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Ames Ice Company
Tribune photo published January 29, 1953
Ames Ice Company
Tribune photo published January 29, 1953
Roy Rundlett is shown at the Ames Ice company which he manages, making last minute preparations for the annual Chamber of Commerce banquet scheduled for a prompt 6:30 this evening at Memorial Union's Great Hall. Rundlett was "commissioned" by Chamber General Manager Bill Butterfield to "sculpt" the letters A-M-E-S in blocks of ice 18 inches high to provide a novel decoration for the speaker's table. With Butterfield as assistant sculptor, Rundlett used a wood saw and a multiple ice pick for the letters.
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| This photo from November of 1952 looks towards the Ames Ice Company building, 209 East Third Street, from the intersection of Main Street and Duff Avenue. |
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| This early Sanborn Insurance map show the original ice house faced west and was used only for ice storage, not production. |
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| By 1911, the Ames Pure Ice Company was making ice on site with two ammonia condensers. This 1926 map shows a third condenser unit has been added to the original two. Note the change of street names through the years. |
| Ames Weekly Tribune, February 9, 1916
AMES PURE ICE COMPANY - J.D. Murphy, Prop. - The sanitation of the city is one of its most important problems. One of the industries which is an important factor in the sanitation of every commercial center is the ice company. Often ice companies will obtain their supply from a source which might be contaminated. This is not true with the Ames Pure Ice company, however, for they have their own ice plant and manufacture pure ice at the rate of twenty tons per day. The plant is situated in the southeast corner of the business district and is one of the most complete plants of its kind. Their process of manufacture is by the ammonia system which has proven to be the most satisfactory way for making the pure ice. Four men are employed the year round to keep the plant in operation and three teams are kept busily employed delivering ice to all parts of the city. The Ames Pure Ice company does both wholesale and retail business. They supply the O'Neil Dairy company, Danforth's Ice Cream factory and Edward's Coal company, the latter firm distributes the ice in the fourth ward and college community. Mr. J.D. Murphy has been in the ice business for the past thirteen years and has proven his capability in managing an industry of this kind. His policy is to deliver ice promptly and employ careful drivers. |
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| Sometime between 1920 and 1926, a new office and storage building facing East Third Street was constructed. |
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| Firms occupying the 209 East
Third Street building
Ames Ice Company, until 1970. Ames Furniture Exchange, 1971 Ice Designs, 1974 The Clothes Line consignment, 1975-1976 Vacant - 1977-1980 presently Story Construction Company |
Today, the building is used by Story Construction Company for storage space, especially record storage. (Employees often refer to placing records in cold storage.) Extra thick walls and the use of hollow clay tile can be seen where a new door has been cut. In addition, there are still remnants of the huge blocks of insulation once glued to interior walls. |
Sign painted on interior wall still indicates the price of ice blocks. 100 lbs. - 50¢
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