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The miscellaneous and uncategorized blogs about things happening in Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area communities.

Cutting ice at Seeley Lake.

Keeping Cool: Ice Harvesting on the Poudre

By Historic Stories, Stories, Uncategorized

By Heidi Fuhrman, Heritage Interpreter

The ice harvest commenced this week in Fort Collins. Giddings is cutting in the river just northeast of town and finds the ice about one foot thick and of fine quality.

Fort Collins Express, December 31, 1887

When you think of historic industry along the Poudre you might envision farm fields stretching across the horizon, or the towering smokestacks of the Sugar Beet factories in Fort Collins, Windsor, and Greeley, turning beets into white sugar during the early 1900s. While you may know the water of the Poudre past was key to ag industries, you may not realize that the water supported another key industry—ice.

Today, ice is a simple reality. It fills bags in gas stations and pours from dispensers, chances are it comes out the front of your refrigerator (or fills a tray in your freezer, unless, like me, you prefer to save that space for ice cream). In modern Colorado ice isn’t even considered a luxury, it just is.

In the decades before electric refrigeration, however, ice was a key ingredient of food storage and safety. The “icebox,” an early form of refrigerator, was invented in 1802, and by the end of the 1800s nearly every home in America had this early “appliance.” Unlike your modern refrigerator which uses electricity, an ice box, to maintain a cool temperature, required … well … ice (a continuous supply).

Cutting ice on the North Fork of the Poudre below Fisk House, Livermore. Fisk house just visible behind barn, center of photo. Buildings on right side of the barn are the turkey house and the shop. c1925 “Archive at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery [H11378]”

Imagine a world where a freezer doesn’t exist. Three seasons of the year, it’s impossible to create the ice your ice box relies on. This means a year’s supply of ice blocks must be harvested in one season—winter— when it naturally forms on bodies of water.

Several wagon loads of saw dust went through here last week, headed for Windsor. That means the Windsor farmers are getting ready to put up ice, for this is the month of the ice harvest. Ice hands seem to be scarce at $2,50 per day.

Larimer County Independent, January 6, 1904

You may be more familiar with the process of ice harvesting than you realize. Have you ever seen Disney’s movie “Frozen”? The opening scene depicts a historically accurate ice harvest! (Go on, look it up now, I’ll wait). Here along the Poudre, ice was usually harvested in January or February when ice on the river and reservoirs was thickest, historically from 10-15 inches.

Ice harvests on the Poudre River began as early as the 1870s, when communities like Greeley and Fort Collins were established. In the 1800s it was more common for farmers to cut their own supply. The ice harvest was often a community event, requiring multiple men to man the ice plows, saws, pikes, and tongs required in a harvesting operation. Most farms had their own ice houses where large blocks of ice were stored between layers of sawdust or hay to keep melting at minimum.

Cutting ice at Seeley Lake. 1880 “[C1_1975.48.0026] City of Greeley Museums”

While farmers continued to cut their own ice for many decades, a few ice storage and distribution companies did form, including J.F. Vandewark’s in Fort Collins and Windsor Lake Supply company in Windsor. These companies often hired local men, a way for farmers to make extra cash during the quieter winter months. These companies, which also often sold and delivered hay and coal, had large ice houses located in the downtown district. Throughout the year, they would cut large blocks in storage into smaller 25–100-pound blocks that were distributed by ice wagon to local homes. Each ice block would generally last 1-4 days, depending on the outside temperature. Homeowners would indicate they needed a new block by placing an ice sign in their window with the appropriate number of pounds needed at the top.

J.F. Vandewark finished up his ice harvest in good time and now has over 2,000 tons of the crystals stored away for next summer’s use.” Feb 13, 1907

Windsor is unique in that the larger portion of the ice harvested off Windsor Lake (then Lake Hollister) was shipped to Denver. As early as 1883, Windsor Lake Supply Company were filling 1,000-ton contracts. This ice was cut and shipped to Denver where it was sold to cool train shipments during warmer months. In the 1890s, this industry had grown so large that the Union Pacific Railroad added a track near the edge of the lake to simplify loading. A portion of ice was also stored at the Windsor icehouse which sat adjacent to the edge of Windsor Lake.

This industry, as you might imagine, was heavily weather dependent. Warmer than expected Januarys could, and did, ruin ice harvests, most notably in 1906.

Ice harvest for Windsor Ice Company on Windsor Lake. “Image Courtesy of the Town of Windsor Museums.”

The icemen are beginning to feel a little shaky over the prospects of a good ice harvest. The mercury has ranged from about 15-60 above every day this month and the ice that forms at night melts during the day.

Larimer County Independent, January 16, 1902

J.F. Vandewark has finished his ice harvest, as he thinks, though his ice houses are only about two-thirds full. The last cutting, finished a few days ago, was only ten inches thick and he does not expect another one. The quality of the ice is also rather inferior, owing to moss, etc., and another year he will try flooding.

Fort Collins Express, February 24, 1904

Ice harvests were reported in every community down the Poudre from Laporte to Greeley for decades. The last reported ice harvests were conducted in the 1930s as the electric refrigerator replaced the ice box in local homes.

Vandewark’s “Riverside Ice & Storage Co.” building which sat at 222 Laporte Ave in Fort Collins was deconstructed in the mid-2000s (you can watch a video tour of it here).  Windsor’s Ice Storage building is also long gone. However, Greeley’s still stands at 1120 6th Ave and is on the State Register of Historic Places.

