May 3, 2012
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Remember the old “Soda Fountains?”
”Heavy on the whipped cream!”
My Saturday routine, when I was thirteen, was to go to the matinee at the Madison theater. Then, after the movie, I would head down the street to Stowers drug store and soda fountain. I can remember one fall afternoon, after seeing The Leech Woman at the matinee, I headed to Stowers for a cherry coke as I was still dealing with popcorn dehydration. Mary Ellen Spranger was usually there on Saturdays with her sister looking at the new issue of 16 Magazine, playing the latest tunes on the jukebox or analyzing Mr. Stower’s small cosmetic section. Actually, she was really there so guys could buy her sodas’, put the nickels in the jute box and maybe buy her a tube of lipstick. She was the most popular girl in the eighth grade….not because she was cute, as I have no recollection of what her face looked like, but, because she was the only girl in the seventh grade that was swinging a nice set of double A’s! She could arouse tribal hormones quicker than the lingerie section of the Sears and Roebuck catalog.
I digress………
The soda fountain was a wonderment! The counter was topped by a 15 foot marble top that shined like the surface of a still lake. The stools were shinny chrome pillars topped with seats that were covered in the fineness available Naugahyde. Facing the counter was a magnificent mirror that covered the entire back wall and on this mirror were glass shelves stacked with assorted crystalline receptacles and shinny metal boats used for splendid creations of ice cream, topped with spectacular adornments. Behind the counter was a roll of magnificently shinning dispensers that drew beverages from some secret underground source and delivered up said beverages in a state of chilled splendor. Mysteries untold. There were canisters, jars, covered bowls and bottles of every elixir, topping, relish and condiment you could ever imagine. Among these garnishments was an overflowing abundance of bright red, luscious maraschino cherries.
The soda fountain was a treasure trove of delegacies. Of course there was the nonsense of chicken salad and club sandwiches and even hotdogs……but, it was the marvelous creations of Gary, the “soda jerk” that drew us all there as if he were the Pied Piper of Sodaville. This 18 year old fountain technician was my career inspiration.
Now, as to the dairy treats……35 cents for either a banana split or a ten inch high sundae. There were also root beer floats, and delicious egg creams! An egg cream was a fountain delight consisting of chocolate syrup, milk, and soda water. It contained neither eggs, cream, nor ice cream….don’t ask…..it just tasted great! Milkshakes and malts came in a dozen different flavors and you could get three or four all mixed together if you wanted.
Coke, (no Pepsi) was served in four flavors. Vanilla, cherry, chocolate and straight up. Lemonade was popular with the old folks, (35-50) as was the good coffee they served. During the summer I used to get a large lime sour. A large lime squeezed fresh into a tall glass of ice and soda water….NO SUGAR! The “true” soda fountains of my youth are long gone now and replaced by corporate franchised operations with a cute logo, drive thru window and uniformed counter attendants. Banana splits on special for $3.89!
How I miss those Saturday afternoons at the matinee and then later spinning around on the counter stool at Stowers, while I drank my egg cream and stared at Mary Ellen’s double A’s.
Comments (5)
Nostalgia. I was once a soda jerk, and remember all those goodies. Believe it or not, we even served an ammonia coke. The egg creme we didn’t have, but we had ice cream sodas, the same as you describe except with a scoop of ice cream.
I still make myself some of those fountain goodies at home. The stuff they offer now just isn’t the same. Milkshakes of today are just a concoction of chemicals. Yukk.
The girl who hung out at the fountain was far from a double A, but she was a traffic stopper, definitely stareworthy. Definitely yummy. And do I remember what she looked like? You betchum Red Ryder.
Thanks for the nostalgia.
Oh what a wonderful memory. My soda fountain was Wilsons and the soda jerk was every girls heart beak and was named Jack. The special was RC Cola with ice and there was a fountain drink called green river that was to die for.
Wilsons also made greese burgers-hamburgers with cheese dripping down the sides. They had picnic tables out front where all of the kids hung out and played their transistor radios all on the same station so it sounds like a stereo.The local radio station fired our fav dj and we all stopped at Wilsons for our icey cold drinks, and headed over to protest in front of the radio station in the hot summer sun. There must have been 300 angry teens over there protesting which is a lot for those days in this small town. They hired the dj back.Thanks for bringing back some nice memories with this post.
I’m a bit too young to remember the soda fountain. My childhood treat was my parents taking us to the A&W Drive In for a root beer in a frosty mug.
@WakeUpLaughing - R&W brings back great memories of frosted mugs.
I just put up some photos of one that still exists in our Olde Town, Watson’s Drugs. Up until a few months ago, it was still a pharmacy too, but now food, soda fountain, and gifts. Where I grew up there was one, called a sweet shop, fountain and candy store.