Soda Fountains, Ice Cream Parlors and Fizzy Treats
Soda water has been an American tradition since 1825 when Philadelphia druggist Elie Magliore Durand first touted the effervescent water as a health drink. Shortly afterward, New York inventor John Matthews originated the fountain apparatus that conveniently rested on a pharmacist’s counter to dispense carbonated drinks. Ice cream sodas appeared in 1874 when soda fountain operator Robert Green ran out of his customary flavoring and substituted vanilla ice cream instead. Overnight his sales soared from $6 to $600 a day. The photograph above shows a soda jerk–so-called because of the sharp tug exercised on the fountain levers–preparing a frozen treat in a 1939 Corpus Christi drugstore.
Photo: Library of Congress
