Ice Houses History 1900-1909

1900 - The Biological Survey Map depicts an ice house closer to the Outlet; than the one on South Street and at the end of Jefferson street.

1900 - Jan 30 - Maxinkucke Ice Company new firm organized ?Maxinkuckee Lake Ice.Co?

/ 1900 - feb 1 - The- ice on Lake Maxinkuckee is said to be eight inches thick and is getting still thicker, with prospects of; being ton to twelve Jnches thick by tomorrow.

1900 - Mar 12 - Maxinkuckee Lake Ice Co. - artifical ice.

1900 - may 25 - The Maxiukuckee Ice Co. is shipjpg three car loads of ice per day to Cincinnatti, Ohio, - Culver herald

1900 - Aug 17 - Hundreds of car loads of ice have been shipped from Culver already this season. This shows that Maxinkuekee . Lake ice is in great demand.

1901 - feb 19 - ICE IS SCARCE

And Price. Will be High in Many Indiana Cities

... are confronted with a serious problem. But very little ice was cut during the winter, and it is hardly likely that the weather will he cold enough before spring to freeze ice of sufficient thickness for cutting. At least two-thirds of the Ice to he supplied during the summer, it is thought, will have to be furnished by the artificial plants. This problem means an increase in rates. Sterling R. Holt, the big ice dealer of Indianapolis, who also operates the Maxinkuckee Ice Company in this city, .... At Lake Maxinkuckee I cut about two-thirds of a crop. The ice men in that part of the state had to contend with snow, and when the ice had frozen to a thickness of about six inches the snow fell so heavily that the crop was ruined... The cost of harvesting my Maxinkuckee crop was much greater than usual owing to the increased expense of continually removing the snow.

1901 - Dec 27 - The Maxinukuckee Ice Company commenced putting up ice Monday. During the past week, it has been very cold, but Sunday there was a decided change in the weather, and the few inches of snow has about disappeared

1902 Jul 1 29 - Indianapolis Ice War Now In Preparation

Maxinkuckee Lake Company Threatening One

For Revenge on the Pool

The Pool Has Been FIghting the Lake Ice Company in Logansort - its Tactics
pittman_john_roland.htm John Pittman, of Terre Haute, president of the Maxinkuckee Lake Ice Company, threatens to open business on a larger scale Indianapolis, it the Indianapolis ice pool does not cease fighting his ice in Logansport

A Caylor, who is handling Maxinkuckee ice in Indianapolis says a reperesentative of the pool offered to sell him ice at a very low figure if he would quit handling Maxinkuckee ice. Caylor says he refused and is preparing to handle Maxinkuckee ice on a larger scale than ever

Today he says the Caylor Ice Company will be incorporated whith $10,000 captial stock, for the purpose of increasing business. The directors are: A Caylor, L. A. Caylor. and W. R. Cooper. Mr. Pitman is in Indianapolis helping to plan a war on the ice pool. The pool shipped wagons, drivers and ice into Logansport and is not hadling ice at 10 and 12 cents a hundred, to the exculsion of the two or three local dealers, who are being driven out of the business ny the competition, Mr. Pitman says

Ont of the first hostile acts of the pool in the ice fight, so Mr. Pitman says, was the erection of a hugh sign at its cars in Logansport heralding the fact that the Indianspolis dealers would undersell the local people on ice in any quanity. They are getting th business too. Mr. Pitman says, and the persons b enefited by the fight berween dealers are the customers who can now have ice in plenty at a reasonably low price.

Same Tactics in This City

The manager of the Caylor Ice Company is using the same tactics in Indianapolis, and he also erected a sign on South Alabama street which tells that that his firm is the only one in town selling Maxinkuckee Lake Ice, and that this ice is the only ice in the state not controlled by a pool.

"How the Indianapolis ice pool can ship its ice to Logansport paying a freight rate of 90 cents to the ton, sell it for ten and 12 cents a hundred, with theadded expense of maintaining wagons and equipment there, and make money, I can not understand", said Mr. Pitman.

"Here in Indianapolis these ice people always very charitable to the publicin hot weather, can not afford, so they say, to sell ice at less than 17 cents a hundred

"I understand that the members of the ice pool include all of the ice men in the city with the exception of the kingan Packing Company, Caylor and anumber of small dealers, who but there ice from the Kingam people.

