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.

Controversy continues as to the initial source of the ice cream, known in France, England, and Germany before the 19th century. The International Dairy Foods Association claims the treat first was produced in 1896 in New York City, and Italo Marchiony was granted a patent for the ice cream cone in 1903.

A concessionaire at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, Ernest A Hamwi, was selling a waffle-like pastry at a booth next to an ice cream vendor … who ran out of dishes. Hamri rolled the pastries into a cone, to be used as a “dish,” and offered them to his neighbor, who added ice cream. Customers were happy and the rest is history.

Competing cone manufacturers quickly began producing waffle-like cones for commercial use. By 1924, total cone output was 245 million. Now, cone production is estimated at 150,000 each day!