100 years ago at Sprague Lake: Cold snap a boon for ice company

From our archives, 100 years ago

A brutal cold snap in the region was excellent news for the J.F. Piper Ice Plant in Sprague, Washington.

The company was cutting 3,000 tons of ice every day on Sprague Lake and shipping it to warehouses throughout the region.

About 75 men and 12 teams of horses were doing the work.

The Sprague Lake ice was destined for ice boxes in kitchens all over the country. Electric refrigeration was not yet common. The company superintendent estimated that they would ship 40,000 tons of ice before winter was out.

From the winter beat: Meanwhile, people all over Spokane were enjoying the excellent ice skating conditions at Manito Park, Cannon Hill Park and Liberty Park.

Park superintendent John W. Duncan said about 2,000 skaters were on the various ponds on Sunday.

Elsewhere, the paper reported that the low temperature the night before was 3 degrees, and that “snow has been on the ground continuously for 23 days.”

Meanwhile, trains throughout the region were being delayed by massive snowdrifts. Residents of Moran called a recent blizzard the worst one they had ever seen. High winds blew the snow into drifts faster than the snowplows could clear it.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1946: The United Nations Security Council held its first meeting, in London.