Kewaunee County Ice: It Wasn't Just for Winter

 

“Be careful. It’s icy out there.” “I’m sick of being inside. When’s the bay ice gonna be thick enough for fishing?” That’s January 2023, though nobody will think of January ice as they get the ice cubes for lemonade, iced tea, or to surround a bowl of potato salad at a picnic in July. Things were far different in 1923 when ice was harvested and important in food preservation. In the 1850s, it was mostly Kewaunee County breweries and saloons that called for ice.

Kewaunee Enterprize* was in its infancy on December 14, 1859, when it told readers to get their icehouse ready. Just as a summer job was getting the woodpile ready to provide winter warmth, within a few years, winter’s job was cutting ice to be stored for summer food preservation.

Summer ice was not a luxury. It was a necessity, and the Enterprize made sure readership knew how to build and properly care for an icehouse by reprinting an article from Wisconsin Journal. In constructing such a house, the Enterprize said, was to keep the ice surrounded by some non- heat conducting substance. Ventilation was important, as was draining for melting water. As long as those things were kept in mind, there were many styles that would work.

The Enterprize told readers that a cheap icehouse for home use would take thick planks to construct a base of about 8 feet square and 8 or 10 feet high. The structure needed to be built in well drained place that was protected from sun. Blocks and sawdust were required to cover the ground to a depth of 1 foot and a plank floor was necessary on top. Readers were told to pack the ice in the middle, leaving a space of about a foot all around, and then to fill that space with saw dust. Next, the ice had to be covered with sawdust and followed by a roof high enough for a window on each side to provide ventilation. When there was an access to the ice, the work was done. If sawdust was not available, plenty of straw worked.

Readership was advised to cut the ice as square as possible using a cross-cut saw. Fine pieces of ice were to be packed between the blocks. Waste not, want not. Anybody planning to do all that work needed to remember that early ice was the best. It was cleaner and clearer.

Wikipedia says ice harvesting got tis start in New England in the early 1800s and by the late 1880s, ice was the 2nd largest U.S. export. Cotton was Number 1. By the 1860s, New England ice was shipped around the country and around the world. Ice transformed the U.S. meat and produce industries.

Ice harvesting in Kewaunee County appears to have started with breweries and saloons which had their own icehouses. Bay or pond ice was hauled by sled to the saloon sheds which were essentially boards fitted between poles and easily removed as the ice was used. Telesphore Marchant was operating his brewery by 1858 and one of the first to harvest ice on Wisconsin's peninsula. Patrons wanted ice to cool their beer and, for Charles, it was no problem as he could get ice easily from the bay. The Ahnapee Brewery stood on the riverbank making its harvest easy for all the years of its life.

Icehouse, upper left, Sanborne Fire Map,
1909

January 1899 was lively on the Ahnapee River. Frank Graessel, the Algoma Vandyke Brewing Co. agent, joined the saloon keepers and butchers when his crew of men and teams put up Vandyke’s ice. In such a banner ice harvesting year, in addition to the Vandyke work, Graessel also had contracts for filling small ice-houses throughout the city with the crystal-clear, 18” thick ice.  

Sturgeon Bay lacks for neither water nor ice, so it was surprising when Sturgeon Bay Brewery Co. harvested ice on the Ahnapee River in 1899, a time when the company sent men and teams to put up 150 cords in the vicinity of Hagemeister’s beer station. They stored another 500 cords at the brewery on the bay. Alaska Lake was another busy place, and that’s where F. Toebe harvested his ice though had to haul it 6 miles to Rio Creek.

Breweries and saloons continued to harvest ice for well into the 1900s. Joseph Cayemburg built a new icehouse for the genial Charles Ruebens at his popular Rosiere saloon in April 1908. In early 1914, saloon keepers in the Champion area were hard at work, but the following year, harvesting was big on the Poh pond in Forestville. Louis Jarchow was harvesting, but for his cheese factories, not beer.

Not all the ice was used for saloons and breweries.

Ahnapee's Boalt and  Stebbins and John McDonald were still harvesting ice during the first week of February 1880. The old hay press building was filled before the Judge and Big Steb turned to the west side of C.H. Sabin’s warehouse. E. Decker & Co.  put up an immense quantity of ice, expecting to cut and pack about 3,000 cords, some of which was piled up on the side of Sabin’s warehouse. Ahnapee Brewery Co. stored ice near the brewery after their ice house was filled. Brummer’s mill pond was skimmed before the companies worked on Hall’s pond. Ice business was booming. The February 6, 1885, Ahnapee Record reported jobber John McDonald’s large crew was going “full blast” filling all the ice houses in the city with superior quality ice nearly 28” thick.

