ice harvesting

last weekend the Kensington Farm Center had a special program on ice harvesting. selling ice was a big commercial venture in this part of Michigan, where there are many small lakes to supply the ice and good access to the railoads to ship it to cities as far away as St. Louis.

a couple of years ago, the Farm Center staff would hitch up their team of percherons to the hayride wagon and take visitors out onto a small lake where they could try sawing through the ice first-hand. the ice used to freeze to at least 12 inches thick but recently it has only been about 7 inches thick, not enough to hold two 2,000 lb horses and various spectators. so they set up a demonstration at the Farm Center itself, having harvested some big long blocks of the 7 in. ice. they had antique saws with special teeth to cut the ice and pikes to move it and simple pullies set up to lift the heavy blocks onto wagons.

i wanted to see how this was done, as i'd just entered several entries from Sallie Minor's 1912 journal referring to getting ice. each family of my Virginia cousins was getting ice for their own use, but they all helped each other out with this major chore:


Jan 6th Saturday 1912

Cloudy and cold. I got up rather early as Frank was going to help Uncle John get ice. Aunt Jimmie came over to see Frank about getting ice. Peter got Hugh to drive the team. Tom left this morning. Peter took him to the train. Frank cut wood most of the day. Frank found a hen with young chickens at the cabin. I washed two pairs of curtains. This has been a very cold day. Peter speaks of getting a position in the insurance business.

[on Sunday the Minors went to church when the circuit riding preacher was there, or sunday school when he wasn't, and had a quiet day without work.]

Jan 8th Monday 1912

Cloudy and snowing all day. Coz. Albert Holladay borrowed the two mules to have ice. Willie took Peter’s trunk to Proffit about 4 o’c. Peter rode to town, he expected to get home in time to get off too, but did not do it, so will go in the morning. I ironed four pairs of curtains today. Mr. Lang came over and helped Frank to move the two wardrobes. i killed and dressed the old rooster to make chicken salad.

[apparantly i can't have itals in my blog: sorry, editors]

Mules were the preferred equines for hard work in those days in Virginia. i know from my mother that ice was cut from the ponds and stored in an ice house. the one at edgemont was a deep large pit in the ground lined with stones. the ice was put in and covered with sawdust as insulation. it lasted into the summer, when it was used for making ice cream, a very special treat. its more critical use was in ice boxes to keep milk, butter, meat, and other perishables from spoiling during warm weather. i'm not sure when refrigeration became more common but i remember my father coming home with a big block of ice and chipping off pieces with an ice pick. does anyone sell blocks of ice anymore?

more about sallie minor's journals and life to come.