Wall Drug offered free water to travelers in order to lure people into its store. It still offers free water today.

And you still see hundreds of billboards promoting Wall Drug. Beginning in the 1930s, that little store drew a crowd simply by promoting “free ice water” at a time when a cold drink was hard to find on the prairie.

Today, hundreds of Wall Drug billboards still tout that free water and a five-cent cup of coffee, though the store - now a block-long superstore - makes its fortune on cowboy gear, Indian souvenirs and buffalo burgers.

And the Coyote State’s allure reaches far beyond little Wall, South Dakota. Hammered into the ice at the South Pole is a sign that reads, “Wall Drug. Free Ice Water, 9,333 miles.” That puts it about 15,000 kilometers away, a long way to go for a refreshing glass of water.