Need Adv-ICE

[LindaTrent]

Hi Folks,

How common/typical/everyday is it to have block ice in a rural inn in Ky, in August 1864? The inn sits about 8 miles or so from a major city where ice is known to have been kept.

According to Jerry Thomas Bartender's Guide, 1862, most of the beverages were served with ice, either shaved or in chunks. If an inn keeper knew that he was going to have a particularly large number of guests, would he drive to the city with a wagon and pick up ice? Or would the inn serve the beverages without ice? Or not serve beverages that call for ice?

Thoughts, suggestions...

[JohnTaylorCW]

Re: Need Adv-ICE

Hi Linda,

I can't give you any concrete information: I'm from Canada, currently working in Japan, so the amount I know about Tennesse weather is pretty small. However, I have some suggestions for researching an answer based on oral history from my mother about her childhood in Depression era rural Ontario. She was from Nashville, Ontario! (No, really.) (It was near modern day Bolton, not far from Toronto, for those wondering.)

Is there a freezable lake or river near the Inn? (Freezable in 1863/64 that is, bodies of water that use to freeze sometimes no longer do so. A local newspaper of the time may help here.) If so, then the inn likely had provision for storing it's own ice, either an ice hut or basement. Ice would be invaluable for cooling all sorts of perishables of course, not just for drinks. My mother's community would travel several miles in mid winter, to cut large blocks of ice from a small lake nearby, and store it. Naturally, ice stored in southern Ontario will probably melt slower due to the later spring than ice stored in Tennesse, but the weather in July and August reaches into the mid to high 80's, so it's not cool by any means.

As to whether an innkeeper would go into town to fetch ice, this is a cost/benefits problem. If there are enemy troops operating nearby, then probably not. If the guests that are expected would not be willing to absorb the monetary costs of the ice, then innkeeper would probably not be bothered. If the guests would be willing to absorb the costs, then the innkeeper would be more willing to make the journey. The ice would be transported in insultation, often sawdust.

If the idea is to chill the drinks, a non-ice solution would be to store the bottles is cold water, either from a well or from a stream. Watering the drinks with cold water may have a similar effect, but I'm not a bartender.

Perhaps another period bartending or cooking guide might offer alternate suggestions?

After typing all this out, it occured to me: Linda, you know more about rural period living than I do, forgive me, it's late here. If I've stated the blindingly obvious to you, I apologize.

Respectfully,

[LindaTrent]

Re: Need Adv-ICE

After typing all this out, it occured to me: Linda, you know more about rural period living than I do, forgive me, it's late here. If I've stated the blindingly obvious to you, I apologize.

Hey John, no need to apologize. I asked a question cause I didn't have an answer. :D You never know when you'll say something that'll give me a clue. I know that there was the Kentucky River and other bodies of water around Frankfort, but I don't know what there was around Peak's Mill. So, that was a good suggestion. And since my character's lived there for a while I should know what water sources are available.

The cost/benefit thing is something we've been toying with as well. What we have uncovered since my initial post (I also posted on the citizens' listserve) is that in the South during the blockade there is a lot of mention about the lack of ice. It seems like if there was a lack of ice it was mentioned as an oddity. SO, we're going to base our decision to have the block ice, on the fact that there isn't a lot of talk about a lack of the product. Has anyone seen any mention of the lack of ice in taverns (and similar places) in the Northern states during the summer months?

Currently we're starting to think about cold meals just in case the fire marshall decides to order no fires, including cooking fires! We'd put the block ice in the cellar and surround it with bags of sawdust, and we can put the cold food in there as well. I'm praying for a heavy rain!

Thanks for the info!

Linda.

[calico_outlaw]

Re: Need Adv-ICE

January 23, 1865
The Charleston Mercury
A thaw has come, just in
time to prevent the Government from filling its ice houses.

August 18, 1863
The New York Herald
The main cause of suffering among the troops is the absence of ice, and the
government and sanitary commissions should at once despatch
several cargoes of this refreshing luxury to our heroic
defenders, which would be prized very highly by them In refrence to the seige of Charleston

January 13, 1863
The Charleston Mercury
Ice is coming into town freely, and has been for weeks
past. The Government buys it at eight cents a pound or $4 a
bushel.

May 20, 1862
The Charleston Mercury
After a while refreshments were brought
in, among which the company were astonished by the appearance
of that rarest of articles - ice! CORINTH, Wednesday, May 7.

March 20, 1862
The Charleston Mercury
THE ICE QUESTION. - Several of our exchanges are, with great
propriety, suggesting that the limited supply of ice now in
the Confederate States be secures for the use of the
hospitals. This is a matter to which the foresight of the
military authorities should be directed. In a few weeks of the
summer season the various hotels, ice cream saloons, and soda
water fountains, would exhaust the present supply, and deprive
the poor suffering fevered soldier of this most indispensable
necessary. We are not aware of the quantity in Charleston,
but we have been informed that it is sequestrated property,
and belongs to the Confederate States. If so, it should be
reserved for the use of the hospitals.

April 26, 1861
THE CHARLESTON MERCURY
The city is being put under the strictest
regulations - police force increased largely, and armed with
muskets, the bar rooms and restaurants closed at ten o
every night, no provisions allowed to be sent out of the city,
and the sale of ice stopped, a monthsupply only left, and
that reserved for cases of sickness