1. The Origins of America’s Ice Trade
The American ice trade was born in early 19th-century New England, where visionaries like Frederic Tudor saw opportunity in harvesting winter lake ice for export. Their efforts soon fueled a nationwide appetite for coolness, especially as pioneers settled in the arid West. Tudor’s daring ventures and the rapid spread of ice shipping laid the foundation for an industry that would touch nearly every corner of the continent. For more on Tudor’s story, see Smithsonian Magazine.