If the pool wants to fight me in Loganspot, I may take a notion to transfer all of my wagons to Indianapolis and sell ice here cheaper that it does in this big field, and let it undersell all of the little fellow in Logansport as long as it likes."

Pittman bought the interest of Sterling R. Holt in the Maxinkuckee company. Holt is now said to be the head of the Indianapolis ice pool. -- Indianapolis News

1903 - Jan 14 - The Maxinkuckee Ice Company have commenced operations. The ice is about 10 inches thick and of the very best Quality A large gang of men are at work and everything is being rushed On schedule time

1903 - Jan 30 = Ice May Be Cheap

Maxinkuckee Ice Co., Independent, is to Come into Local Field

With Professor Blythe's cold wave comes the cheering word that ice may be cheaper next summer.

The Maxinkuckee Ice Company is to plaay the part of the city's benefactor.

Terre Haute is the scene of the plans for ice relief. Doesn't it make you cold?

John Pitman, president of the Maxinkuckee company, has ordered three Ice wagons from Bernd Brothers of this city. These wagons, however, will not make much of an impression on the ice business of Indianapolis, and it is supposed that the company has other wagons in view.

The company entered the Indianapolis field last summer and fought the Indianapolis ice pool. It solf its ice through Edward A. Caylor. Later the pool absorbed the Caylor business.

THe Maxinkuckee company will now do its own reail business in the city, and after the first of April will have both a retail and a wholesale department in operation.

When the company entered this field last summer the local pool began selling the Maxinkuckee company's territory.

The independents, however, after a hard fight in which ice was practically given away, was out, and the pool abandoned the field.

The Maxinkuckee company will also enter the Anderson and Muncie markets this summer. - -Indianapolis News

1903 - 18 June - The ice company has just completed a new 34’ X 34’ barn and large shed on the ice house grounds…

1903 Jun 27 - Ice War At Terre Haute
The Price Has Dropped from Forty to Rwent-five cents

(Special to the Indianapolis News)
Terre Haute, Ind., June 27 - An ice rate was has begun in Terre Gaute and prices for domestic consumption have been reduced from 40 to 24 cents a hundred with promise of further reduction.

For several years the retail ice business has been practically under one control that of Crawford Fairbanks, the Brewer. The Maxinkuckee Lake Ice Company was supposed to be independent of his artifical ice business, but this spring it became known thath the Maxinkuckee company was only a figurehead company. A new retail ice company has entered the field and the olf companies have begun the war of price. - Indianapolis News


1903 - Jan 29 - Ice on Lake Maxinkuckee is a foot thick. - Weekly Republican, Plymouth Indiana

1903 - 24 December - The Culver Citizen


The Maxinkuckee Ice Company began work on the ice Tuesday. It is reported that very fine ice having an average of 9 inches is being cut. This is one of the permanent industries of our town and has been successully conducted for the past twenty years.

There are but few men living here that have not worked on the ice at some time in the past. We see that each year there is a slight shrinkage in the amount put up, but hope that the old fashioned ice the kind our mother used to use and the kind that requires zero weather to mature will not be displaced by that new fangled kind that is made to order in a stew pot and at any time of the year.


1904 - Jan 7 - Mr. S. E. Medbourn reports that all the ice houses will be filled this week. There is an abundance of good ice and it is to be regretted that the market for natural ice doed not justify the erection of ore buildings.

1904 - Feb - 25 - The ice on Lake Maxinkuckee has an average thickness of 24 inches and is of the finest quality Mr. D. G. Walter put up second crop ice having a thickness of 17 inches. There will be no scarcity in ice here the coming summer as every available space has been filled

1904 - Thus by this time - by the way the lease reads Holts sold the Ice company property to the Terre Haute and Logansport Railway Company. This is the Ice house at the area refered to as "The Hole" - A two page lease for the privilege of occupying and using the existing ICE HOUSE.. ,together with the necessary machinery for properly handling and loading ice, cut from Lake Maxinkuckee,and which is to be shipped over the railroad. The lease from the Terre Haute and Logansport Railway Company to the Maxinkuckee Lake Ice Company is dated May 25,1904 and signed by W. B. Hollingsworth as President of the ice company.

