A SODA A DAY KEPT THE DOCTOR AWAY

Soda Fountains in Drug Stores

In the early 1900’s, the neighborhood drug store with a soda fountain and lunch counter was an important part of small-town America. It was common for hard working folks to take a break and sit around soda fountain counters to socialize and enjoy a drink. It was also a great place for family’s to gather and indulge in their favorite fountain sodas and ice cream floats. Soda jerks were the young servers who made the different fountain drinks when they pulled the pumps on the soda syrup dispensers. Early on, drug stores mixed the flavored syrups and carbonated water with bitter tasting drugs and claimed they were cure-alls for everything from the common cold to pneumonia. Later, syrup manufactures no longer included drugs in the drinks but made strong health claims such as Marrowfood’s syrup “Makes Rich Red Blood.”

 

Dr. Pepper is another great example and was developed by a pharmacist who experimented with fountain drinks until he came up with a flavored mix and called it Dr. Pepper. The first Dr. Pepper logo featured Dr. Pepper’s Phos-Ferrates and highlighted two ingredients, wheat and iron. The drink also made its debut at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis as the “King of Beverages.” By 1920, the slogan changed to “Good for Life” and ads featured what time to drink Dr. Pepper at 10 – 2 and 4 o’clock, for an “energy lift” or to drink it “When Hungry, Thirsty or Tired”.

 Soda Syrup Dispensers

Soda fountain syrup manufactures would often give the soda syrup dispensers away free to the pharmacies as a way to advertise their brand as long as the drug stores bought enough of the soda syrup. Syrup manufacturers such as Ward made the famous syrups for Orange Crush, Lemon Crush and Lime Crush. Ward’s dispensers were shaped like the fruit drink which was being dispensed – oranges, lemons and limes.

Soda fountains were popular during the 1920’s and 30’s when Prohibition was in effect and it was illegal to drink alcohol but hit their peak in the 40’s and early 50’s. The syrup dispensers were no longer produced after the 1950’s when most drug store soda fountains closed down due to changing technology and the arrival of fast food restaurants.

Syrup dispensers were made of stoneware crockery, fine porcelain, frosted or painted glass, or metal. Today, vintage syrup dispensers are in high demand because they are rare and hard to find. There are a limited number of them now making them more valuable than other soda collectibles.

This original soda fountain syrup dispenser that states “Drink Ginger-Mint Julep” is part of my collection and is a rare find. Emerson Drug Company in Baltimore, Maryland manufactured this dispenser in 1910. It’s a ceramic barrel shape with its original pump and includes a label on the front and back.