Cutting Ice at Kline Creek Farm

Video produced by the Public Affairs Department of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County showing ice harvesting at Kline Creek Farm, an 1890s living history farm located in West Chicago, IL.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• living history
• ice
• ice harvest
• Kline Creek Farm
• Horses
• farm
• winter
• percherons
• cold
• work
• dupage
• history
• ice house

[1890farmer]

Andrew, many people look to this time period and others, with the notion that they hold the answer to modern problems (i.e. environmental issues, etc.). Use caution however, as the technology of the day had problems of its own. At the turn of the century many who heralded the automobile as a solution to a major pollution and public health problem of the time; namely, the abundance of horse manure in major cities. While modern technology brings some problems earlier eras had their own as well.

[1890farmer]

@oldtimeway1: The thickness of our ice varies from year to year depending on the weather. Unfortunately, as a museum we have to schedule our calendar way in advance - so we cut ice when scheduled, which is not always when we have the best ice. As for packing it, we find that a couple hits with the ice pick is sufficient to break apart blocks that have joined together. We also use well water in our milk house, pumped by a windmill. However, the ice could be added during hot weather if needed.

[TheEloquentAndrew]

I would say these skills became a thing of the past, but will need to be picked up again if we want to pursue a better world. :)

[oldtimeway1]

You are incorrect, however, the ice was not packed tightly together, space was left between the blocks and then the cracks were stuffed with sawdust, otherwise the blocks would freeze into one big connected mass & that was a mess. Too, your ice is rather thin, ice was usually cut when it was thicket but then maybe you've only had warm weather and couldn't get thick ice. My grandparents always had a huge supply of ice but the milk they cooled in a tank of water fed by the well, not with ice.

[oldtimeway1]

That ice house looks just like my grandparent's ice house but theirs was twice as long.