Chesterfield Ice Plant
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James W. Jenkins: The Chesterfield Ice Plant was located on the corner of this site. The plant was owned by the Welsh family and my uncle George Jenkins managed the plant for a period of time. I recall a series of steel beams across the ceiling that supported a moveable pulley system to raise the steel containers out of the brine solution. I was fascinated by the complexity, and the persistent odor associated with the plant. A sub-zero ice room was used to store the ice until it was sold or delivered by wagons or trucks. Sawdust and canvas covers prevented the ice from melting while being delivered. A large cooling tower was located at the rear of the plant and I recall water running down this tower and that the tower was covered with a green surface—probably some type of moss. The large blocks of ice were removed from the steel containers and cut into familiar sizes designed to fit into ice boxes. Twine was used to tie and carry the ice. Large rolls of twine would unwind from the container and an old saw blade was strategically located where the twine could be cut with a swift swipe over the blade. While modern equipment and improved processes makes ice readily available at home today, it will never match the sweet, cold taste of the ice I recall at the Chesterfield Ice Plant. I read in an old copy of the Chesterfield Advertiser that the Ice Plant was a 12 ton capacity. I don’t recall knowing that earlier.
Barbara Watson Eddins: I understand that my Grandfather, Dock Watson, sold the property on which the Ice Plant was located. I recall many Sunday afternoons when my Grandfather would carry a container of ice cream over to the plant to freeze it for a special treat.