1905 - Jan 19 - The Maxinkuckee Ice Company is running full force and is putting up ice that is from 12 to 14 inches thick.

1905 - Jan 26 - The Maxinkuckee Ice Company has about one hundred men on their pay roll - - The Maxinkuckee Ice Company is shipping five hundred car loads of ice to East St. Louis

1905 - Feb 2 - Tho Ice Company is loading from 10 to 50 cars of ice each day

1905 - feb 15 - Great Crop of Ice.
Yield on Lake Maxinkuckee is Immense

South Bend Takes Much

One Hundred Men Engaged in Cutting, Storing and Shipping - But Slight Impression Made on Vast Field of Crystal Product

(The Tribunes Special Service)
Culver, Ind. Feb. 15 - During the winter months when the cold weather makes ice on the beautiful lake Maxinkuckee many scenes are enacted in storing the crystal product for use the following summer.

This season has been no exception.

The long period of cold weather has made much ice and as a result employment is given to many men that those who can afford to buy ice next summer may have it.

A recent dispatchin the Tribune from Culver said 40 cars of ice were being shippied daily andit is good ice. While forty cars may not be shipped every day of the ice cutting season that shipment is by no means improbable.

If onestandson the Vandalia railroad tracks and watchesthe crystal cakes being hoistedto the overhead shute and sees them run thence in a steady stream of frozen water into the cars, one begins to relize the importance of the Maxinkuckee ice buisness.

Looking out on the lake of ice, from 75 to 100 meen are seen scraping, marking, plowing, sawing, pushing and barring the massive cakes.

South Bend Company Owns it.

The South Bend Ice Company bought this flourishing business last year of S. E. Medbourn, who had built it up in partnership with John Pittman.

Mr. Pittmand died last winter and the property was sold for about $20,000. The business included the grounds, large ice houses full of ice, engine and other machinery and a valuable retail business in Logansport, Ind.

The South Bend company takes out anout 1,200 car loads of ice each winter and ships to its houses in South Bend. From 300 to 500 more cars are shipped to different points, among them Franfort, Ind., where the railway companies keep their ice for the refrigerator cars on the various roads.

It is rumored that a St. Louis, Mo.company speaking for 1,000 cars this saeason. With all this army of workers only a little spot is made on the beautiful lake, leaving boundless opportunity for the extension of this important business.

The ice this winter is thicker than for many years, running from 16 to 20 inches.

A. J. Litzenberger runs a 24-horse-power-engine which lifts the ice from the clear waters of the lake into the high sluice ways from which it is turned at will into the cars standing on the Vandalia sidetracks,or into the great storage houses. George Davis is foreman and E. C. Hank seves as time keeper.

Harvesting the Ice.

First the snow is scraped off the ice with a two-horse scrapper; then two men with ont horse mark off the ice to the width of the cakes. After the marker comes the plow drawnby one horse. This is a plow with a big saw for a share and moldboard and with it they cut the ice to a depth of eight inches. The sawyers to follow cutting off large sections five cakes wide and 60 cakes long. Thes sections are floated own to the elevated shute.

There men with iron bars break the big sections into squares at the places cut by the plow, 22 by 22 inches; this is called barring: the ice.

An elevator like that on an old fashioned threshing machine, only lager, carries the ice up from the water. Then those sparkling cakes which glisten like diamonds in the bright winter's sun are stored away for the South Bend Ice trust and the people and so much per hundred pounds.

South Bend ought not to be held up for ice next summer if Lake Maxinkuckee can help out. The yield there is immese. It is only a question of being able to harvest it and of having places for storage. - - South Bend Tridbune (Indiana)


1905- Feb 16 - The ice on Lake Maxinkuckee is now 24 inches thick and clear as crystal - Culver Citizen

1905 - Feb 16 - The ice on Lake Maxinkuckee is now 24 inches thick and clear as a crystal - - The ice houses are practically all filled with the finest and clearest ice harvested for years. - - The Maxinkuckee Ice Company has shipped this season, 440 carloads of ice to Indianapolis and other points south

1905 - Feb 16 - Ice from 20 to 24 inches thick is being shipped from Lake Maxinkuckee to Indianapolis at the rate of forty car loads a day - Monticello Herlad (Indiana)

1905 - Feb 17 - Shipping the Lake in Chuncks - Forty carloads if ice are being shipped daily from Lake Maxinkuckee to Indianapolis and other points. The ice is exceptionally fine and from 18 to 24 inches thick - Idaville Observer (Indiana)

1905 - ice left the lake, March 26. Earlier on February 20, it was reported that the 24-inch thick ice was best ever harvested.
1905 - December, - By Corwins "One Township Yesterday's" Some People had their own private ice houses. Daniel Walter had one, and built an addition to it during this month. He also had the Walter's meat market.



