Wall Drug: a stop off or a destination?

Ted Hustead purchased the only drug store in Wall South Dakota in1931. Wall is a prairie town of 326 people just north of the South Dakota Badlands.

Hustead watched as cars went past his store without stopping as they drove through town on Route 16. Most of the traffic going through town was in the hot weather on their way to and from the Black Hills.

In what turned out to be a stroke of genius, Hustead put a sign on his small store offering free ice water to travelers. Cars began stopping at Wall Drug for the ice water and while they were in the store they were making purchases.

Wall Drug in 1931

A portion of Wall Drug as it appears today

A typical Wall Drug billboard

Wall Drug earns much of its fame from self-promotion billboards. These signs advertising the store can be seen for hundreds of miles throughout South Dakota and nearby states. The early billboard, and some of the new ones, show the number of miles to Wall Drug.

There are also signs in various foreign countries around the world that also show the number of miles to Wall Drug.