Thompson Ice House Preservation Corp. President Ken Lincoln gives directions from the seat of a tractor while his grandson Sam, 5, looks on during the annual ice harvest in South Bristol on Sunday, Feb. 15. (Jessica Rivers photo)
“Did you see the fish?” onlookers murmured excitedly along the edge of newly cut pond ice. As one chunk of ice was being pushed into the narrow canal leading to the building it would be stored in until summer, it was discovered that a poor fish had been caught as its home froze this winter – thrilling the children using antique tools to move the ice along.
Local volunteers and visitors from near and far gathered at the Thompson Ice House in South Bristol the morning of Sunday, Feb. 15 to continue the tradition of cutting ice from the pond the traditional way. After such a cold winter so far, which allowed the ice to grow to a thickness of 16 inches and the ice blocks to weigh over 400 pounds apiece, the sunny 30-degree weather was welcoming.
“It will hold everybody up,” Ken Lincoln said of the thick ice, watching the dozens of people carefully navigating the frozen pond and using hand saws to cut ice blocks.
Lincoln, president of the Thompson Ice House Preservation Corp., has been involved with the ice house since 1970. Since then, crowds have continued to grow on harvest day, with an estimated 1,000 people visiting the historic site Feb. 15. So many people attended this year that the fire department ended up arriving to direct traffic.
This year marks the 200th year since Asa Thompson created the pond and started harvesting ice for his farm, which then turned into a business. According to the ice house’s website, Thompson Pond ice was sought after by local fishermen to transport their shellfish to market. Local residents, yachtsmen, and summer residents used the ice in their ice boxes and to make ice cream.
Recognized by the National Historic Register in 1974, the Thompson Ice House is believed to be the only commercial ice house on the register to continue to store naturally harvested ice from a nearby pond in the traditional way.
Five generations of the Thompson family and two private contractors ran the ice business until 1985. In 1987, the ice house, property, pond, and dam were donated to the Thompson Ice House Preservation Corp. to be preserved and operated as a museum. On display for the anniversary was a 1926 Ford T ice saw from the Owls Head Transportation Museum.
“It is a working museum that people can get a hands-on experience. The attendance just seems to keep growing. We have had and do have a dedicated board of directors and volunteers that help year after year,” Lincoln said.
Christian Shaw-Prasch, whose 6-year-old son Calder was using a large stick to help move ice blocks down the canal toward the ice house, said that his family has been attending the annual ice harvest for 14 years. While they primarily live in Portland, they spend summers at their home on Seal Cove.
“We never miss this,” he said. “It’s just a piece of heritage, a piece of history.”
While most were participating by using antique tools to harvest ice the way it was done 200 years ago, others were following another tradition – documenting it.
Mark Hymbaugh, of Bristol, was lining up shots of the ice being cut with his 4×5 film camera, a Graflex Crown Graphic from the 1950s.
“I thought it would be perfect for this,” he said of choosing the vintage camera to document the day’s historic activities.
“It was an amazing harvest. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful winter day,” Lincoln said afterward. “I would like to thank all who attended the harvest and purchased food and merchandise. The harvest is one of two events held each year and financially supports our efforts.”
By the end of the day, there were four tiers of ice stacked in the ice house, being insulated for later use by sawdust within a 10 inch wall cavity.
“It really brings the greater community together for an outside event that kind of feels like we have made it through another winter,” Lincoln said.
The ice that was harvested this winter will be used to make sweet treats for the annual ice cream social, which will be held on Sunday, July 5 from noon to 3 p.m.
For more information about the Thompson Ice House Museum, go to thompsonicehouse.com.
(Jessica Rivers is a freelance journalist based in Newcastle. To reach her, email jessicalillianpicard@gmail.com.)
