Before World War I, Wisconsin’s frozen lakes supplied much of the nation’s ice, shipped by rail to cities like Chicago and as far away as Texas and Arizona. With its cold climate and abundant lakes, Wisconsin became a leading ice producer—fueling the growth of the brewing and meatpacking industries that relied on cold storage.

At its peak, Milwaukee’s breweries used over 335,000 tons of ice annually, and more than 100,000 tons were harvested from Madison’s lakes in a single winter. However, pollution and the rise of mechanical refrigeration brought the industry’s decline by the 1920s.

Read the full article on our website: Ice Harvesting in Wisconsin