Dows had developed a version of the soda fountain that was more similar to those used throughout the 1900s. Only four years later, Robert M. Green was credited with making the first ice cream soda, in which scoops of ice cream were immersed in flavored sodas. In the beginning, soda waters were usually mixed with fruit-flavored syrups, but soon other flavorings were also used. Pharmacist Charles E. Hires developed a formula for root beer in the late 1800s, and modern-day soft drinks such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper also trace their roots back to the soda fountains of this time period. Many Americans, in support of the temperance movement, liked having an alternative to alcoholic beverages.

Soda fountains remained very popular in the United States until the 1950s, when fast-food chains like McDonald's began competing with drug store lunch counters and traditional diners. In recent years, there has been more interest in soda fountains once again. Many people collect soda fountain memorabilia and have even installed soda fountains in their homes. Restaurant owners who want to create a nostalgic environment have sometimes installed soda fountains as well. There are also a number of places across the United States that still have their original soda fountains in operation.