Soda fountains reached their height of popularity in the 1940s & 1950s, where the ice cream soda became a staple. While there are few true soda fountains left today, the culture lives on in homes, restaurants, and ice cream parlors across America.

Two small towns – Latrobe, PA, and Wilmington, OH – each claim to be the birthplace of the banana split.

History tends to side with Latrobe and the work of 23-year-old David Strickler at Tassell’s Pharmacy in 1904. He would click a banana lengthwise, place it on a dish, and heap three scoops of ice cream. Finally, he topped it all off with cherries, pineapple slices, crushed nuts, marshmallow, various sweet syrups. The treat was popular with students from St. Vincent College in Latrobe, and the initial charge was 10 cents while a traditional sundae was only 5 cents.

Strickler then designed a long and narrow “banana boat” dish and had them manufactured by Westmoreland Glass Co. Although Strickler never sought fame for his invention, his hometown has … including a centennial celebration in 2004.

Meanwhile, on a slow day in 1907 at Wilmington’s The Café, owner Ernest Hazard conducted a contest among his employees to come up with a new dessert. Hazard entered the contest with his own recipe, which only differed from Strickler’s banana split in the toppings used. Students from Wilmington College (there appears to be a pattern here) were instant banana split customers.

Wilmington celebrates with an annual Banana Split Festival in June. Highlight of the event is a build-your-own banana split bar.