Here are recollections from two locals about ice cutting on Piper Pond. Titcomb's Store was located in Abbot. Thanks to Wayne Bennett for providing this information.
Cutting Ice for Titcomb's Store
The process of cutting ice actually started in the late fall when the hunters and tourists had returned home. The old ice and the sawdust which served as an insulting material was removed from the ice house and a smooth level surface remained on which to pile the new ice.
The next step in the process was to plow the snow off the ice field at Piper Pond where the ice was harvested. This initial plowing was followed by continuous plowing every time it snowed. This process allowed the ice to freeze and make it clear.
Sometime during the winter, usually between Christmas and New Years, the old Model A or T engine (I'm not sure which) with it's five foot circular blade was tuned up and made ready for the cutting process.
Usually in January or early February when the ice reached a thickness of 24 to 36 inches it was ready to cut. Cuts were made in long straight lines cutting nearly through the ice in both directions. The final separation was made with an ice chisel. The end result was a block of ice weighing 250-300 pounds.
The area where the ice was removed from the pond was sort of a trough arrangement where the flocks were forced to the end. At that point the ice had been cut on a slant to ease removal. Also two posts were placed in holes made by an auger and allowed to freeze in the ice giving the two people pulling the giant cubes something to hang onto. The blocks were pulled from the water with ice tongs and immediately taken to Titcomb's Store on large trucks with side boards
Several tiers or layers were place in the ice house. No sawdust separated the layers, but an area 12' TO 18' along the edges was left to be filled with sawdust. Once all the ice was in place it was covered by a thick layer of sawdust awaiting the summer customers, most of whom were fishermen, hunters, and camp owners from the surrounding area
During the summer months it was the young male employee’s duty to go to the ice house and prepare these large cakes for customer’s needs. A large saw similar to a large handsaw with broad teeth was used to saw nearly through the ice. The final "cut" was done with an ice chisel that snapped the ice to its proper size, 10# to 90#. These small blocks were washed with a hose to remove most of the sawdust and debris and were placed in a large insulated metal box similar to a giant ice chest until it was needed by the customers. The customer would pick the size he wanted. The block was removed from the chest and weighed and given a final washing. If memory serves me right 2 1/2 cents per pound was the price charged.
At various times the male employee went to the ice house to fill the chest. It was generally for one of two reasons. The first reason was that it allowed the employee a chance to get out of the store and remove his shirt allowing him to work on his tan to impress the young lady tourist. The second reason that one was sent to the ice house was that sometime in the previous few hours Mr. Titcomb had caught you standing around with your hands in your pockets - a definite NO NO-by his standards.
In the last years of the ice cutting process the demand for this type of service was no longer needed, but it still serves as a reminder of days gone by,
Submitted by Craig Bennett
HENRY RACE SENT THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT OF AN EARLIER ERA'S WAY TO HARVEST ICE.
I enjoyed reading the article on harvesting ice by Craig Bennett- It reminded me of when I was a boy about 10 or 12 years of age. My father, Victor Race, also harvested ice, but he did it the hard way. He had a crew of men, maybe 4 or 5 including my brother David. They would saw the ice by hand with ice saws. Some like the handle in the vertical position while others preferred it in the horizontal position. Either way it was hard work pushing that heavy saw down and pulling it back up. The men used to tell me there was another man down below pulling the saw down, but 1 didn't really believe them!
They had to cut a slot about a foot wide and chisel it all out to start the saw in. Then they would saw big cakes of ice. To pull the big cakes of ice out, they first had to chisel a notch in the ice at the edge of the hole. This was to put their foot in so as not to slip into the water. Then they would hook the tongs into the big cakes, bounce it up and down in the water, and on about the third bounce, they would pull it up and out. My father would haul the ice to the house with a team of horses and a sled made for hauling cordwood or pulp. He laid boards down the center of the sled so the ice wouldn't fall through. We lived just the other side of Piper Pond so it was a short haul. Since I was so young. I couldn't work on the pond so 1 had to help my father unload and pack the ice in the ice house. Then we would pack it with sawdust.
In the summer my father sold ice to the campers around Piper and Whetstone Ponds. He had an old car, I think it was a Willis Knight, and he would balance pieces of ice on the front and back bumpers and deliver to the camps. Back then a lot of the camps didn't have electricity so they used ice boxes. We also sold a little milk, eggs, and some butter that my mother would make. I still have the ice saw and tongs.