Legend has it that Lana Turner was discovered sitting on a soda fountain stool at a drugstore in Hollywood, California. As it turns out, the story was just that, a legend, though not far from the truth. The soda fountain is truly something of legend; a bygone, a memory for those who were lucky enough to live it. Long before the days of Mc Donald’s and fast food, there was the soda fountain – a place for people to meet and chat while sipping on a frosty soft drink. This became especially important to the public during the prohibition in 1920s and early 1930s. Filling a void, the soda fountain became a hot spot for a thirsty public. Even after prohibition ended, kids, teens and young adults continued to flock to their local soda jerk to get their fix.
Soda fountains were a part of the American lifestyle long before that. The true story of the soda fountain begins with the drugstore revolution in the 1850s. Locals would head off to the pharmacist to purchase a fountain drink meant to cure some malady. Often times, these drinks were blends of the extracts of various drugs, flavored and carbonated to help it go down the pipes a little easier. In fact, a common combo was a mix of caffeine and cocaine – an effective, yet in retrospect quite dangerous, cure for a headache. Of course, this combination kept them coming back for more, you know, to get a little “pep.” This was never looked-down upon, and many pharmacists came up with their own secret formulas – becoming some of the greatest commercial successes, such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
By 1914, drugstore soda fountains would have to turn to soft drinks, as the over-the-counter dispensation of drugs such as cocaine became illegal. The colas and soft drinks were reformulated sans cocaine, and many drugstores began including other treats, like ice creams and sundaes, as well as baked goods to supplement their soda fountains.
Soda fountains have become a point of focus in nostalgia – after all, it was the backbone to many a Main Street, U.S.A. – and brings back memories for many of a time when nickel or a dime could buy a treat from the fountain. For some, the memories went deeper – it was great to land a job as a soda jerk. The up-close experience of getting to chat with your friends and neighbors (and maybe the cute girl who comes in every-other afternoon) while sliding a soda down has filled many a memory.
Times change - sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. Once the late 50s and early 60s hit, fast food had the drugstore soda fountain’s number. Ice cream shops, like Dairy Queen also started stealing the limelight from the old time fountains. Luckily, some have held the faith, continuing on with their old-time businesses, keeping up the tradition of the soda fountain in hometown shops across the country. Even nostalgia-heavy Disneyland and Disney World keep in touch with their own fountain shops. Whether you were there for the golden age or born just a little too late, the soda fountain is truly an American experience not to be missed.
