Model A Ice Delivery Truck

Shadetree

Shadetree

Well-known member
How many can remember the days of the ice delivery trucks? This was before we had electricity. Block ice was delivered by a Model A truck with a covered canvas top in my hometown of Spencer, WV during the summer months. The ice was further protected by another heavy canvas in the bed of the truck. A sign was placed in the window of the home showing how big a piece of ice was required for the ice box. The driver would chip the size required from a larger block of ice in the truck, throw it on his leather covered shoulder and carry it into the house. As I recall it was a penny a pound. We would watch carefully as the driver chipped the ice and we would get the smaller chips as they fell. I wish I had a picture of the truck, but I do have a picture of the sign that was used to designate the size of the ice needed.
IceWindowCard.jpg

Shadetree
 
When the Union Ice truck came down our street, kids came from every where to get a piece of ice. This was in the early 40's. Later war time gas rationing caused them to be seen less and less.
Bruce Davis a400usa@nccn.net
 
SHADETREE ....................
I can remember running to the truck to get chips of ice. But this was from the Milk Truck. We had electricity in Charleston, WV.
MIKE :)
 
Ok guys, I have a question, one that I have wanted to know the answer for years. I am only 47 years old, so the whole ice truck thing does not make sense for me. If their was no electricity, and no refridgeration, where did the ice come from during the warm months?
 
They cut the ice in big blocks from the lakes is the winter time and stored it in huge ice houses. The ice was covered with straw to help insulate it from the heat.
 
It was cut during the winter from lakes and then stored in insulated warehouse. I can remember camping on the CT shore in the 50's, the ice man (.25 block), vegetable man, bread man, milk man, ICE CREAM man, al coming thru the camp ground. At home the same thing except for the ice man. A milk machine in the center of town, .25 qt. Wish we could go back, a simpler easier time.
Paul in CT
 
Years before my time on one of the family farms they had wooden dam across a creek that ran through the property. In winter they would cut the ice and store it in a room that was dug into the ground with soil covering three sides and the roof. They would use saw dust to insulate the ice. By the time I came around there wasn't much left but a depression in the ground and some of the wood dam sticking out of the creek bank. Sadly all traces are now gone.
Dave
 
When our country was emerging from the great depression in the late 30's and early 40's electricity wasn't the problem so much as the cost of refrigerators. Money was scarce and did not become plentiful until many good paying jobs became available because of the wartime production effort.
Bruce Davis a400usa@nccn.net
 
In this part of Michigan the rural areas were electrified in '37.38 and 39. This was done so that the power companies could claim "territory". At this time the power companies put on demonstations and exhibits showing how the electric appliances, washing machines, stoves, refrigerators and milking machines could save them time and energy.
 
I lwas born in 1945 and ived in South Philadelphia, PA until I was nine. We had an ice man, vegetable man, milk man, and even a merry-go-round guy that came through our neighborhood in the late forties and early fifties. Unfortunately they were using horse drawn wagons rather than a Model A truck. How time have changed.
Supergnat
 
SteveB,
The town had electricity, we didn't. The ice was frozen at the ice plant in town. A friend of mine's family operated it. The old building still stands. I don't know how they did it but it must have been like a big freezer. They had big squares of ice on the truck with scored markings for different weights of ice. The iceman would use an icepick to separate the different weights of ice

In our home we had a big ice box made of oak and insulated with cork. The ice went in the top. Our food and drink went in the bottom like a refrigerator. 25 pounds of ice would last several days.

Check this site on eBay, they have several for sale:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/L261-ANTIQU...960?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c228efec0

Shadetree
 
I think that ice companies used ammonia, probably compressed it, to make the ice blocks. Before that the frozen lakes were used to retrieve blocks of ice.
 
My wife's maiden name is Cowan. "Cowan Ice and Groceries" supplied ice cut from the Rideau River in Ottawa, Ontario. Pam's family owned ice houses at Billings Bridge across from the Riverside Hospital, Riverside Drive across from the RA Centre, Mooney's Bay Beach, Bank and Kilborn and the store at Bank and Cameron. If I ever obtain a sedan delivery, I promised Pam I would place the "Cowan Ice and Groceries 1227 Bank Street, Since 1922" name on the sides.
 
Ross/Kzoo said:
I think that ice companies used ammonia, probably compressed it, to make the ice blocks. Before that the frozen lakes were used to retrieve blocks of ice.
Click to expand...

You are exactly right! I wanted to say compressed ammonia was used but wasn't sure enough to write it.

Thanks,
Shadetree
 
Like Shadetree from West Va above, in my home town in NC, the electric lines and paved roads except for Hwys 29 and 74 ended at the city limits. My grandmother's house was about 100 yards from the gravel road. When the ice man delivered her ice, two friends and me would sneak to the truck and swipe (so we thought) hunks of ice about the size of your fist and sip on them for relief from the summer heat. The ice man would come running and yelling to stay away from his truck. I did not realize until I was a grown man that this ice man always made sure there were three large chunks of ice for us hoodlums. I am positive he is resting in heaven today.
Bill Lee/Virginia Peninsula
 
I believe salt brine was used as the supercooled solution to freeze the water out west. A lot of ice went into rail cars to ship produce from california to the east coast. Bob
 
I worked in a food plant that at one time sold ice door to door. They had a steam powered ammonia compressor that super cooled the salt brine which was sent through a square heat exchanger that was filled with city water. In a few hours the water was frozen and was lifted out by hand. Blocks were 100 pounds and split in sections inf you needed less. Air bubblers were put in each section to make the ice clear. They also made cubes and also a chipper which iced down truck trailers since it was close to rt 30. The men that lifted those blocks out were real men. That's where everyone started when they were hired, kind of a test I guess.

When I was there the orginal steam engine and ammonia compressor and brine system were gone, but we were still using the boilers. Of course the ammonia system was still being used, but with modern compressors. Neat place.. Consumers packing co, Lancaster PA.
 
There are still ice houses here in Baja, Mexico. You can buy block ice, or have it chipped while you wait. Many people use the ice to keep whatever cold. Also the beer trucks load up on the block ice and resell it to restaurants, and others, where there is still no electricity.
 
Growing up after WWII we had an ice box in the basement. The Ice Man used a horse drawn wagon as did the bread man and milk man.

My Uncle was a Commercial Fisherman on Lake Superior until the Sea Lampry wiped out fish stocks. He lost his license as he could not meet his quota. At his Camp he hand an Ice House. He used the ice to keep his catch cold while on the lake in the summer. The ice was covered with wood shavings to keep cool. Find a small piece of ice and try to clean off the wood shavings before it melted.
 
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