This is the first comprehensive, documented history of the soda fountain. For one hundred fifty years, this popular institution was a community social center, both in big cities and small towns. The evolution of the soda fountain reflected momentous developments in American history-- urbanization, the temperance movement and Prohibition, the Great Depression, technical progress, the decline of Main Street, and the rise of car culture and growth of suburbia. The fountain's evolution was also closely tied to trends in retailing, food service, lifestyles, and the decorative arts.