Icehouse | Principle of heat transfer Mid-winter storage Hot weather use |
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elcome to the tall grass prairie and enjoy your visit! Up the hill from the large three story stone mansion at Spring Hill Ranch is this small ice storage unit. Historical records indicate that Kansas was much colder in the 1800's and the nearby Cottonwood River would freeze solid in the winter. On the river was an ice factory where large blocks of ice were harvested and transported to the ice house for storage. Packed with straw or sawdust insulation, ice could remain frozen for many months, and would be used throughout the summer.
“One business that needlessly consumes millions of dollars of electrical energy is the production of ice. It used to be common practice to harvest ice from ponds and rivers, but with the advent of refrigeration and machinery this fell out of fashion. We should get back into the business, this time exploiting modern insulation and methods of moving materials.” - Steve Baer
