Ice Harvest by Carolyn Jones
The old Watchung Ice House in 1932 postcard
How did people keep food cold before refrigerators?
2 minute video from Britanica
Plainfield Ice and Supply Comany Horse drawn wagon
Harvesting Ice on Watchung Lake, 1910. Photo by Paul Collier.
Men from the Plainfield Ice and Supply Company harvesting ice from Watchung Lake, which was then known as Texier's Mill Pond. In the photo, an African-American man leads a horse-drawn plough across the ice, followed by another man who is helping to press the teeth of the plough to cut a deep groove into the ice. To harvest the ice, the snow was cleared away. Then the ice surface, which was porous and uneven, was planed down until a clear ice body was reached. Cutting began with the measuring of large squares, and deeply incising lines in the ice, which was 14 to 16 inches deep. The ice was cut so that a long, narrow canal of open water was made, connecting with a waterway always kept free to the shore. As fast as the cakes were cut, men with long-handled hooks would float them down the canal to the ice house. A steam conveyor would lift the ice into the ice house. The success of manufactured artificial ice and the increased use of electric refrigerators led to the near elimination of the natural ice harvesting in America.
from Plainfield Public Library Feb 25 2016 facebpook post (also You know you're from WATCHUNG if you remember...Robert Scalera Jr ·Nov 14, 2013)
Ms Principe
As promised several months ago “Ice Saw” used on Watchung Lake
1890-1910 + owned by Peter J McDonough first president of Plainfield Ice and Supply Co.
Later to be Plainfield Lumber and Supply Co- They had right to cut on the cake after the Ice House was built in Plainfield they (My Dad - Martin, uncle Pete, Uncle Andrew and ol’ Buck Titus converted it to Watcung Lake a swimming venue - 1930- Have much history of the age and Watchung.
If entered my card- Peter J McDonough
(Senator Ret)
Ice businesses flourished in the winter months at the turn of the 19th century along the lakes,.
Locally, in the early days of the 20th century, up until around 1913 or so, workers would cut ice and store it in ice houses and deliver it via horse and buggy to customers in Watchung, Warren and and Plainfield for their ice boxes,.
A horse-drawn plough would cross the ice, followed by another man “helping to press the teeth of the plough to cut a deep groove into the ice. To harvest the ice, the snow was cleared away. Then the ice surface, which was porous and uneven, was planed down until a clear ice body was reached. Cutting began with the measuring of large squares, and deeply incising lines in the ice, which was 14 to 16 inches deep. The ice was cut so that a long, narrow canal of open water was made, connecting with a waterway always kept free to the shore. As fast as the cakes were cut, men with long-handled hooks would float them down the canal to the ice house. A steam conveyor would lift the ice into the ice house.” The ice was insulated using hay or sawdust.
At its height, the ice trade revolutionized the U.S. meat, vegetable and fruit industries, enabled significant growth in the fishing industry, and encouraged the introduction of a range of new drinks and foods, according to a Wikipdedia page on the subject.
Two companies operated in the area: Natural Ice Company on Best Lake, owned by John Wilson, which was started around 1880, and Plainfield Ice and Supply Company, operated by Andrew Wilson and William Titus I.
from: NJMedia Sculpture would mark Watchung's place in early ice industry March 9, 2015
from: Ice harvesting was big business on borough's lakes in early 20th century Echoes Sentinel by LORIE GREENSPAN Editor Mar 9, 2015