Historians demonstrate ice harvesting

STURBRIDGE, Mass. (WWLP) - Visitors from Sturbridge Village got to see how our ancestors kept food on ice long before someone invented refrigeration.

Historians introduced families to the fine art of ice harvesting.

Long ago, ice harvesting was a big business.

People needed blocks of ice to keep their food from spoiling.

But those of us accustomed to letting the fridge do all the work, weren't impressed by this old fashioned method.

Chris Parker told 22News, “The amount of work involved just to get a cold drink back then, it's amazing. “

We're told that one New England ice harvester years ago got rich selling his blocks of ice to keep food from spoiling in the tropics.