1906 - Listed as the Maxinkuckee Lake Ice Co. on the 1906 Sanborn map, this is the one located in what is or was referred to as "the hole". And the labeling reads: "3/4 mile S. E. of P.O."; P.O. = Post office and it seems to the the centralized area of measurement for distance of all buildingson them map.



The Ice house that was between jefferson Street and Madison was yet to be built accordoing to this map.




By the 1906 Sanborn Map there is an unknown ice house on Lake Street just north of Washington Street with a livery stable/barn. By 1914 Sanborn Map the building is labeled was as Vacum Cleaner Mf'g



1906 - Jan 5 - ICE AT MAXINKUCKEE. Culver Citizen: "The ice on the lake is at present an uncertain quanity and rather treacherous... - Logansport Daily Pharos

1906 - Feb. 7 - Reports come from Maxinkuckee this morning that the thermometer stood at 7 degrees below zero at 5 o'clock this morning and that the ice on Lake Maxinkuckee is six inches thick. - Logansport Daily Pharos

1906 - Feb. 9 - Fine Ice At Maxinkuckee
Local Men Begin Big Harvest - Heavy Demand for Product

J. H. Reamer and W. M. Hollingsworth, owners of the Maxinkuckee Ice company, have commences filling thier vast ice houses located at Culver, Ind. on Maxinkuckee lake, with the finest quality of eight and one-half ince ice ever harvested.

It is so clear and transparent the pebbles and sane on the bottomw of the lake can be seen through the ice.

As the season for ice cutting is so far advanced and the shortahe of the ice crop all over the country so general, and in view of the fact that the company has large contracts for their thousands of tone to be shipped direct from the lakr to enable it to get its immense ice house filled the Maxinkuckee company expects to work day and night - South Bend Tribune (Indiana)


1906 - 16 Feb - The fear of an ice famine at Lake Maxinkuckee has vanished. All the local houses are filled with nine inch ice, of good quality. The Maxinkuekee Ice company has harvested a good crop and their houses are pretty well filled - Logansport Daily Pharos



1906 Mar 29 - Maxinkuckee Lake Ice. Co. QC d to Stepehen A. D. Harry, w hf of se q of and se q of sw q sec 18-32-1 $1; as shown for Maxinkuckee Ice in 1898



3 Apr 1906 Maybe An Ice famine... The failure of the natural ice crop at. Lake Maxinkuckee... - Logansport Daily Pharos

1906 - April 9-14, 1906 the following ad ranin the Logansport Daily Pharos:

PRICES FOR ICE

Season of 1906

On and after April 10, 1906, the price
of ice will be: Butcher, 20 cent per 100
lbs saloons grocers and restaurants,
25 cent per 100 lbs., private families, 40 cent;
per 100 Ibs. cash on receipt of book or
15¢ per 100 Ibs on credit.

Maxinkuckee Lake Ice Co, Chris. Jeannejette,

Logansport Ice and Cold Storage Co

and the full story appeared on 10, April 1906 in the Logansport Daily Pharos.

1906 - Jun 21 - The Maxinkuckee Ice company will build new ice houses thes season to take the place of those burned. The greater portion of the ice stock has been saved and is being covered to protect it from the weather. It is all under contract, most of it to the Vandalia road, and will be shipped out as fast as possible - - citizen

1906 - Aug 2 - BUYS ICE COMPANY - The Logansport Ice and Cold Storage company has bought out the local business of the Maxinkuckee Ice company and from now on they will supply the old patronage of the Maxinkuckee company in this city. Charles Wedekin and Miss Bertha Parks who have been employed by the Maxinkuckee people will continue - with the new company. - Logansport Daily Pharos

S. E. Medbourn will again engage in the ice business in Culver. Material has been ordered for a building 140x120, 40 feet high, to be located a short distance south of grain elevator. The plant will cost $11,000. Ice will be flotated from the lake through a canal under the railroad track. - - Rochester Sentinel, Friday, December 14, 1906

another describes the 'canal' as: a water-way that ran under the railroad tracks and to the ice house - with all of the "rollers and hooks" to get the ice into the Ice House."

