In search of a cold drink: The area's history of ice houses

Central Valley - Most of us take refrigeration for granted these days, but not so long ago, this was not the case. Right here in the Hudson Valley, ice had to be harvested in the winter for use in the summer. In order to be able to keep the ice from melting for shipment in summer, it had to be stored in ice houses, some of which still can be found in our area. The Woodbury Historical Society devoted last Sunday’s open house to the area’s deep role in the once robust industry. Most of the ice in the Hudson Valley came from the Hudson River. It was a dangerous and cumbersome task to harvest the ice and store the blocks in ice houses for several months until it was moved to cities to be used in the warmer temperatures. According to Dorothy Morris of the Woodbury Historical Society, her father would harvest ice in the winters from the time he was eight years old until he was about thirteen years old. His wages came in the form of being able to go to the ice house in the summer, several months after his work had been done, to get ice for his own use. Although most of the ice came from the river, some of the smaller ice companies, like the one that Dorothy’s father worked for, used ice from lakes. The Knickerbocker Ice Company used Rider Lake, now known as Community Lake, in Woodbury. Morris said the Knickerbocker Ice Company was used from the 1880’s to about 1920. There was an ice house directly across from the lake. The ice houses were constructed of Pine sheathing exteriors with an inner wall of Hemlock. Between the layers the space was filled with sawdust. The ice was arranged with layers of pine balms, hay and sawdust to keep the blocks from melting together and allow the right amount of air to circulate. This ice house, as others of its kind, stored the ice until the Hudson River was no longer frozen and the ice could be transported to New York City by tug boats pulling up to ten barges of ice. The company expected to lose up to 50 percent of their inventory by the time it reached its destination due to melting, but the income they got from even half of their load was well worth it financially. Initially, the ice was used for commercial establishments who could afford to pay to keep their kegs of beer on ice or add ice to the drinks of their patrons. Gradually, residential customers who could afford to also purchased ice from the local ice man for their ice boxes. Dot Sandstrom, a member of the Woodbury Historic Society, who attended the group’s open house last Sunday, remembers summering in Fort Montgomery and walking a half mile to pick up ice for her ice box. “We carried a metal tub, which was heavy itself and even heavier when the block of ice was in it. My mother and I had to take turns carrying it back the half mile.” The block of ice would last about a week before Sandstrom and her mother would have to trek back for another block. Sandstrom recalls still visiting the ice man in the summer of 1946. With the advent of refrigeration, the ice industry faded away and the ice houses, since no longer used for ice, found new life as mushroom houses. Many of them are still in use in our area today. Many interesting facts about the history of our area and Woodbury in particular can be found through the Woodbury Historic Society. The group meets at the Gatehouse located at the intersection of Smith Clove Road and Pine Hill. The Gatehouse is used as a museum and learning center and visitors are welcome.