Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-05-17
End Ice Industry
on Kennebec River
Houses to Be Raced

since 1925 along the banks of the
kennebec. has been sounded and the
nat has gone forth from the powers
that be that the icehouses along the
Kennebec and at Boothbay are 10 be
torn down and the timber and lumber
sold. Mr.. Ballard, the Maine man
ager Of the American Ice Co. the
owners of the Kennebec houses, is
the authority for this statement and
he further stated that the work of
demolition had already commenced at
the Independent. Cedar Grove,
Stearn'S Point and Boothbay houses.
The work on the others will be
started as soon as men can be OBJ
tanned.
1t is rather a sad thing to know
for 4 fact, that which we have for
some years felt must come true. has
arrived and the glory of the Ken
nebec as far as the ice industry is
concerned has passed into the realm
of memory. Time was when the Of
fee of the American Ice Co. at No. l
Depot square was the centre of bust
ness activity; where there was a
JOB at good wages waiting for every
able bodied man who wanted one.
and horses were also in demand. The
weeks of ice cutting was a sea son
of hustle. hustle and rush. The
work brought 10 the city many men
Of rather tough character and at
times the police force had their
hands full and the sleeping accom-
modations to the police station We're
crowded 10 the last available sleep
ing place.
In 1897 the Ice Trade journal Of
Philadelphia published map OF the
hennebec showing the positions of
the various icehouses from Abbagas
sett Point TO the city of Augusta.
On this map there were &c houses so
marked with 4 total approximate
capacity OF 100000 tons. For many
years these were filled TO their capa-
city and some years extra stacks
containing many thousand tons put
up. Kennebec ice was in demand al
all points and no product of like
nature brought a higher figure The
insurance agents did an enormous
marine insurance business and ice
brokers fiourished.
The first authentic account of ice
being shipped from Maine as an ar
ticle of merchandise, vas in 1862
when the brig Orion which came TO
Gardiner in the late fall. was frozen
in at Pittston and remained over
winter The following spring il was
loaded with ice and sailed at the
opening of navigation for Baltimore,
Md. where the cargo sold for $500
In 1926 Rufus r. Page in. company
with q Mr.. Getchell of Hallowell.
erected at Trott's Point. Richmond.
building for the storage of ice
which had a capacity of 1909 tons
and the building was filled the fol-
. lowing winter. The next spring
cargoes were sent TO the West In
dies but the speculation proved un-
profitable and for some years moth
ing further was done n this line.
At this time there were no especial
tools for the harvesting of ice and ship
carpenters. and their tools were used
for the harvesting of the crops In
1881 the Tudor Ice Co was formed and
illed the building and also another
erected on what was then Long wharf.
Gardiner NOW the Holiingsworth *
Whitney wharf. No other attempts at
housing were made until the winters of
1853. when the Kennebec began 10
show quite Il business and the Kenne-
bee product became famous by reason
of its purity and clearness. The ma
chinery used for housing was still crude
and oxen were used for hosting the
ice up the runs. Sawdust and swale
hay were used for dunnage and some. OF
the farmers found a ready market for
bog hay 10 be used for this purpose. In
1SS0 among the extensive operators were
numbered Major Andrews of Halloweil,
G. A. Colbura of Pittsron. W. S. Grant
Of Farningdale, Peter and William
Bradstreet of Gardiner. Franklin Ste
vens and Stephen Young of Randolph
and Major Tiffany of Richmond. In
this year an era of greater perrnanency
commenced and several New York men
became interested. among them being
James L Chessman. AT this time mod
ern ice harvesting machinery together
with the endless chain lift came into
general use. High prices reigned and
in some cases as high as 81 ton were
obtained. Hugh houses owned by con-
Germs backed with large capital. such as
the Knickerbocker. Great Falls Coch-
ran and 0ler companies. came into ex-
istence and did large business In
1890 the ice crop was practically fail
ure in other sections in other locations
while the Kennebec harvested a largo
crop. II was estimated that fully s.
COS. go tons of ice was stored on the
Kennebec that year
The following year, 1891. the American
Ice Co. acquired many Of the Rennebec
houses and opened an ONCE in Gartii-
ner. A few years later the entire ice
industry of the river was in their hands
Then. gradually, like home spinning and
weaving, the business began TO decline.
due to the cheaper production. artifi-
c:aIly, of a better and pured ice until
little or nothing has been done during
the past few years.
One cannot imagine a turn in for
tunes wheel that will bring back the Old
order of ice harvesting on the Kenne-
bee. The order calling for the demo-
Iition of the ice houses of the American
Ice CO. removes the last vestige of hope