Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Crusher, Ice |
Source |
Iowa Rural School Museum of Odebolt |
Iowa History Era Tag |
Statewide Settlement (1869-1896) |
Chronological Tag |
The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900) |
Catalog Number |
2018.036.003 |
Credit line |
Iowa Rural School Museum of Odebolt - Odebolt, Iowa |
Description |
During the late 1800s, ice became a more commercially available product due to advances in technology. As more people gained access to ice, treats called snowballs or snowcones also became very popular. By the late 1870s, movie theaters across the country used ice shavers like this one to crush ice for snowcones, which were very popular in the warm summer months. As time went on, snowcones remained a popular treat that was cheap and easy to make. Content can be used with the following standards: 3rd grade SS 3.28 Cultural Contributions and 4th grade SS 4.25 Technological Changes in a lesson on the ice trade and how it affected businesses. For any use other than instructional resources, please check with the organization that owns this item regarding copyright restrictions. |
Additional Research & Sources |
In a period before air conditioning and electric refridgerators, ice was essential in homes during the hot summer months. Used in the home for providing relief in the summer and during times of sickness, and to keep foods such as meat, eggs, milk and fruit from going bad, the "ice trade" during the 1800s help increased the ice harvest to transport ice to homes across the midwest. Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth was a key figure to the increase in ice transportation, with his invention of a horse-drawn plow, whose blades cut the ice into movable ice blocks. The new standard ice blocks could be easily removed and stacked (using ice elevators) in ice houses constructed by Wyeth. These ice houses were insulated to keep the ice from melting throughout the winter. In the spring, the ice would be taken out and shipped on ice barges down the river to various cities. |
Primary/Secondary Source |
General primary source |
Multimedia Links |
Click here to view/hear the file. |
Search Terms |
Weather Business & Industry Ice cream & ices Movie theatres |
Legal Status |
Ownership of this resource is held by the Iowa Rural School Museum of Odebolt and has been provided here for educational purposes only, specifically for use in the Iowa Museum Association's "Teaching Iowa History" project. It may not be downloaded, reproduced or distributed in any format without written permission from the Rights Holder. For information on U.S. and International copyright laws, consult an attorney. |
