ice well

plural ice wells

1. archaicA well (hole in the ground) in which ice was stored in the era of the ice trade and iceboxes (18th to mid-20th centuries); often with some degree of construction over it, similar to that used with icehouses, root cellars, and springhouses.

   2 more examples

   […] graded as sweet but had a noticeable metallic flavor. The acidity was 0.24 percent. This experiment was made to show how long cream could be held in the ice well. The practice of holding cream for such long periods, however, is not advocated. In 1929 all of the cream was precooled with water before it was put in the ice well. In the 1930 season some of the cream, and also […] In the winter of 1931-32 no river ice was placed in the ice well. The ice block, as in the winter of 1928-29 and in the winter of 1929-30, was formed entirely by the use of station well water. During this fourth summer the ice lasted 107 days after the well was opened on May 19. […] Milk, cream, and butter can be successfully stored in the ice well for reasonable periods of time. No offensive odors result when care […]

   1931, Ice Well for the Dairy Farm [booklet], U.S. Government Printing Office, pages 10, 13, 15

   The ice well is one type of farm cooler that practically every farm could secure, and it would serve to hold most products in good condition during warm weather. The ice well refrigerator consists of an insulated or lined […] transport milk or cream cans to the ice well is easier than to carry the many small table foods products to it. In locating the ice well by the dwelling, dig the pit at least 5 feet away from the house and connect the two structures with a covered passageway or pantry. The building over the ice well can be used for storage of many items during the summer.

   1939, Howard Franklin McColly, The Ice Well Refrigerator [booklet], Agricultural Experiment Station, North Dakota Agricultural College, pages 2-4