DID YOU KNOW:
- 2-inch thick ice will usually support the average man
- 4-inch thick ice will usually support a horse
- 5-inch thick ice is generally safe for a team of horses and a loaded ice wagon of 2 tons
- 18-inch thick ice will support a railway train
In 1806, Frederic Tudor shipped natural ice from Boston Harbor, Massachusetts to the Caribbean Island of Martinique.
In 1816, Frederic Tudor had the first ice house in Havana, Cuba built. The ice house held over 150 tons of ice.
In 1840, the icebox was invented for use inside the home. Shortly after that, New York City saw the establishment of regular delivery routes for natural ice.
In the 1870’s the USA saw the first ice plants begin producing artificial ice.
In 1911, General Electric made the first mechanical ice box
It wasn’t until the early 1930s that the usefulness of the “electric ice box” was realized when newly discovered Freon introduced as the refrigerant. Previous to Freon, other gases were inconvenient to use and sometimes even deadly if inhaled.