It seemed as if most years both Ahnapee/Algoma and Kewaunee had good ice harvests. The papers mentioned the good quality, blue ice, 18-24” thick, which was often easier to harvest because of the lack of deep snow, and in early 1880, the Enterprise said “hardly ever” was there such an abundance of such fine quality ice. But there were exceptions. In late February 1890, the fears of ice scarcity in Chicago and other large cities were abating. Going from shortages to so much ice reversed supply, leading to an overstock. Northern Wisconsin was sending 400 ton into Chicago daily. More ice came from Iowa prompting one Ahnapee jobber to say delivered ice was going for $1.25 a ton, which was the best price he could get in a non-profitable year.

Northeast Wisconsin had a variety of places to secure good ice, including the bay of Green Bay. Hall’s mill pond in Ahnapee offered excellent quality ice when Henry Schmiling had his crew of thirteen men and five teams working in January 1887. Early in January that year,  the Record reminded harvesters about safety and the law regarding ice: “Any person who shall remove ice, or cause its removal from any stream, pond or lake, sand shall neglect to place around the margin of the opening made by such removal, such guard, or fence as will be a sufficient caution, warning or protection to all persons coming near the same, shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail not more than six months, or by fine not exceeding one hundred dollars.” As it was, in 1899 Hugo Perlewitz was playing on the ice and nearly drowned. Parents advised to caution kids from going to the river. The river was  often too dangerous with insecure ice and Hugo was not the only near miss.

The ice business continued up and down the Ahnapee River. January 1900 saw Forestville’s ice harvest going strong with both Stoneman & Sloan and the Creamery ice houses filled. Martin Schmitz' icehouse was nearly filled when Bernard Awe’s crew and teams were ready to start work. Louis Trottman was the big iceman in Kewaunee where he put up 500 cords or more in a given year. Trottman delivered ice. Henry Schmiling took advantage of the telephone at Wilbur & Kwapil’s drug store and told citizens to call #24-2. Very few townsfolk had the new-fangled thing so it is doubtful many ordered by telephone. Hall’s mill pond was becoming referred to as the trout stream when the best crop of clear ice “ever” came from there. Farmers and merchants from adjoining towns were harvesting a “store of ice” so it is possible trout ice was a notch above mill ice!

The produce business mushroomed when in February 1899 the Deckers spearheaded improvements to the Ahnapee & Western Railroad. They built a 25’ x 50’ icehouse set on pilings, near the round house in the A & W yard in Sturgeon Bay near the bay shore.  The Record predicted more business if Deckers built the railroad south to Two Rivers while telling residents of southern Kewaunee Co. to be aware of such an expansion. As soon as the Sturgeon Bay ice house was completed, it was filled with ice to supply refrigerator cars loaded in Sturgeon Bay and shipped during the berry season. A month later, Sturgeon Bay Fruit Growers put up 100 cords of ice for the shipping season to come.

From the amount of ice put up in January 1899, the Record said Algoma intended to give summer visitors a cool time during the hot months. Suggesting it was time for one of the enterprising citizens to think of putting up a cold storage building, the paper said it was needed if the city was to continue having the best markets in this part of the state for dairy products.

V.G. Pfeil had took the paper’s suggestion. It was reported in February 1902 that he purchased Lot 5 on South Water Street** from the Ahnapee Dock Co. When Pfeil’s building was completed, he accomplished something Algoma needed for a long time. The cold storage building was planned to serve Algoma and surrounding areas. Fruit shippers never had a fruit storage place and Pfeil’s building was a guaranteed success.

Within 20 years, ice boxes were part of many American homes. The wooden boxes were lead or zinc lined and filled with a block of ice, brought by the icemen who were among the most popular men in town. Ice lasted about a day, and in a time when floors were wood, black spots on the wood floors told callers how well the woman of the house kept order.

The ice harvests went on, however conveyors and trucks made the job a somewhat easier. Jobbers were injured in the harvest, however there was some humor too. Kewaunee’s Joseph Houdek found a 400 pound cake of ice on his barbershop after he jokingly said he’d trade ice for a shave. Local iceman Joseph Selner had gone for a shave in February 1935, however when he came to pay, he did not have money with him.  In jest, Houdek said he’d take the ice and an hour later, Selner parked his truck in front of the shop. Houdek scratched off the bill, but then needed to find someone to take it before it melted on the floor.

As late as March 1949, a Trottman & Selner Co. truck went through the river ice during harvesting. Damage was minor but the truck had to be pulled to the opposite side of the river, where it was shallower, and pulled out. That wasn't the only company whose truck plunged, but it happened as the ice business was wanning.

Refrigerators and freezers took over as communities began thinking of water quality, pollution, sewerage treatment and run-off.

