historical landmark

St. Francis Fountain Clings to Historic Past, Prepares for Changes in Near Future

St. Francis Fountain was born in a pandemic – just not the one you might expect. San Francisco’s oldest ice cream parlor opened its doors during the 1918 influenza outbreak, one of the worst pandemics the world’s ever faced. A public backlash against “mask slackers” was taking place in the city. And a global recession resulted in local businesses shutting down.

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