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Putting a stamp on a sweet national pastime

Last Updated on June 30, 2016 by cassnetwork

sodafountain INDIANAPOLIS, IN — There’s nothing quite as satisfying on a hot summer’s day as the cold, sweet treat of an ice-cream or a soda fountain drink.

On Friday, July 1, 2016, the U.S. Postal Service will celebrate five of those cool, fizzy confections at a Columbus, IN establishment that has been serving them to generations since 1900.

Columbus Postmaster Terri Muir will dedicate the Soda Fountain Favorites Forever Stamp at Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor and Museum, 329 Washington St, Columbus, IN 47201 at 1 p.m.

Joining Muir at this sweet celebration will be Tony Moravec, owner of Zaharakos, Mayor of Columbus Jim Lienhoop and one of the original owners, Jim Zaharako. Also present will be Manager of Post Office Operations Jeff Leffler, Marketing Manager Kim Pickett and other postal officials.

While Columbus residents have been savoring the homemade ice-cream, fountain drinks and old-style candy at Zaharakos since 1900, soda fountain treats have been around for a long time. As early as the 17th and 18th centuries, scientists and physicians have touted the curative properties of mineral or soda water — named for the sodium bicarbonate it sometimes contained.

By the late 1800s, Americans had long since begun drinking carbonated beverages for their pleasant taste, rather than their supposed health benefits. The ice cream soda’s precise origin is not clear, but by the turn of the 20th century it had become a fountain staple.

In cities and towns across the United States, the soda fountain was an important gathering place. When Prohibition banned alcohol sales, people flocked to soda fountains. During World War II, soda fountains popped up at military bases in the U.S. and abroad, because drinking a soda or indulging in a sundae reminded soldiers of simple pleasures at home.

At the special dedication on July 1, Zaharakos will be serving all five of the treats illustrated on the Soda Fountain Favorites Stamps — doublescoop ice cream cone, an egg cream, a banana split, a root beer float and a hot fudge sundae.

The Soda Fountain Favorites Stamps go on sale on Thursday, June 30 can be obtained at local Post Offices and also online at www.usps.com. Stamps, postal products and First-Day-of-Issue commemorative envelopes will be available for purchase at the special dedication.

SOURCE: News release from US Postal Service

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