Today the term “soda fountain” refers to the soft drink dispensers that appear in fastfood chains and convenience stores, dispensing Diet Coke, Orange Crush or Hires Root Beer. In the earliest days of the soda fountain, it had a very different meaning. Beginning in the latter part of the 19th century, a “soda fountain” was a counter within a pharmacy where the druggist would serve up carbonated soft drinks. He started by dispensing syrup from a large porcelain tureen-shaped container. He then added chilled soda water to a fill-line marked on the glass to complete a refreshing drink he then served to the customer. Some of these soft drinks were made with syrups that were meant to impart some medical benefit, perhaps to relieve dyspepsia, and others were meant simply to quench your thirst. In addition to drinks, the soda fountains served ice cream and perhaps a light meal.
The practice of drinking soda water became widespread in the 19th century as people tried to recreate the benefit the ancients believed they achieved by drinking and bathing in natural mineral waters. In 1778 Swedish chemist Torbern Bergman and English scientist Joseph Priestly invented a method by which they could carbonate water with carbon dioxide. Others improved upon their method, and in 1807 the first patent was granted to British inventor Henry Thompson. His creation was called soda water, despite the fact it did not contain any soda. The first U.S. patent for carbonation was granted to Simmons and Rundell from Charleston, South Carolina in 1810.
Soda fountain counters had their start in Europe, and were then brought to the U.S. in 1806 by a Yale chemistry professor, Benjamin Silliman. He bought the equipment to make soda water and began selling it to the public in New Haven, Connecticut. His sales were so great he built a bigger machine and took on three partners, making it possible to open soda fountains in NYC and Baltimore. Other entrepreneurs were also jumping onboard, opening fountains in NYC and Philadelphia.
In 1832 two men helped turn soda drinking into a major business when they began manufacturing soda fountains. They were John Matthews, a native of NYC, and John Lippincott of Philadelphia. They made improvements to the soda fountains, enabling the pharmacists to update their soda fountains with the latest equipment. Some of the other soda fountain manufacturers of the time were Alvin Puffer, Andrew Morse, Gustavus Dows and James Tufts. The four biggest and most successful of the soda fountain makers came together and formed the American Soda Fountain Company in 1891. They were Tuft’s Arctic Soda Fountain, A. D. Puffer and Sons of Boston, John Matthews of New York and Charles Lippincott of Philadelphia. Their intent was to create a monopoly of the soda fountain manufacturing business.
It was estimated in 1877, that New York customers in warm weather were consuming 200,000 glasses of soda water in a day. At an average of 7.5-cents a glass, this was earning druggists in NYC a total of $15,000 a day. Needless to say, soft drinks at soda fountains were becoming a very profitable business for pharmacy owners. The popularity of non-alcoholic beverages was steadily increasing, giving saloons their first competition.
To keep drink and ice cream cool before the days of electricity and refrigeration, natural ice was placed around the containers. The ice was harvested from lakes and ponds in the winter months, and then stored in icehouses to use throughout the year. It might seem strange to modern customers that soft drinks were also served and consumed as hot drinks. The July 10, 1897 edition of the “American Druggist” states the importance of a pharmacist having high-quality syrups available to mix with hot soda water, and not necessarily just in the colder days of the year (called “winter soda syrups”).
The early 1900’s saw more manufacturers entering the market with “iceless” fountains that used brine to cool their soda fountain drinks. Dominating the market that used this new cooling method were the L. A. Becker Company, the Liquid Carbonic Company and the Bishop & Babcock Company. There were soda fountain manufacturers that used what was called “50% fountains” during WWI. This system used both ice and mechanical refrigeration to cool the drinks. The early 1920’s saw the introduction of ammonia refrigeration for soda fountains.
The glory days of the soda fountain continued from the early 1900’s through the 1950’s. Most fountains were serving not only soft drinks, but also ice cream and meals and were known as THE place to gather with friends. Soda fountain popularity took a downturn in the late 50’s as people moved out of the cities into the suburbs and the with the rise of fast food and drive-thru restaurants.
There are vintage soda fountains that have survived, giving pharmacies bragging rights and still attracting visitors. An example of an original soda fountain still in use today is the Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain in South Pasadena, California (dating to 1915). Another example is the James Gallery and Soda Fountain in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. It was opened as a general store in 1790 and the soda fountain was installed in 1896.
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