Vigo County Historical Society

Ice man a popular guy through the 1940s

The ice tongs and the card, along with the old-fashioned icebox, were common items before mechanical refrigeration.

The icebox or ice chest was an insulated box or piece of furniture. A block of ice was placed in a compartment with air circulating about it. As the ice melted, the water drained into a pan below.

When it was mechanized, the icebox received a new name: the refrigerator. Electric or gas refrigerators were not common appliances in American kitchens until the 1940s.

During warm weather, the ice wagon, and later the ice truck, made its way down the streets. The housewife judged her needs before putting the order card in her window. This card directed the iceman to use the heavy tongs to carry ice of a certain number of pounds into her kitchen and put it into the icebox.

The icebox in the Vigo County Historical Museum is black for 100 pounds, green for 75 pounds, white for 50 pounds and red for 25 pounds. The card was the property of Merchants Ice and Cold Storage Co. of Terre Haute.

The ice vehicle was often loaded with a 1,000 pound block of ice. The ice man, usually a big burly man, had to chip smaller blocks of the appropriate weight, according to the order card. The large block was marked or scored to make the chipping accurate.

Children looked forward to the coming of the ice man. They welcomed chips and scorings from the big blocks. These were special treats on hot days. As the wagon or truck approached, the cry, "The ice man’s coming!" could be heard.

The ice tongs and card are displayed on the lower floor of the museum and represent another page from the past.

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Previous articles may be found on the society’s Web site at web.indstate.edu/community/vchs.