Substitute for the Saloon: The Drug Store during Prohibition, 1920-1933 with Mark Johnson
With the removal of the saloon as a social gathering place during Prohibition, drug stores across the nation added soda fountains and adapted to become a welcoming, wholesome places for folks to gather. Serving ice cream sundaes and soft drinks instead of beer and hard liquor, the drug store soda fountain filled the void left by the elimination of the saloon as a social gathering place. Interestingly, during the same time, the drug store also served as an alternative source of alcohol in various forms. Join Mark Johnson for a multisensory exploration of how the unique business of the drug store/soda fountain served as a substitute for the saloon during the era of Prohibition.