I scream, you scream, we all scream for… Ice Cream Ordinances? July is National Ice Cream Month, so let us give you the scoop on the history of the ice cream sundae (or what we like to call, taking you to Sundae School). Many people and places claim to have invented the ice cream sundae, but most of these origin stories come back to local ordinances.
Many food historians believe that the ice cream sundae was invented at the turn of the 20th century by ingenious soda fountain operators who were prohibited from selling ice cream sodas on Sundays. Many people call desserts “sinful,” but in the 1890s many municipalities took it literally and banned selling the rich sweet refreshment of ice cream sodas on Sundays because such an indulgence couldn’t be anything other than a sin. Some religious citizens were offended by the crowds that soda fountains drew on Sundays and many also feared that the rich flavors of soda may hide the taste of alcohol illicitly slipped into the drink on the Lord’s Day.
To skirt around these laws, which often focused on the selling of soda water, operators took out the bubbles but left the ice cream, layering it with flavored syrups and fruit and naming the treat after the signature day of the week that forced its creation. It was an instant hit and soon soda shops and ice cream parlors all over the country were selling the “Ice Cream Sunday” (or sundae).
Not everyone viewed soda fountains as immoral though. As the Temperance Movement gained ground, those who didn’t see a sweet treat as a sin saw soda fountains as a wholesome alternative to the evils of a saloon. Being able to indulge in an ice cream or soda might keep someone from turning to alcohol instead.
Never one to conform, Savannah had an ordinance that made it illegal to prohibit running a soda fountain shop on Sundays. According to a May 6, 1897, Savannah Morning News article, aldermen were concerned shop owners would be negatively impacted and visitors to the city would not be able to fully experience Savannah, so they decided not to outlaw Sunday soda sales. Even though Savannahians could get their ice cream sodas on Sunday, they certainly still also enjoyed a good wholesome ice cream sundae to beat the summer heat.
City of Savannah Municipal Archives, Archives@savannahga.gov, Discover the Archives: savannahga.gov/MunicipalArchives.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah Archives: Soda water fountains closed on Sundays for alcohol sales?
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