The Slice: Iceboxes preserved warm memories

Lots of Slice readers remember ice boxes.

“Growing up in rural Wyoming where there was no electricity until the mid-1940s, I remember not only the ice box but my grandfather going out every winter and cutting ice from a nearby pond.” – Muriel Stopher

“Our dad used to bring home the ice block in a box on the back of the ’31 Oldsmobile, from the ice house in Hillyard.” – Coleen Wood

“On the days the ice was delivered, us kids would stand by the ice truck and often the iceman would give us a slice of ice to suck on.” – Jerry Hubbard

“It was up on legs so that a pan could be placed underneath where the water drained out. Our dog always liked to drink that nice cold water.” – Patricia Klingman

“I never had an icebox, but my dad did when he was growing up. When I was a kid in the 1960s, he once asked me to unload the groceries and put them in the icebox. Always the obedient child, I did as I was told and was puzzled when I got in trouble for putting the food – milk, cheese, bananas, lettuce – in the freezer. So I got a history lesson, and Dad quit saying ‘icebox.’ ” – Laura Nonnenmacher

“(The iceman) would pull up to the side of our house, reach out with huge tongs that were used to grip the enormous chunks of ice then lift it to the leather cape that covered his shoulders.” – Joy Nagle

“My grandmother had an icebox and the best part was the iceman who delivered the ice to her house. He used a horse and wagon. The kids, including me, would all want to pet the horse and score bits of ice off the wagon. Note: We spent a lot more time playing outside then.” – Ellen Hinton

“Every week my mother put the sign in the window to indicate how big a block of ice she wanted.” – Joan Tracy

“I’m 73 and we had an icebox until I was 10 years old. My folks had a dairy ranch several miles north of Otis Orchards, which was way out in the boonies back then. We had electricity, so I suspect not having a refrigerator was a financial decision.” – Dave Stone

And so on. I heard from dozens of readers. But let’s wrap this up with a question posed by Dollee Meredith.

“Why should I admit to knowing what an icebox is?”

Today’s Slice question: Favorite commercial?