Earl Townsend, Ice Harvester and Dealer
Earl
Townsend, Ice Harvester and Dealer was a Stoughton ice merchant in the days before refrigeration. Newspaper found in the walls of his garage
was dated 1876.
Born in 1875 and at age 5 is found living in Christiana with his parents, Daniel Webster and Ida Goodrich Townsend, and older brother Frank. (to read more about Frank Townsend see "The Popcorn Man" link below)
Iceboxes were commonly found in homes. Insulation such as tin and zinc lined these wooden ice boxes and the city ice men would deliver ice using a horse and carriage, filling the ice boxes with new ice. Shown below is a wooden ice box on display in the kitchen area of the museum.
1912 Stoughton Sanborn Map
Ice was stored in insulating material at the Ice House, sawdust and straw were commonly used in the 19th and early 20th century. The larger ice blocks had smaller surface area exposed to air so the slower it melts. Ice was delivered with horse and carriage before the day of gas engine vehicles.
To order a great photo of Townsend and son with horse and carriage see: Image: DSCF0680 and order at Woodland Studios -
Click to read about Frank Townsend, "The Popcorn Man"
