Biddeford History & Heritage Project

The ice harvesting flourished during the 1870s and 1880s. Ice harvesting began to expand as the demand for chilled food and drinks grew. Ice was the primary way of preserving food until freon refrigeration was created in the early 1900s. Prior to the Civil War and Reconstruction Era, ice was a luxury. Once citizens financially recovered from the hardship of the war, perishable items such as dairy and produce became more popular, which in turn required more preservation. Ice harvesting was not only a local, state or national trade, ice was shipped all over the world as far as South America, India and China.