'Sam' Samuel Medbourn ran the ice house and the mill. Medbourn's employees were charlie Bushm Ed Hawk, foster Butler, Kenneth Bush and Bill Crossgove and sometime Leo Butler. Della mary was the secretary.

1906 - Nov 29 - Ice Men Rebuild

The MaxinkuckeeIce Co. to Replace Their Culver Houses At Once

Jacob Reamer of the Lake Maxinkuckee Ice. Co. of South Bend was in town Saturday accompanied by a builder looking over the site of the ice houses with a view to rebuilding.

Mr. Reamer says the work will begin in time to get the houses completed by January. and that the structures will be of the dimmensions as those destroyed by fire last May - - Citizen / Dec 6,1906 Argos Reflector (Indiana)

1907 - Jan 3 - Another Ice House - The Lake Maxinkuckee Ice Co. have ordered the lumber for rebuilding their ice houses and as soon as it arrives will put 25 men to work - Citizen

1907 - Feb 16 - The Medbourn ice house was filled on Monday and the entire force is hustling to fill the long string of cars that is hauled in every morning. On Tuesday 34 cars were loaded and sent out, and on yesterday 40 were filled. Medbourn has an open order for 50 cars a day as long as the ice lasts. - - Rochester Sentinel (Indiana)

1907 - Feb - South Bend Tribune:

CULVER, Ind. -- The ice houses at Lake Maxinkuckee will be filled with an enormous crop; already thousands of tons have been harvested. The Maxinkuckee Lake Ice company, whose principal owners are Messrs. Hollingsworth and Reamer, of South Bend, are rushing to completion their plant that was destroyed by fire last June.

The building will have a total capacity of nearly 25,000 tons. There are three other companies with a capacity of about 15,000 tons.

Instead of elevators that formerly ran over the tracks, the Vandalia company has cut channels under its tracks, through which the ice cakes are rolled.

1907 - Forty thousand tons of Ice was harvested from the lake this year. - October 12, Lake nearly covered with ice

Culver Citizen. - The Medbourn ice house was filled on Monday and the entire force is hustling to fill the long string of cars that is hauled in every morning. On Tuesday 34 cars were loaded and sent out, and on yesterday 40 were filled. Medbourn has an open order for 50 cars a day as long as the ice lasts. - - Rochester Sentinel, Saturday, February 16, 1907

< near the outlet

"the Hole"

The 1908 plat map indicates that there were 2 ice houses on the south end within a few feet of each other and both are labeled "S. E. Medbourn" on the south end of town.

this shows the location of these two ice houses to each other.

and also several blocks to the north the 3rd Ice house was built in 1908 also existed and was located at East Jefferson Street between Madison Street.

This location was between East Jefferson St. and Marmont Street - it was just west of and to the south of where the Farm Bureau Co-op stood till it burnt in 1978 and where the Culver Cove is today.

Samuel E. Medbourn also picked this area because of the swampy area and because of the drainage ditch that ran to the lake under the railroad; this gave him the idea to move the ice from the lake through it under the railroad rather than over it as was being done and movement of the ice from shore to ice houses had to be halted before the arrival of a train and the tracks cleared of all ice, men and equipment. He used this drainage ditch as a channel for moving the ice from the lake to shore; the ice industry prospered under Medbourn and he was soon able to buy out Holt and he had the channel here cemented and channels were built at the other ice houses.

1908 - It is said that the ice gangs were paid off in gold this year

1908 - Jan 23 - Howard Puts Up Ice - G. R. Howard on Monday complested the job of filling his 250-ton house with 9-inch ice from little Lake. He is the first to do any cutting this season. Last year on the 30th of January, Medbourm, Walter and the Vandalia began putting up 7-inch ice.

