Fur truck.
- Thread starter Dave Mellor NJ
- Start date
Joe K
Well-known member
Worcester (MA) Cold Storage had nothing to do with the food industry when it was first started in the early 20th century. Rather it had to do with the summer storage of "furs" - without the annoying odor of "moth balls."
You freeze the fur and no moth damage.
Those who could afford and wore furs obviously could afford to pay for the continued energy and attention cost of maintaining them.
Worcester Cold Storage was originally steam engine powered by coal, located adjacent to the railroad and the Union Station Terminal, and was located such to survive the transition to frozen foods and steam boilers/turbines/electric motor drive. Had the smallest steam turbine in a full size pattern I had ever seen to that point - you could straddle the turbine cylinder like a horse with one foot on the platform on either side.
The late 20th century brought a failure of the business, abandonment of the building, infestation by vagrants and drugs, and the eventual fire that destroyed the building and killed six firefighters.
Joe K
Keith True
Well-known member
I studied it for a while,still no clue as to what make the truck is.Quincy Cold Storage was still operating in Exeter N.H. in the mid 70's.At the same site was a furrier that bought furs that the trappers brought in.The name isn't quite floating to the top.It was on Court Street,and that part was still operating in the early 80's.Trapping is still a thing around here.Guys still trap my brook for mink.Beaver,mink,raccoon,fox,fisher,and a couple have fur with some value.I always sign off on trappers permits to work on my land,same with my folks.