Leo,

There is a short article with photos titled "Sandusky's Natural Ice Industry" by Elliott Mortensen and Rebecca Mancuso, Northwest Ohio History, 81(1) (Fall 2013):53-59. The Wagner Ice and Coal Company operated from 1897 through 1910 cutting ice cakes in Lake Erie, transporting it to the ice house in Sandusky, Ohio and processing it for transport by train to various markets. No archaeology, unfortunately.

Pat Tucker, RPA
Firelands Archaeological Research Center
Amherst, Ohio

-----Original Message-----
>From: Leo Demski <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Nov 3, 2014 4:28 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Icehouse/ice harvesting literature?
>
>Hey everyone-  I'm working on a literature review regarding icehouses and the western US ice harvesting industry of the middle 1800s- early 1900s.  There's quite a bit of historical data available, as well as several historian analyses of various aspects of the ice industry, but the amount of archaeological literature I've been able to find has been slim. Can anyone recommend any reports or articles?  I'm particularly interested in the larger industrial landscape of ice harvesting, but any aspect of ice use, harvesting tools, storage, icehouses or related structures, "ties" to railroads, associated architectural design, industrial technology, etc from any geographic location would be welcome. 
>
>The few North American sources I've found include an article by Jerry Hilliard about an icehouse in Arkansas and Pierre Beaudet's description of the Quebec ice industry as detailed in Under the Boardwalk in Québec
>City.  I have seen icehouse excavation mentioned in passing in other sources (including Deetz' Flowerdew Hundred), but it appears mostly to emphasize reuse as large trash pits, rather than focus on their original use as ice storage areas.
>
>Any suggestions, thoughts or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
>
>Thanks and best wishes,
>-Leo Demski
>MA student
>University of Nevada, Reno
> 
>
>
>  
>
>