by Laurel | February 8th, 2013
February 8, 1913
Work of Cutting Begins at Various Ponds
The icemen have appreciated the recent cold snap and the chances for gathering the usual amount of ice now seem bright. Cutting has already begun in South Hadley, Charles B. Lawrence starting yesterday morning with a large force of men. Alfred S. Moody of South Hadley Falls has scraped the snow from the river near his ice house and will begin cutting Monday. The ice in the cove is now nine inches thick and unless he weather changes will probably be ten inches or over on Monday morning. The Holyoke ice company will probably not cut ice at the Ashley ponds this year, unless the cold weather remains for some time, as the ice on the ponds is only a little over two inches thick at the present time. The company will probably begin cutting on the river Monday. The company has a large quantity of ice stored at their Ashley ponds ice-house, which was harvested last year. It looks now as if the usual crop would be harvested without much trouble.
Adapted from The Springfield Republican.
The film below (1919, Pennsylvania) shows the process of ice harvesting — a serious profession until refrigeration became the norm. Worth a view.
