By Daniel R. Murphy, Museum Board Member
Before the 1850s there was no method available to artificially create ice as refrigeration systems had not yet been created. Ice had to be natural, occurring on rivers and lakes when temperatures went low enough. Because of the very mild winters in the Willamette valley there was no natural ice available in commercial quantities.
Beginning in the mid-19th century experimentation with various methods to create artificial ice ensued. Air compression systems were the first to produce significant quantities of ice. Later various chemicals were harnessed that would reduce temperature enough to create ice. Before 1889 there was no ice commercially available in Albany.
In the Albany Democrat it was reported on Feb 15, 1889 that stock for the Albany Ice Works consisting of ten shares at $400 each had been sold. Mr. F. H. Pfeiffer was in charge of the works.
On 30 March 1889 the Albany Daily Democrat reported Isom and Lanning, Judge Strahan and J. A. Crawford ordered by telegraph machinery for the ice works. They will have a capacity of five tons of ice per day. They will be located near the Magnolia mills.
Articles of Incorporation for the Albany Ice Works were filed with the Secretary of State in 1889. John Isom, EJ Lanning and John A. Crawford were incorporators. It was claimed that there is no other ice available in the valley south of Salem. They estimated they will make 20 million pounds of ice this season.
Later in June 1889 the Albany Daily Democrat reported that the temperature at the Ice Works would reach 12 degrees below zero. The machinery was running well. Cakes of ice eight inches thick and 9.5 by 1.5 feet in size were being made at the rate of four to five tons per day. It took three days to get the first ice made but after that new ice was made every day.
The 25 October 1889 issue of the Albany Daily Democrat reported on page 3 that the Albany Ice Works will soon start up and fill their house for the winter’s consumption. They would manufacture 125 tons of ice. Sales were reported as large.
In 1890 the Albany Ice Works erected a cold storage warehouse.
The 28 July 1920 issue of the Albany Daily Democrat contains an advertisement on page 3 for the Albany Ice Works at the “end of West Third Street”. They advertised “appetizing beverages Blitz Luxo Amber, R-Porter, Appo and Toko” sold in bottles. They also offered ice cream. The phone number was 303. They promised prompt deliveries. Blitz Luxo Amber was a brand of beer sold by the Henry Weinhard Brewery of Portland. Appo was a beer with an alcohol content of 18-25%. Toko was a Japanese beer.
There are references to the Ice Works in the 1925 papers. There is no ad or listing for the Albany Ice Works in the 1936 or 1939 Albany City Directories. It is listed in the telephone books for 1920-1926. In the 1930 issue of the Albany Democrat Herald Booster Directory the company is referred to as Kurre Ice Company at the same old address. It was listed off and on by either the Kurre name or Albany Ice and Cold Storage through 1952.