On the long list of things we in the twenty-first century take for granted where would refrigeration place? From keeping your soda cold to preserving our food we don't think much about how it was done less than 100 years ago. So how did they keep the cold stuff cold? With the use of an ice box. Where did the ice come from? Usually it came from a river or lake and was harvested and stored for later use. (In the teens there was also a way to mechanically freeze ice)
A couple of WF staff members visited Jim over at Kline Creek Farm in Du Page county to see first hand what harvesting ice is all about. To my knowledge, Kline creek is one of the few historic sites that still cuts ice every year.
Thanks to Carlin and Beth for sharing their pictures of the event.