1908 - Jan 24 - The ice on Lake Maxinkuckee is now about six inches thich and the Maxinkuckee Ice company expects to commence cutting ice as soon as it is 8 inches thick. This company has a contract with a railroad company to furnish several hundred tons of ice not less than 8 inches thick - South Bend Tribune

1908 - Jan 30 - Cutting some Ice

Both Ice Companies Have Large Forces at Work Filling th Big Houses

On Monday Medbourn commenced work on the ice field with 65 men and there will be no rest, weather permitting, until the 12,000-ton house is filled.

Shd the ice hold out immediate shipping orders will also be filled and Medbourn has commenced to build another 3,500-ton room to his house.

The ice is 8 to 9 inches thick.

The Maxinkuckee Lake Ice compnay put on a large force Tuesday mornign filling its 20,000-ton house.

Walter has 20 men at work on Little lake and will get his hous filled this week.

1908 - Jan 31 - Cutting Fince Ice.

Repositories At Lake Maxinkuckee Being Filled...

SIxty-five men are employes on Lake Maxinkuckee for the Maxinkuckee Lake Ice Company of this city., harvesting good clear ice, nine inches thick...

The ice harvest this year commenced about three weeks earlier than last year. - Note Aricle on several Ice companies - South Bend Tribune

Twenty-six cars of ice from Culver were handled through Logansport over the Vandalia Saturday night about 12 o'clock enroute to Frankfort. The train was double headed out of there. This is the first large shipment of ice since last winter. - - Rochester Sentinel, Tuesday, February 4, 1908

1908 - Feb 6 - Ice Harvest

It has Progressed Under Favorable Conditions Until Rain

The Med bourn gand is averaging about 1350 tons a day.

The three rooms of the house are full, and a good start has been made on the new rooms which is under construction.

Three of four days more will complete the work and the loading og cars will be taken up.

The Maxinkuckee Lake Ice company is putting up about 1,800 tons per day and loading the most of it into cars. SOmewhere between thirty and forty cars are being shipped daily. As opportunity permits ice is also being run into the houses.

The rain yesterday stopped work except with the scraping gang which will keep the ice in shape to begin cutting as soon as the rain is over. - Citizen

The Medbourn ice gang is averaging about 1350 tons a day. The three rooms of the house are full, and a good start has been made on the ew room which is under construction. Three or four days more will complete the work and the loading of cars will be taken up. - -Rochester Sentinel, Friday, February 7, 1908

1908 - Mar 5 - The Maxkinkuckee Lake Ice company was working up to Saturday though the weather at times compelled a temporary suspension. Over 600 car loads have been shipped out and as much more put into the house, four of the six houses being full. - Citizen

1908 - Mar 19 - Waiting for Their Wages

More than 100 men who put in several weeks of haard labor on the ice for the Maxinkuckee Lake Ice company are still waiting for their pay and feeling pretty sore

The checks estimated to reach upwards of $3,000, were made out by Supt. Hawk ten days ago, and it was understoond by the men that a representatiove of the company would be here last week to pay off, but up to date Messrs Reamer and Hollingsworth have not made good - Citizen

1908 - May 21 - Ferrier Buys Ice Plant

The Maxinkuckee Lake Ice Co., Remer & Hollingsworth of South Bend proprietors, sold its property in Culver Thursday to J. O. Ferrier of this place for $24,000.

The transfer carries with it the large six-room house, erected a year ago, 11,000 tons of ice and six acres of land.

In part consideration Mr. Ferrier turns in his Lakeville Lumber yard at $12,000 and five lots in the Assembly addition for $1,000 and releases a judgement he held against the compant.

It is made a condition of the deal that the labor and mechandise accounts held by Culver parties to the amount of $2,200 against the company be paid.

This feature of the transaction is very gratifing and Mr. Ferrier should receive the interests of his fellow townsmen.

The property which passess into the hands of Mr. Ferrier is valuable and he has secured it at a bargin.

