Submitted by Bob Emmert
| The Railroad Ice house was used from the 1880s to the 1970s, ice-cooled reefers were a fixture of railroading. Solid trains raced across country with their perishable loads. Supplying ice for the cars in transit was a huge industry. Railroads built ice houses and platforms, like this Ice house you have, about every 250-300 miles. Here, entire trains could be serviced and on the move in minutes. The odd shape of the house with the tower like center was to load the ice on the train to the ice cars from above. In this photo it is hard to tell but there are most likely Rails behind the house and probably a lake or a stream very close by. (identified by Scott Nelson) |