Ice tongs, Presque Isle, ca. 1910

Contributed by Presque Isle Historical Society

Ice tongs, Presque Isle, ca. 1910

Purchase a reproduction of this item on VintageMaineImages.com.

Description

Ice was an important product in the days before electricity in Aroostook County. Ice was obtained from rivers or lakes in the winter by cutting blocks from the surface of rivers or lakes.

In Presque Isle, ice was cut from the Presque Isle Stream near the Chapman Street area. It was stored in sheds during the summer months, using sawdust for insulation to keep it from melting. This operation ceased in the mid 1950s.

Before electric refrigerators, the ice was delivered to homes for "ice boxes" to keep food cool.

Ice was also used for the shipment by rail of potatoes in refrigerated box cars, known as "reefers." These boxcars were loaded with ice from raised platforms to keep the product cool during shipment. on railroads.

These ice tongs were used to carry the ice blocks.

View/Add Comments

About This Item

  • Title: Ice tongs, Presque Isle, ca. 1910
  • Creation Date: circa 1910
  • Subject Date: circa 1910
  • Location: Presque Isle, Aroostook County, ME
  • Media: Metal
  • Dimensions: 39 cm x 42 cm x 11 cm
  • Object Type: Physical Object

Cross Reference Searches

Standardized Subject Headings

Other Keywords

For more information about this item, contact:

Presque Isle Historical Society
PO Box 285, Presque Isle, ME 04769
(207) 762-1151
Website
Copyright Not Evaluated More Info

The copyright and related rights status of this item have not been evaluated. Please contact the contributing repository for more information.

How to cite content on this site

Please post your comment below to share with others. If you'd like to privately share a comment or correction with MMN staff, please send us a message with this link.