In winter months,
ice was chipped from a lake surface and often dragged by sled to the ice house
. In summer months, icemen delivered it to residences in ice-wagons; the ice would then be stored in an icebox, which was used much like a modern refrigerator.
How long did ice last in a ice house?
During the winter, ice and snow would be cut from lakes or rivers, taken into the ice house, and packed with insulation (often straw or sawdust). It would remain
frozen for many months
, often until the following winter, and could be used as a source of ice during the summer months.
How did they store ice in the old days?
By the end of the 1800s, many American households stored their perishable food in
an insulated “icebox” that was usually made of wood and lined with tin or zinc
. A large block of ice was stored inside to keep these early refrigerators chilly.
How did they transport ice in the 1800s?
Most operations used horse-drawn carriages to take ice to storehouses. From there,
trains, boats and horses
were used to transport the ice where it needed to go.
How deep is an ice house?
They are around 30 feet in diameter and were originally
42 feet deep
.
How did they get ice in the Old West?
Up in your part of the country, they’d
harvest ice from the rivers in the winter time and store it in caves or rock cellars
. … Outside of Flagstaff were some ice caves, and saloonkeepers would harvest ice from the caves during the summer.
How did they keep meat before refrigeration?
Salting pork drew out moisture so small meat cuts could be rubbed down with salt and then stored in even more salt, which was relatively cheap in the 1700s and keeps the nasty bacteria at bay. … Meat could be
stored in the brine and packed tightly in covered jars or casks
in a cool environment for months.
Where did they used to get ice from?
Ice was methodically
harvested from lakes and ponds and cut into bricks
for transportation. “Filling the Ice House,” 1934, by Harry Gottlieb. Smithsonian American Art Museum, transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor. The natural ice harvesting industry in America began to take off in the early 1800s.
How did they keep food cold in the 1700s?
People did preserve their foods via pickling or salting, yet the most practical (if it could be afforded) was
the ice box in areas that could sustain it
. … Before that was available, people had cool cellars and some had ice houses where ice could be stored (under sawdust, often) and kept cool for much of the year.
Did the Romans have ice?
The Romans had ice and snow mixed with their juices and wines for cooling effects
, with Emperor Nero often being attributed (historically unverified and likely false) stories about having snow and ice transported by runners from the mountains to Rome for these purposes.
How did ice houses stay cold?
During the winter, ice and snow would
be cut from lakes or rivers
, taken into the ice house, and packed with insulation (often straw or sawdust). It would remain frozen for many months, often until the following winter, and could be used as a source of ice during the summer months.
How does sawdust keep ice from melting?
One of the best insulators available at the time was sawdust.
Air trapped between the particles of sawdust kept the warm
, outside air from melting the ice. … And the more tightly the blocks were stacked, the harder it was for warm air to penetrate the stack and melt the ice.
How do you build an underground ice house?
Put down one layer of ice at a time, pack each block in
sawdust
and make sure it doesn’t touch its neighbors. Hold the outside blocks eight to twelve inches from the walls and—as each tier is finished—fill in and around it with sawdust and cover each layer of ice with four to six inches of the ground wood.
Did they really drink that much in the Old West?
This stuff was raw and made right in the camp or town. The simple ingredients included raw alcohol, sugar burnt and a little pouch chewing tobacco. …
Beer
was not as common as whiskey, yet there were those that drank it. Since pasteurization was not invented yet, a cowboy had to take his beer warm and drink it quick.
Did they drink cold beer in the Old West?
Some parts of the West had cold beer. … Before then, folks in the Old West didn’t expect their beer to be cold;
they were accustomed to the European tradition of beer served at room temperature
. Beer was not bottled widely until pasteurization came in 1873. Up to then, it was mostly kept in kegs.
Did cowboys eat ice cream?
All over the frontier West, folks enjoyed
ice cream served to them by street peddlers
, at stand-alone parlors or saloons, and in bakeries, candy shops, coffee houses and restaurants. Flavors included tastes we know and love to this day, such as vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and lemon.
