Coolbaugh Township Historical Association

Ice Harvest 2015

The 2015 Tobyhanna Millpond #1 Ice Harvest was a success! It was pretty cold on Saturday, January 31, with temperatures of 0° at 8 a.m. and a high of only 14° and a strong wind in the afternoon.

There was a good turnout of hardy spectators and 21st century harvesters, and we managed to put up 35 tons of 14½-inch thick ice cakes in the icehouse.

Workers in the ice field had to contend with a strong wind, but the 1919 Gifford Wood Ice Saw started every time after a lot of cranking. Workers in the icehouse had to muscle around 220 pound ice cakes, but they managed to get 5 layers stacked into the icehouse.

Charm and Percy, the Belgian horses, pulled three or four cakes at a time up the ramp with no problem. We put a layer
of straw on top of the ice, so there should be plenty of ice for summer picnics.

NOTE: The 2016 ice harvest will be held on Saturday, January 30.

Photos courtesy W.T. Grumbine