A Brief History of Drinking Fountains and Water Coolers
The drinking fountain, as we know it, was developed in the early 1900s by Halsey Taylor and Haws. These two companies, founded by Halsey Willard Taylor and Luther Haws respectively, pioneered a major change in how water was dispensed in public places. In doing so, they also helped reduce the instance of waterborne diseases among the general population. In fact, Halsey W. Taylor's dedication to providing a safe and sanitary drink to the public was prompted by his father's death from typhoid fever caused by a contaminated water supply.
For years, drinking fountains provided water in public buildings, schools and factories. However, the desire for colder drinking water brought about the introduction of chilled drinking fountains. These predecessors to the water cooler featured cooling that was generated by a 20-pound block of ice.