E. C. Hawk, the office superintendent will be retained in the active management of the plant.

The deal was negotiated by D. B. Seeoey of the real eastate form of Seeley & Meredith and is regarded as a clever piece of work as a number of transfers on both sides were necessary. - Citzen

1908 - June 11 - The Maxinkuckee Ice Co. will liquidate its long-standing payroll on Saturday at Ferrrier's office - Citizen

1908 - June 23 - The date had not been exactly known until new articles were found on it - a cylcone hit Culver and tore the big ice house into shreads - as evidence by the pictures below. Sections of the roof were carried out into the lake, winds reached 70 mph.

An this is found in the 'One Township Yesteryear's - Corwin:

Hollingsworth & Reamer were owners of ice houses that were burned in June, 1906, Clark Ferrier tells us. These were rebuilt, however, in 1906-07.

In the spring of '08, in May, to be exact, Ferrier traded his lumber yard at Lakeville for the ice houses at Lake Maxinkuckee.

Then along came a cyclone in June and blew them down. There was a tower-like elevator at one end of the ice houses. Clark Ferrier was in there, when a terrific wind came suddenly from the west-by-southwest. Several boats were on the lake. The occupants scarcely had a chance to act be­fore the blow was upon them.

Then came a dash for the nearest shore, and they all got in, although same just made it and that's all. They were just in the nick of time Some were hoisted up the wall at the ice house.

While this was going on, the big frame structure was rent asunder. Then pandemonium was let loose. Boards and timbers went flying lakeward. The front wall fell over on the railroad tracks as the roof and other parts of the building flew across and into the lake, which became strewn with the wreckage.

The railroad tracks were impassable until such a time as they could be cleared. The lake had been whipped into an angry sea, and nothing could have rode out the storm less than a steamboat.

It was all so sudden. And what a wild time was had by all while it lasted!

This storm destroyed the roof of the Holt-Medbourn Ice House near the outlet; David Burns stated that the wind storm put the roof of the ice house into the lake. From other events that occurred around the lake referring to "storm damage" {But this had to be by stories he had heard as a child and young adult as they did not arrive in Culver until 1915}



and also this account was found in Lake Maxinkuckee: Physical and Biological Survey 1919):

A pretty severe wind storm occured early in the summer of 1908 and blew down the large ice houses on the west side of the lake. The appears to have been an unusually strong wind; none of the dwelling houses in the immediate vicinity, however, was injured and the destruction of the ice houses was due to their being empty at the time and offering much surface and little resistance to the wind.

1908 -24 June - Logansport Pharos Tribune is found:

LOCAL PEOPLE ESCAPE WIND STORM NORTH OF HERE

Logansport people, and their, property at Culver escaped injury during, the fierce wind storm which swept north of this city yesterday afternoon, according to word received by local Vandalia officials this morning.

At the south end of the lake the damage was the worst.

Two of the large ice houses were destroyed and one was unroofed. The roof taken from one of the ice houses carried down the Vandalia wires and landed on the main tracks, blocking traffic for about two hours.

The only damage done to cottages as learned by the Vanclalia officers was the tearing off of a roof of the house owned by Indianapolis people.

A number of limbs were twisted off trees, but the damage in that respect was not great. The most, peculiar thing, done by the wind was the cutting of a deep furrough clear across, the lake, throwing the waves high on each side.

The wind traveled from west to east. This morning the Panhandle had resumed, wire operations with Chicago, but a large gang of linemen were kept at work resetting the mile of poles and restringng, the wires which were blown down a distance of about a mile this side of Star City. A portion of Royal Center felt the edge of the storm; There was a considerable increase in the velicity of the wind here yesterday afternoon and the mercury dropped more then 20 degrees by evening.

Possibly this storm at Culver was the second to strike there within a month.

1908 - Jul 2 - Maxinkuckee Lake Lake Co. to J. O. Ferrier & Son part of n 1/2 frnl 21-32-1 also part of s 1/2 frnl 21-32-1 $24,000 - citizen

Just when a branch was estbalished in Logansport has not been detereminded - but some information has been found on one of the early managers, Charles Frederick Wedekind, turned part owner and a photo of the building.

One of the conveyor systems is pictured below:



the stacking and filling inside the ice houses:



The conveyor system was also used to load the railroad cars with ice for shipping out.

It is said one of these conveyor systems weighed several thousand of tons and consisted of iron links that was 1,200 foot long that was held up by oak four by fours at intervals and was powerd by a steam engine. David Burns told that if the blocks of ice stopped along the way it was a tremendous job to get them moving again since they weighed over 100 pounds apeice.

