January 28, 2007

9:00am-3:00pm
NEPCO Lake
Part of Port Edward Lions Club FISHEREE.

The sale of ice was the 3rd U.S. export during the late part of 1800s. Cotton and grain were the two leading exports. Wisconsin ice was shipped to Milwaukee for the brewing of beer, to Chicago to cool meat slaughtered in the slaughter houses, and all the way to South and New Orleans where it used to cool drinks during the hot humid days of Summer.

The ice was packed in sawdust, something Wisconsin had a lot of, to preserve it. Good ice would last well into the summer. If enough was harvested, until next Winter.

Each year Historic Point Basse harvests ice to cool drinks and make ice cream at its summer events. The ice is then packed in sawdust in an ice house at the site.