Here’s something that isn’t talked about very much anymore, and so it’s something that not many people know: the soda fountain was patented by a West Virginian. That’s right, believe it or not, the world owes West Virginia big for not just pepperoni rolls, golden delicious apples, the steamboat, and Mother’s Day, but also for this invention that enables every sweet treat that’s ever been produced by a good, old-fashioned soda fountain.
Soda fountains. They're everywhere these days, in their modern incarnation, including in every fast food restaurant to ever exist in the entire nation.
In fact, they're so common that we rarely stop to think about their original origin.
But if one did happen to wonder where it all began in terms of soda dispensers, do you know what one would discover? It all began in West Virginia, at least in part.
That's because the patent for the original soda fountain, a machine that mixed up flavoring and water into a unique, bubbly beverage that came right out a handled spout, was issued to two men, Jacob Ebert of Cadiz, Ohio, and George Dulty of Wheeling, West Virginia on April 24,1833 ... not much under 200 years ago.
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Needless to say, this newly patented soda fountain was a hit, and soon production began in earnest, and the concept spread outward from the Ohio Valley region. Soda fountains were installed in pharmacies, restaurants, and resorts.
Yet slowly, the popularity of the old fashioned soda fountain was replaced by the fast-food version, which is still as popular as ever, but around which usually only strangers gather, impatiently waiting their turn for their self-service drink.
Still, there are remnants of the old days of soda fountains still left in West Virginia.
Consider The Corner Shop in Bramwell, West Virginia, which still retains a true old-fashioned soda fountain to help in mixing up some of their delicious drinks and treats.
Consider also Griffith & Feil Soda Fountain in Kenova, West Virginia, another of the few places still left in the Mountain State where you can grab a soda from an authentic soda fountain.
Hungry? Ready to act on your newfound knowledge of this cool invention with West Virginia origins? Learn more about visiting The Corner Shop in Bramwell or Griffith & Feil Soda Fountain in Kenova on Facebook. Or make a daytrip out of it and stop at both! And to tide you through until you can make a trip to an authentic West Virginia soda fountain, pass some time by reading about these other West Virginia inventions.
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