Ice Harvesting in Quincy Was a Big Business

Have you ever wondered how people, prior to electricity, managed to keep food chilled or frozen? There were no freezers or refrigerators around. What they had were called "Ice Boxes".  They kept chunks of ice enclosed to keep it from melting too fast. In Quincy that ice came from the Mississippi River for the most part.  There were companies that would harvest the ice and they would sell it to customers. My, how times have changed.

This Sunday at the John Wood Mansion Visitor's Center, they will be holding a program called "Cut it Out: Ice Harvesting on the Quincy Bay".  The Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County will be sponsoring the program which will be held Sunday at 2 p.m.

Bob Cook, retired Appellate Court Judge, will present the program that will include ice harvesting tools and photos of ice gathering, hauling, and the ruins of ice houses. Learn how was ice was cut and stored. At one time the ice industry was the ninth largest industry in the United States.