Ice Harvest in Tamworth, NH

Dear Diary,

A picture perfect day for the annual ice harvest at the Remick farm.  The farm's setting is like a Currier and Ives print with Mount Chocorua (3,478 feet) in the distance.  The whole town, in fact, is like a step back in time and I love visiting.  It is less than an hour from my house in Maine.

The first ice shipment from New England was in 1805 by Frederick Tudor of Boston.  He sent a load of ice to the West Indies to help fight and epidemic of yellow fever.  (You can see a collage of the ice cutting at the farm here.)  The ice is sawed into big cubes, lifted onto a ramp and then loaded on the ice sled pulled by oxen who bring it to the specially constructed ice house.  It is packed in sawdust.  There will be an ice cream social this summer here at the farm using this ice cut today.  The ice will last into the fall amazingly enough.

This year I will be traveling to various places in conjunction with my genealogical research to put what I've learned about my family into context.  My  third great grandfather was a sea captain sailing out of Portland, Maine in the early 1800's.  I don't think he carried ice, he more likely hauled sawdust to Boston for Tudor's ships.  Maine supplied most of the sawdust to pack the ice in.  He did, however, die of yellow fever in the West Indies in 1828 and was buried at sea.

ps.  Ollie returned yesterday late afternoon and sat on the seed table less than 2 feet from the back door!  He had his sharp eye on Rudy's bolt holes!  Now I will anxiously await to see if Rudy returns today!