SRHS
Steamboat Rock Historical Society
TRAILS BECOME ROADS
THE ICE BUSINESS
At the turn of the century the ice business was still an important business, but as the century progressed it too would be erased from the scene.
Henry Potgeter operated the ice business from 1900 until 1916. He furnished ice locally ant to the railroad for shipment.
In 1900 Henry Potgeter took over the ice business from the railroad. and operated it until 1916.
The harvesting of ice was a big industry for a few months each winter and continued to be so for many years. After Potgeter acquired the business he continued to furnish ice to the railroad company who loaded it into cars and shipped it to their ice houses in Oskaloosa, Marshalltown, Monmouth, Illinois, and other terminal points where the railroad company’s refrigerator cars were “Iced” all summer long.
Thomas and Phillip Ruppelt purchased the ice business from Henry Potgeter in 1916. They continued the business in much the same way as Potgeter had, providing ice to the railroad. By this time the railroad was the M & St. L. Mr.’s Ruppelt also provided ice to towns like Ackley and Wellsburg where there were no ice facilities.