Syracuse Wawasee Historical Museum Hosts Visiting Ice Harvesting Display
By KAREN KELSHEIMER
Director, Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum
The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum is hosting a visiting display of ice harvesting equipment in March and April.
The display, courtesy of John Heckaman, features an ice plow and saw, used to cut channels and then blocks of ice from the lake, as well as several ice picks and tools used to move the cut blocks back to shore.
Ice was harvested here in Syracuse until at least the 1930s. It was used locally and also shipped by train as far away as Chicago.