Ice harvest and ice cream event ...

Several dozen people stood on the icy shore at the Village Creek State Boat Landing in Lansing Saturday, February 10 to watch river history re-enacted during the Lansing Ice Harvest, hosted by Allamakee County Conservation. Local residents demonstrated the process used from the beginning of the 1900s until the 1960s to harvest ice for local ice houses. The event was conducted by Gary and Karen Galema of Lansing, who own the ice saws and equipment.

“In Lansing, there was once up to seven different ice houses,” Naturalist Ross Geerdes of Allamakee County Conservation said. “Ice was usually harvested between Christmas and New Year’s, as that was a time when many men were laid off or home for the holidays and help was available. The ice would be layered in the ice house and each layer would be covered with sawdust to prevent melting. Homes had a paper sign they would put in the window to signal the ice delivery man that they needed ice, and he would cut off however much they needed.”

The last commercial ice harvest in Lansing was in 1965. “By this time, most homes and businesses had refrigeration and it was no longer needed,” Geerdes said. “Now the ice harvest is held every other year to honor past traditions.”

After the ice harvest, the Driftless Area Education and Visitors Center welcomed community members to make their own homemade ice cream (such as pictured at lower right). The ice cream event was hosted by Lisa Lien. “We had about 80 people who made ice cream Saturday,” Geerdes said. “It was an exciting way for people to see how ice cream may have been made for special occasions before we could drop down to the supermarket and pick up a quart.” Photos and information by Julie Berg-Raymond.