James F. Vandewark started his natural ice and transfer business in 1890. It expanded and in 1902 he built an artificial ice plant on Riverside Drive. He sold the site to the Union Pacific Railroad in 1910 and in 1911 built a new plant at 222 Laporte Avenue which he operated as the Riverside Ice & Storage Co., Fort Collins, Colorado. Mr. Vandewark was born in 1870 and died in 1963 at the age of 93. “Archive at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery [H04566]”

The Riverside Ice and Storage Company and Risco Gas Station, 222 Laporte, Fort Collins, Colorado. “Archive at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery [H08091]”

And the next time you visit Centennial Village in Greeley, the Avery House in Fort Collins, or the Windsor History Museum, keep your eyes open. You might just spot an ice sign in a window or an ice box inside a kitchen or porch. Nods to a bygone era along the Poudre.

Intern Highlight: Kelli Lane

By News, Uncategorized

This fall the Cache NHA hosted Kelli Lane, a current undergraduate student at Colorado State University in an internship funded by the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH).

Kelli’s work is part of a larger project funded by NEH to support our region’s historians, researchers, and interpreters in better understanding and telling historically under-told stories of the Cache NHA.

During her internship, Kelli has been combing through archives within the Cache NHA to understand what historic records have already been preserved on the stories of our regions Hispanic, Latino, and Mexican American families, individuals, and businesses.

This work will be compiled into a “Regional Guide on Hispanic & Latino Collections in the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area.” Once complete, the document will help researchers and interpreters understand what primary source material exists in our region’s archives and where to find it. It will also help archivists understand what gaps exist in collections to ensure the valuable stories of all the Poudre’s people are preserved. The research will also help inform future interpretive projects and partnerships through the Cache NHA as we work to amplify these historically under-told stories.

Q&A with Kelli Lane

Q: What is your favorite story you’ve uncovered?
A: So far, my favorite stories have been about beet farmers forming their own baseball league. They would carve out a spot in the already harvested fields, nail down rubber for home plate, the bases, and the pitcher’s mound. Their families would then come watch them play on Sundays with food and music and they would make a day of it.

Q: What are you studying at CSU? And what are your plans after graduation?
A: I am studying International Studies and History, both with a concentration in Latin America. I have no set plans after graduation, but I would love to do work with migrants in some fashion.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about Colorado?
A: My favorite thing about Colorado is that there is always something to do. I have lived here my whole life, and I haven’t even made a dent in all the things I could do in Colorado.

Funding Opportunities with Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area

By Uncategorized

Each year the Cache NHA provides funding to local and regional partners in support of projects, programs, and events that benefit the community and further the mission of Cache NHA to promote a variety of historical and cultural opportunities, engage people in the river corridor, and inspire learning, preservation, and stewardship. There are multiple funding opportunities available including Heritage Area Events Grants, Community Projects Grants, and Pass Through and Collaborative Funding Opportunities.

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Eastman Park River Experience | Paddling

6 Ways to Play It Safe on the Poudre River

By Uncategorized

The sun is out, and the water is calling. However, it is important to remember one of our most beloved places to recreate in the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage area is still a force of nature. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the Cache la Poudre River in Fort Collins was flowing at a discharge rate (the volume of water moving down the river per unit of time) of 627 ft3/s as of May 29, 2024, at 1 o’clock in the afternoon. An hour earlier the flow rate was down to 197 ft3/s. This constant fluctuation is one of the major reasons it is so important to be prepared when recreating on the river.

Remember to have fun and Play it Safe on the Poudre!

1. Wear proper safety equipment.

  1. Use proper flotation devices
    1. Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs), or life jackets, can be purchased at local places within the heritage area. Find suggestions for places to shop under resources. Life vests will be provided at all whitewater rafting locations.
  2. Wear shoes
    1. Proper shoes provide foot protection and traction. When entering and exiting the river, the rocks on the riverbed will be slippery and potentially sharp. Sturdy shoes will also protect your feet from various hazards such as rocks, sharp objects, and debris.
  3. Wear a helmet
    1. If you do fall into the water, a helmet will protect your melon.
  4. Don’t tie anything to yourself or your tube
    1. Why? If you flip, it could get caught between the rocks on the riverbed. It could also get caught on a passing tree branch and flip the tube.

2. Is it safe to go?

  1. Know the weather and water conditions
    1. Check the water conditions using the RMA Poudre Rock Report linked below.
  2. This water is melted snow – it’s ALWAYS cold!
  3. Avoid logs, branches, rocks and debris

3. Know where you are.

  1. Take a map. Maps can be found at the physical locations listed below or you can download a digital version.
  2. Plan your take-out location before you get in so you don’t get stuck without an exit strategy.

4. Float Sober, Float Safe

  1. Alcohol and drugs impair judgement

5. Be Courteous

  1. Pack it in; pack it out
  2. Share the river
  3. If you flip, be aware that you may be on private property when you make it to shore.
    1. Note: The Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area does not own nor manage land within the heritage area. This means that if you flip and get to shore, you may end up on private property. Remember to always know where you are and respect the landowner’s property.

6. What if you flip?

  1. Don’t stand up in the river; avoid foot entrapment.
  2. Float on your back with your feet pointing downstream and toes out of the water.
  3. Take a whistle and a drybag.
  4. Use your arms to paddle to shore.

Information provided by the U.S. Geological Survey is provisional and subject to revision. Images provided by photographer Terry Walsh and the Town of Windsor.