Historic Sonoma County ice cream parlors way back when

Locals have been gobbling up ice cream from shops, trucks, and carts since the 1800s.|
JANET BALICKI WEBER
FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

The dog days of summer are upon us and Sonoma County residents are trying to beat the heat by any means necessary. Nothing is better on a hot summer day than a cold scoop of ice cream.

Americans have been indulging in ice cream since the 1700s. According to the International Dairy Foods Association, the first advertisement for ice cream appeared in the New York Gazette on May 12, 1777, when confectioner Philip Lenzi announced that ice cream was available “almost every day.”

Our earliest presidents were big fans of ice cream. George Washington allegedly spent $200 for the delicacy during the summer of 1790 and Thomas Jefferson had an 18-step recipe for a homemade ice cream dish resembling Baked Alaska.

Sonoma County residents have been gobbling up ice cream since the 1800s. Ice cream parlors, trucks and carts sold the summertime treat in cities all across the Redwood Empire.

Check out our gallery at pressdemocrat.com of Sonoma County’s earliest ice cream parlors and soda fountains.

Janet Balicki Weber

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