Wall Drug
Signs offering free ice water for travelers crossing the sweltering South Dakota plains are all it took for this once-faltering drugstore to soar in popularity. Purchased in 1931 by pharmacist Ted Hustead and his wife Dorothy, this drugstore suffered from the financial problems faced by many U.S. businesses during the Great Depression, a period of economic difficulty in America.
However, on an especially scorching day in the summer of 1936, Dorothy suggested placing signs along the nearby highway offering free ice water. By the time Ted placed the last sign, a steady stream of customers was already passing through the doors of the drugstore. As the business flourished, many more signs were placed along the highway letting travelers know the distance to Wall Drug. These signs are seen hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of miles away. Given to customers from all over the world for placement, there have even been signs in Paris stating: Wall Drug: 5,961 miles (9,593 km).
Today, Wall Drug’s highlights include shops filled with Western art, a travelers’ chapel, Native American artwork, souvenirs and a play area for children. And, of course, in the courtyard of Wall Drug, a fountain still stands offering travelers their free drink of water.
If You Go
Wall Drug
www.walldrug.com
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