History of the Soda Fountain

Early Inventors and Patents

These are the men who are credited with the early inventions of soda fountains Samuel Fahnestock, John Mathews, James Tuft and Jacob Schweppe. 

The first soda fountain patent was granted to Samuel Fahnestock in 1819. He invented the soda fountain to quench the social demand for carbonated soft drink. He wanted to sell the new invented mass-production mineral water by the glass.

Known as the “Soda Fountain King” in the mid-19th century, John Matthews is credited with the development of a device to carbonate soft drinks. He had learned his craft in his native England. By 1865, when he retired, his manufacturing plant at First Avenue, between 26th and 27th Streets, was mass producing the tin lined, cast iron soda fountains that he had perfected. More than 500 establishments in New York City alone were equipped with his devices. 

James Walker Tufts, is known for his founding  a successful business in silver plate tableware. He also founded the Arctic Soda Fountain Company and eventually merged with A. D. Puffer & Sons,  John Matthews, and Charles Lippincott, to form the American Soda Fountain Company. JamesTufts,  was the inventor of the Artic Soda Fountain and was installed as the first president of the merger that formed American Soda Fountain.

Jacob Schweppe, perfected the production and bottling of artificial carbonated water in 1783 and set into motion a beverage revolution. He was particulary interested in the question of the aeration of water and the production of mineral waters, which Priestley published 1772, as “Directions for Impregnating Water with Fixed Air”.  He would go on to form a little company that produced Schweppes ginger ale. The company is still in business today and still goes by the name Schweppes.

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