07/22/2026
The photograph featured here shows one of Dodge City's soda fountains: Rath & Bainbridge Drug Store, formerly City Drug, located at 2nd Avenue and Front Street, sometime between 1901 and 1908. There's no name for the gentleman working the fountain, but he could be Leon Gilbert. Harvey Uhl, another employee, is seated reading the magazine, while Maude (Watson) Dillard is pictured with the coat over her shoulders. This information is courtesy of the Ford County Historical Society.
Before soda became the everyday refreshment we know today, it had a much different connection to the world of medicine. During the mid-1800s, apothecaries sold a wide variety of remedies for all kinds of ailments. Many of these early medicines contained ingredients that would eventually become restricted, including morphine, co***ne, and other opiates.
Druggists began experimenting with carbonated water and different flavors to make medicinal drinks more enjoyable and easier to take. By the late 1800s, the invention and popularity of the soda fountain transformed the local drug store into a place where people could gather for a refreshing drink. Some of the biggest names in soda history were even created by pharmacists. Coca-Cola was developed in 1885 by Georgia pharmacist John Pemberton, Pepsi was created in 1898 by North Carolina pharmacist Caleb Bradham, and Dr Pepper was developed in 1885 by Texas pharmacist Charles Alderton.
As regulations changed in the early 1900s and ingredients like co***ne and other opiates were removed from over-the-counter products, these beverages gradually became less about medicine and more about refreshment. During Prohibition, which began in 1920, soda fountains and ice cream parlors became popular gathering places where people could socialize without alcohol. Candy, ice cream, and other sweets often joined the menu, making these spots especially popular with families and children.
By the time Prohibition ended in 1933, soda had firmly established itself as a beverage in its own right. Eventually, bottled drinks and modern dispensers made it easier to enjoy soda without visiting a fountain, and many of these nostalgic gathering places disappeared. You can still find a few scattered around Kansas, whether functional or just for display.
Photographs like this give us a glimpse into the places where people once gathered, relaxed, and enjoyed a little time together. While we may not know all the names of the people pictured or the exact year this photograph was taken, we can still imagine the conversations, laughter, and clinking glasses that filled the room. 🥤