* The Enterprize existed to 1865 when its name was changed to Enterprise.

** South Water Street wentfrom 4th eats where it intersected with the bottom of Steele St. Those few blocks are now the easter end of Navarino St.

Sources: Ahnapee Record, Algoma Press, Algoma Record, Algoma Record Herald, Commercial Development of Algoma Wisconsin, Vol. 1, Kewaunee Enterprise.

Graphics: Icehouse and Sanborne Map from Commercial Development of Algoma, Wisconsin, Vol 1; Selner Trottman photo from Kewaunee Enterprise.

Algoma and World War ll Rationing: Bay Leaves, Baby Formula, and Eggs, 2023

 

Failing to find bay leaves on grocery shelves is not the worst. The lack of baby formula is. In 2020, the U.S. saw huge toilet paper shortages and shortages of bleach, vinegar, sanitation products and more. Such purchases were limited to one of an item if a store had them. Shortages remain, but unless one is looking for bay leaves or needs baby formula, who’d know what should be on the empty shelves?

There were shortages at other times in U.S. history, but most were during wartime when citizens pulled together to make sure the troops had the best of what they needed. Among the best during the Civil War turned out to be moldy meats and flour with weevils. When World War l saw severe shortages in kerosene, the government admonished citizens to take care of lamps, lanterns, stoves and heaters to get the most from a gallon. The government stressed cleaning the equipment which was not to be used a minute more than necessary. Civil War households depended on themselves, but  as the country grew and changed, World War l housewives learned to make do with limited sugar and to make meatless and wheatless meals. There were coffee substitutes.

World War ll interfered with trade and when there were no silk stockings, creative women used eyebrow pencils to draw lines down the legs thus simulating stocking seams, but shortages of silk stockings was the least of the things folks dealt with.

Eighty years ago, World War ll was in full swing. As in World War l, just over a mere 20 years earlier, food, clothing, blankets, and more were needed for the troops. But, in the 1940s, there was rationing that was controlled. To be sure, though, there was a black market.

With the advent of World War ll, U.S. Office of Price Administration (OPA) began rationing certain foods and started with sugar in May 1942. By November, coffee, meat, canned fish, canned milk, cheese, and butter were added to the list. There was more. Shoes. Gasoline. Farm implements. Tires. The list grew.

When ration books were distributed, purchasing scarce items was supposed to be a little fairer since each person – even babies - received a book that listed the name and age, height, weight and physical description. The complicated system depended on ration stamps, coupons, certificates, and a point system that changed

Ration book stamps covered certain needs at specific times, however the items had to be available. At the beginning of the month, every person had 48 blue points and 64 red points, so, together, a family of four had 192 blue points for processed food and 256 red points for dairy products, fish, and meat. Stamps expired and each month brought new stamps. In September 1943, red stamps X and Y were valid for meat until October 2  while Z became valid on September 5 and remained valid through October 2. If a consumer wanted processed foods, blue stamps R, S, and T were to expire on September 20, 1943, while U, V and W were good and would not expire until October 20. Instructions were noted on each book.

How did consumers keep it straight? If folks bought newspapers, that helped as the following examples from September 1943 Algoma Record Heralds indicate.

The paper told readership about gasoline when it said that in “17 states of the eastern shortage area” A-6 coupons were valid, but outside that area A-7 coupons were valid through September 21. All coupons were endorsed and included the driver’s license number and the state of registration. Occupants of oil heated homes were urged to return their applications to the ration boards and place orders with dealers for summer fill-ups. Stamp No. 14 was good for 5 pounds of sugar through October, although numbers 15 and 16 were good for 5 pounds each for home canning. If housewives needed more, they needed to apply to the ration board using the form at the left found at Katch's, Ahrndt's, Farmers Co-op Co. and Horak's in Algoma. Stamp 18 allowed the purchase of one pair of shoes during October.

Certain kinds of rubber boots that had been used in farming were no longer manufactured thus released from rationing. How would anybody know? One only had to look. Released were all olive drab, clay or khaki colored rubber boots, and lightweight, ankle-fitting rubber boots that depended on stretching to fit. Quantities were small because merchants did not have complete stocks.

The paper went on to advise truck owners having tire certificates but not able to find the tires to apply at the nearest Motor Transport District Office of the Office of Defense Transportation, which appears to have been run by Wisconsin’s new State Patrol, which also saw to it that drivers conserved rubber by not exceeding 40 miles an hour.

The Defense Transportation Office was to forward the notice of inability to buy proper tires to the Office of the Rubber Director who was to attempt to properly redistribute tires so that the certificates would be honored. The issue was most significant when truck operators were unable to get critically needed tires necessary to keep up the supply chain of vital war freight.