1909 - Jan 7 The first ice for the season of 1909 was cut by Medbourn on Monday from Little Lake when one load of 5-inch ice was taken out for the academy.

1909 - January 14 - Ice Harvest is Now Under Under Way

Medbourn commenced cutting ice yesterday morning, just fourteen days earlier than last year.

Seventy men are running in 7 3/4 cakes at the rate of 98 a minute, which shows that everything is working nicely.

Up to last night five layers had been put into the houses. The houses will hold 10,000 tons. When the houses are full work will continue as long as weather and ice conditions are favorable, the product going into cars for shipment. The men are paid 15 cents an hour.

The big houses of the Maxinkuckee Lake Ice Co. (Ferrier & Son Co.) will open their doors today to receive the first of the stream of crystal blocks which will flow into them during the next twelve or fifteen days.

One hundred men are on the job. Mr. Ferrier says the cise is now of unusually fine quality, being not only clear and solid but full frost which gives it superior chilling qualities.

As there is a big market for ice, the Ferrier will have use for their men after th houses are full in loading cars

Walter also begins cutting this morning for the local trade with a gang of 12 or 15 men and teams.

He will cut over 5-- tons

1909 - Jan 19 - On at Maxinkuckee

Another heavy ice harrvest is the Maxinkuckee Ice company, which is expects to store aay in its six ices houses about 24,000 tone.

Fully 25,000 more will be harvested for the railroad companies.

THe Maxinkuckee company figures that with about 100 men at work it will take at least three weeks to complete its harvest. Here six to eight will be used - South Bend Tribune

1909 Jan 21- The Ice Harvest

The ice houses will be nearly filled by Staurday night.


Ferrier will continue next week piling up the ice in the two rooms wrecked by wind last spring, and will build up as the ice goes in

Next week Medbourn will start loading cars, and if the weather holds good will ship about 500 cars.

The ice is now 9 inches thich, and while not increasing in thickness it is not losing any.

The Vandalia was a gang of eight men here who began yesterday to fill the Lake View hotel's ice house. This will take nearly a week.


Walter has fill his house and in now hauling to Burr Oak.

1909 - January 28 –Ice Harvest

Ice cutting came to a sudden termination last Friday. The heavy rain of the night before and the spring temperature were too much for Jack Frost.

Ferrier stopped with three houses nearly full, the ice going in frm the top runway at the time. The other three shouses are empty, but all need the repair work necessary to restore them from the effects of the wind last spring and the walls are ready for the roof which will be put on after they have been filled.

Medborn has two rooms full and half of the third

Walter filed his large house and half of the the smaller one.

Work will be resumed on as exxtensive scale as ever if another crop forms, and as much again will be cut as has been harvester up to the present time.

1909 - Feb 17 - Fair Quality Icer Being Harvested

...The Maxinkucke company which cuts at Maxinkuckee lake near CUlver, Ind. may start tomorrow...

Officers of the Maxinkuckee company received word from Culver yesterday that the lake had frozen to dfepth of four inches. If it freezes two inches deeper, cutting will commence.

The Maxinkuckee company is in need ofo 36,000 tons to fill its four storrage houses. About 5,000 tons have been already harvested.

Note: article on several ice companies - SOuth Bend Tribune

1909, Feb. 18 -

Ice Men Hopeful - With the ice 6 inches thich the themoteter at zero the ice men werer yesterday beginning to feel a little less lik kncking the cat.


Ferrier and Medbourn flooded large fields in fron of their houses, and if given a chence by the weather factory will be busy mighty sudden.

1909 Feb 25 - Belated Ice Harvest

A gang of men under I washburn, Vandalia section forman, began cutting 5 inch ice on Little lake last Sunday for the Lake View hotel's ice house which holds upward of 300 ton.

Peter Spangler commenced last Thursday with a force of about 16 and Monday mormning had fille his East side house with 6 ichn cie of good quality.

1909 – Ice Harvest began December 27th.

1909 - Dec 30 - Another Ice Plant - James Barnes, the Logan sport contracto, last week bought the three acres on Little Lake of James Green for $350, with a view of erecting an ice house and engaging in the business of shipping ice.



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