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The historic Thorland Ice House was relocated in 1992 to Heritage Village in Sidney Township. – Submitted photo
SIDNEY TOWNSHIP – When the temperature climbs to the high 80’s, nothing cools a person off better than a nice glass of ice water. Many of us just grab a glass and head to the refrigerator/freezer, where that refreshing drink is only a push button away.
That was not the case for the early settlers of the area. A glass of ice water could be months in the making. Before there was electricity to the area, people would need to cut blocks of ice out of the frozen lakes in the winter. Then they would pack the blocks of ice in sawdust and store in an ice house until needed.
The historic Thorland Ice House at the railroad depot will be on display during the Montcalm Heritage Village Festival from July 31-Aug. 2. – Submitted photo
Montcalm County’s Heritage Village is home to the Thorland Ice House. According to the Ice House Story by Stanley Jorgensen from the Village Town Hall records, the ice house was built by brothers Stanley and Irvin Jorgensen while they were in high school (1923-1928). Their parents Christen Moggen (C.M.) Jorgensen and his wife Mattie owned the 160 acre farm on Fenwick Road. In addition to the ice house Stanley and Irvin made several wooden boats which they would rent out to people who wanted to fish or picnic on Loon Lake. The lake was part of their farm. In the winter they would cut blocks of ice from Loon Lake and store them in the ice house for use in the summer. This was the custom until electricity came through the area in 1935.
People living in towns would often own an icebox. Because they didn’t have their own lake to cut blocks from or an ice house to store the ice, they would purchase ice. The ice would be delivered to their homes so they could keep food cool in their iceboxes. There is an icebox display in the railroad depot at Heritage Village.
The Jorgensen farm was sold to the Thorlands in 1967. In 1992 the Thorlands donated the ice house to Heritage Village and it was moved to its present location behind the General Store.
During the Heritage Village Festival, July 31 through Aug. 2, stroll by the ice house and remember the effort it would take the early settlers for that refreshing glass of ice water.
