Soda Fountains – An American Icon by Linda Hoover

                                                     

When you think of a soda fountain, you might also think of the TV show Happy Days. The fifties were actually the end of the soda fountain golden age. My novella, Heart of Grace, is set in 1890, which, according to one source I read, is considered the beginning of the golden age. At that time, you’d find them in drug stores because the pharmacists promoted the drinks as medicinal. I took a deep dive into the history to see when it became a good idea to drink carbonated water, and was surprised to learn that as far back as 43 AD, people were going to Bath in England to drink or immerse themselves in the mineral waters there.


Fast forward to 1621, and you learn that the British are credited with being the first to bottle water and sell it. A resurgence in visiting spas and undergoing water therapy emerged among Europeans and American colonists in the 17th and 18th centuries. As early as 1767, Americans could purchase bottled water at a spa in Boston. In 1807, Henry Thompson received a patent for a method of infusing water with carbon dioxide. It was commonly called soda water even though it had no sodium carbonate in it.

Soda fountains began in Europe but had their biggest success in the U.S., where a Yale chemistry professor, among others, introduced Americans to soda water. He did such a brisk business in New Haven, CT, that he made bigger fountains and hired help. It didn’t take long for more businessmen to open shops in cities like New York and Philadelphia. Over time, fountains improved, and flavor was added to the water. In the beginning, soda fountains were found primarily in drug stores because pharmacists promoted the drinks as a medicinal. Later, they could be found in ice cream parlors, candy stores, and other locations where people gathered.

Root beer was the first syrup-based soda invented by a pharmacist, with Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, and Pepsi coming along later. Different fruit syrups were added to the carbonated water, which made them more popular, but when chemists discovered that the addition of acid phosphates gave the drinks a tangy taste that was what people wanted. A few of the flavors they used were cherry, lemon, orange, pineapple, and chocolate. The drink was even better with a scoop of ice cream.

Even in the late 1800s and early 1900s, businessmen were keeping statistics and making marketing plans. They deduced that the phosphate drinks appealed more to the masculine population, while the feminine side preferred dairy-based drinks. My heroine in Heart of Grace introduces the hero to his first ice cream float, and he’s hooked. Something that appealed to both of them. An interesting side note is their take on a milkshake. To begin with, they put ice cream and milk in a container and shook it. That defines a milkshake, but I have to say I prefer the way it’s done now.

Linda lives in west central Ohio with her husband and grandson. She earned a degree in psychology from Anderson University, where she learned that the voices in her head were actually characters from stories waiting to be told.

Linda has been writing since childhood, but her publishing career started with writing columns and a middle-grade serial for the South Charleston Spectator. A retired librarian, she now enjoys being a full-time author in her home office. She writes not only to entertain but to encourage readers with God’s faithfulness.


Please visit her website, Linda Hoover Books, to learn more about her and her books. You can stay in touch when you subscribe to her newsletter, and as a thank you, you’ll receive a novella, Joel & Ella.

https://www.lindahooverbooks.com

This link will take you to all the places you can find Linda on the web: https://linktr.ee/lindahooverbooks

As children, Adam Johnson wanted nothing to do with Lydia Bailey. When they meet again as adults, Adam’s opinion hasn’t changed. In the years apart, circumstances have caused Lydia’s faith to waver. It will take a touch from God to heal their hearts and open their eyes to see each other for who they are.



Heart of Grace can be purchased here: http://amazon.com/dp/B0DDJ59BD8