One wishing to buy a stove found it was necessary to get a certificate at the local war price and rationing boards. When the U.S. had 37,000 air and liquid-cooled internal combustion 20-horsepower engines, they were controlled by the county farm rationing committees. Farmers or operators of farm machinery for hire could apply for a certificate based on the need for engines essential in crop and livestock production.

Planning and keeping dates in mind were nearly fulltime activities.

The September 3, 1943 Record Herald cautioned those planning to travel by train over Labor Day to know they would probably have to stand in the aisles because trains were so heavily loaded. The same paper told farmers they had to estimate their incomes by September 15 and pay-as-you-go. Single persons earning over $2,700 and married persons earning more than $3,500 would also need to file declarations as did anybody making at least $100 in sources other than wages.

At the same time, the paper said hog cholera serum was being made in record-breaking quantities. The U.S. was raising “vast” numbers of hogs. To encourage farmers to cure and store the bumper crop of sweet potatoes, there was a price support of $1.50 per bushel for No. 1 cured potatoes, properly packed in crates, bushels and baskets.

On September 10, the Record Herald told its readers that Ration Book 3 would become valid on the 12^th. Stamp A was good for 16 points through October 2. Brown stamps were valid on successive Sundays and expired on the Saturday closest to the end of the month. They were used for meats, fats, oils, and all commodities rationed with red stamps in Ration Book 2. Small stamps with pictures of guns, tanks and ships were not in use. Folks were told that if they had not received Book 3, they should apply to the local ration board.

Hay loaders, side delivery rakes and manure spreaders were put under OPA price controls, even if such machinery was sold by farmers or auctioneers. Maximum prices were based on 85% of cost when the item was new, if the item was less than a year old, or 70% of the item’s price if the equipment was over a year old.

Rationing made planning Christmas gifts difficult, however the Army Postal Service felt at least ten million packages would be sent overseas and wanted the packages sent between September 15 and October 15. The public was asked to securely wrap the packages, but to wrap in such a way that they were easily inspected before mailing. Edgar Nell of the ration distribution office in Algoma announced to parents of service men and women that in the event their sons and daughters got leaves, they were to ask for necessary ration papers at their camp. The form required signing by the applicant and the camp officer. Those failing to get the forms at camp had to jump through a few more hoops having to travel to the Green Bay Naval Recruiting Office and then take the signed documents to the ration board office.

Just when folks had Book 3 figured out, the government introduced Ration Book 4. The new book was said to contain more definite information and would last 96 weeks, or approximately 2 years. The book was worth more than gold! It combined point and unit stamps containing 384 stamps printed on safety paper in blue, red, green, and black inks. The green stamps were to be used on an interim basis in place of the processed food blue stamps in the way that brown stamps in Ration Book 3 wee being used for meat fats.

Something new were the 96-unit stamps printed in black. Seventy-two of the stamps were printed with “spare” in case additional ration currency was needed. Twelve of the stamps said “sugar” and another twelve were designated for coffee, which was no longer rationed. That being the case, the OPA said the coffee stamps could be used as additional spare stamps.

Rules governed stamp usage and woe be to the person who did not carefully care for the family ration books. When purchases were made, the stamp needed to be detached from the book in the presence of the merchant, his employee, or the person making deliveries for the storekeeper. If a stamp was torn out before being verified by watchful eyes, it was void. If it were partly torn or mutilated, it would be valid if at least half remained attached in the book.

Even those hospitalized adhered to the rules. If anyone entering a hospital, or any other institution, expected to stay beyond 10 days, the ration book was to be turned over to the one in charge. The book would be returned by request upon leaving the facility.

Not everything was rationed because of supply. Eggs were a victim of circumstances. It was obvious that if there was not enough grain for people, there would not be enough to feed animals. Because of the shortage of grain to feed chicken, millions of hens were killed and sold as food. Eggs were rationed by design, which allowed one egg per person per week, however pregnant women and vegetarians were allowed two eggs.

Most rationing ended at the close of World War ll, however sugar was rationed until June 1947 while meat was the last rationed item in 1954. Those who are old enough remember eating Spam in the 1940s and 1950s. Spam was the only meat never rationed. Maybe that’s why Spam got a bad rap, but it is back.

CNN Business said World War ll was “decisive” in Spam’s growth. Being canned, it did not need refrigeration and could be eaten “on the run.” Sometimes it was the only protein source available. Spam was associated with the war and rationing, prompting many to say they’d never eat it again, however the product has made a comeback and is even found in upscale restaurants. It is back for some of the same reasons it flourished 80 years ago: it is available, versatile and affordable.  Baby formular is not.

Surces: Algoma Record Herald, CNN Business accessed online., Wikipedia. Rations books are from the Blogger's collection.