Blue laws led to the name “Sundae” for ice cream with toppings
Throughout the country, many drives took off in the late 19th century, linked only by their desire to prevent Americans from having fun. Fundamentalists were horrified by the rampant sin that was openly practiced everywhere, including nickelodeons, movie theaters, vaudeville stages, and, of course, saloons and other shady establishments. Patent medications were frequently perceived as risky and immoral intoxicants since they were widely accessible and inexpensive. Among the latter were "medicinal" drinks marketed as syrups and sold at soda shops and pharmacies. Numerous of them, including Coca-Cola, 7-Up, Dr. Pepper, and others, were marketed as stimulants, digestive aids, and "cures" for female disorders.
They therefore qualified as intoxicants, at least in the eyes of the intrepid defenders of social propriety who pushed for their sales to be prohibited on Sundays. When combined with different flavors or syrups to create a beverage, plain carbonated water is one of these dangers to American morals. The necessity to preserve the Sabbath prompted the prohibition of sodas on Sunday in several localities across the country, which impacted ice cream sales. Ice cream merchants produced a dish with all the components of popular sodas – ice cream, syrup topping, sprinkles, almonds, whipped cream, etc. – but without the objectionable soda in order to protect their earnings. Their Sabbath Ice Cream Sundays eventually became known as Sundaes. Or at least that is how the tale goes.
The ice cream sundae was allegedly invented in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, and H. L. Mencken even backed up this story in the early 20th century. Mencken's reputation as a skilled hoaxer hasn't done much to refute Two Rivers' assertion over time. The Wisconsinites are viewed as simple posers in other communities, most notably Ithaca, New York. The Women's Christian Temperance Union's section in Evanston, Illinois, claims to have created the name for the ice cream sundae (Garwood's Drug Store). It is unknown how they counterbalanced the sundae with the sin of gluttony.
