Baraga MI — Wednesday, August 24th, from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. the ‘Drive-In’ restaurant located at 1156 Superior Ave, Baraga MI 49908 will be the location of a special dedication of the ‘Soda Fountain’ stamps recently issued by the U.S. Postal Service.

Postmaster Sheree Smith of the Baraga Post Office said “the restaurant is the perfect location to hold the dedication as both carry a nostalgic theme surrounding the soda fountain.”  Smith further stated, “a postal booth will be set up for customers to purchase the special ‘Soda Fountain’ stamps.”

The original first day issue release of this stamp was held June 30th at the Elliston Place Soda Shop in Nashville TN. The First-Class Mail Forever booklet of 20 stamps features five different illustrations: a double-scoop ice cream cone, an egg cream, a banana split, a root beer float and a hot fudge sundae. Soda Fountain Favorites is being issued as a First-Class Mail Forever booklet of 20.

The ice cream soda’s precise origin is not clear, but by the turn of the 20th century, it had become a fountain staple. Adding a creamy scoop or two of chocolate or strawberry to a soft drink only added to its already considerable allure.   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 United States and abroad, because drinking a soda or indulging in a sundae reminded soldiers of simple pleasures at home.  

Soda fountain culture, however, still lives on in homes, restaurants and ice cream parlors. The joy of sharing a soda or a sundae is an indelible American tradition.

Wednesday August 24th, customers of all ages are welcome at the ‘Drive-In’ to get a taste of nostalgia figuratively and literally.

###

Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom.

Reporters interested in speaking with regional Postal Service public relations professionals should visit this link.

Follow us on twitter.com/USPS and like us at facebook.com/USPS. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and usps.com/postalfacts.