On Sunday, February 15, 2-4 PM, we will go out on Fields Pond and harvest a block of ice. This will be a first for the Curran Homestead Living History Farm and Museum, so it is intended to be informal and experiential rather than a formal historical re-enactment. Using authentic ice harvesting tools from our collection, and substitutions for those we don't presently have and seek for subsequent harvestings, we will cut and transport a block of ice up from Fields Pond to the Curran House kitchen where it will be placed in our vintage oak and zinc-lined ice box for the first time in many decades.
The Curran family once harvested ice from Fields Pond in Orrington, ME. Many Maine farmers similarly utilized what ice they had on their property for personal and commercial purposes. At the beginning of the 19th century, ice harvesting was the seventh largest industry in the US with New England exporting their renowned clear ice blocks to such exotic destinations as the Caribbean and India.
This is foremost a learning experience for us, and we hope it will be for you. Those who attend who have first-hand experiences with or information about ice-harvesting are welcome to share with us, for we will appreciate any such input. We will have a warming center in our Sugar Shack at the farm where hot cocoa will be served. Admission is free.
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