Harvesting ice

Another memory of Everett's is the "ice harvest". Before mechanization became commonplace, ice was hand-sawed on the ranch in the Big Laramie River and large blocks were stored in an icehouse in sawdust. Ice, so stored, would last until some time in August. It was used to freeze home-made ice-cream on the fourth of July. In addition, young frying chickens would be large enough to use so it became traditional to have ice cream, fried chicken, and fresh peas and baby potatoes from the garden on the Fourth - a special day, indeed!

In addition to making ice-cream, ice was used in ice boxes and to keep butter, etc. cool when being taken to Laramie to be sold. In the early 1930's, several ranchers including the Johnsons got together and rigged up a circular saw mounted on the shaft of a gasoline motor. This was set in a frame and hinged at one end so that the saw and motor could be raised up out of the ice or it could be set to cut a specific depth in to the ice. The frame was set on runners so it could be slid along the ice by the workers. This machine scored the ice deeply enough so that the blocks could then be cracked off by the use of a "spudder". The spudder was a bar with a thick, flat, spade-like head which was sharpened on the bottom. This was shoved into the cut made by the saw and, with a little sideways pressure, the ice would break off.

A channel was cut and the blocks were floated in the water up to a chute leading to a loading platform. One end of the chute was submerged in the channel. Power to move the blocks up the chute was provided either by a tractor with lugs, or, if it was "modern" rubber-tired, chains were used to give it traction. If a tractor was not available, a team of horses was used. They were "sharp shod", i.e. shod with shoes with sharp, pointed cleats to give them traction on the ice. Ice harvest was a hard job because it was done during very cold weather, usually in January or February and everything was either wet or icy. The ice needed to be at least ten inches thick, preferably sixteen to eighteen inches thick for the harvest and blocks were approximate.' eighteen inches wide by twenty-two inches long.

All of the ranchers in the valley got ice during the harvest for 3¢ per block. In addition to ranchers, the ice was sold to the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp at Chimney Park which helped pay for the equipment. Later the price was 5¢ per block.

At first, Wes hauled the ice from the Lake with a team and wagon, a four mile round trip. Later, he got it delivered by truck. Those living further away usually came with their farm trucks which had come into use.

In 1948, ice was harvested for the last time. With the coming of REA, refrigerators replaced ice boxes, much to the delight of the housewife and to the relief of the rancher who had worked on the ice harvest.

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