I wanted to start a thread on ice harvesting in the north Country..

Harvesting ice is how folks preserved food during the warmer months, it is still done on some lakes in New England. I believe my good friend Well Seasoned has a vid on how it is done. How about any of you Mainers?

 

They work fast in the cold! Looks like me at work!

 

It looks like those are 100 lb blocks, they were packed into ice houses with a foot of sawdust on the floor. The ice would last all summer long to be delivered to those in need of a block (5 or 10 lb) as needed.

 

My grandparents was still here in this house, not being used anymore of course, when I moved in in 1982. A few yrs. later I solid it to an antique dealer. I never shouda.

 

This is a tradition in MN too NH mountain man.



Gunflint Trail Ice harvest from days gone by. Ice was harvested between Christmas and New Years when ice was 12" to 18" thick in a dedicated ice field which had to be kept free of snow so it wouldn't sag the ice and create slush on top.

Nowadays ice is harvested for special events here and there across the state.

Winter Carnival Palace Ice Harvest Underway At Green Lake

 

You're probably right, one of these days the lights may go out for a long time.

 

I figured it was up your way as well. Do they still do it there?

 

A few still do it I would guess. I just don't know them. I do know it is done these days just for special events, but it is not a bad idea to consider for folks living off the grid for their refrigeration through the summer months.

 

On Squam lake here they still have an active ice house that supplies the summer camps.

 

I'm more into the history of local ice harvesting. In our city I know of the remnants of three ice houses. One still has visible pilings on the shore and two have wood pilings in the water that can be seen.

I know of one antique ice saw that was for sale about a year ago. I was looking at the handle, but the owner was having difficulty locating the blade in his shop.

I have a few ice tongs and would love to have an original pike pole and saw.



I believe the largest ice house in our county was several stories tall and supplied ice for the great Gloucester, MA fishing fleets. I have pics from local history books if anyone is interested.

 

How do you catch a polar bear?
You cut a hole in the ice an put peas around it.
When the bear goes to take a pea you kick him in the ice hole!

 

My grandfather and his brothers harvested on a pond in this town. Railroad passed the edge of the pond and as ice was cut it was loaded daily and taken to an ice house. This was in the late 20s early 30s, a time when jobs were scarce but everyone needed ice. Not much remains. If you know where to look you can find the siding where trains were loaded but the old depot is long gone.

 

How a Massachusetts man invented the global ice market - The Boston Globe

 

My parents house is built on the site of an old ice house that burned in the 1800s.
The channel they brought the blocks to the elevator in is easy to see next to their driveway.
It was called the jack frost ice house outside of Newburyport, I wonder if the character jack frost's name is somehow related.
At one time a local man became rich shipping Newburyport ice to the Caribbean in old sailing ship hulls, he also made a fortune shipping bed warming pans to the Caribbean to be used in the rum making industry.

 

http://duckworksmagazine.com/13/outings/pole/index.htm#.XEHNLmlOk0N
A story I wrote about the pond

 

I think I still have my grandfather's icebox that they deliver ice in. On top of the barn, I'll look, NH mountain man ..

In Burlington they still have the Ice House Restaurant, it's right on the lake are they have the old photos of where they used to cut the ice and pack it in sawdust.

 

My Grandfather harvested ice from the local river here. I was not born yet but have heard the stories from my mother and aunts.