Frozen Water Trade

Description

Eileen Eckert of Barton Historical Society will remember the forgotten industry of ice harvesting. Before electric refrigerators and mechanical ice making technology, ice was cut from frozen ponds, lakes, and rivers and sold to meat packing and brewing companies, as well as to residential ice box owners. Explore the many inventions that enhanced ice production, an industry that rivaled cotton in the 19th Century. Eileen will also present her drawings and paintings that depict the rise and fall of the ice harvesting industry. No charge.