Ice Shipments in a Snowstorm (1880s) #history #shorts

In the 1880s, Minnesota did something that sounds totally backwards:
They shipped massive blocks of ice to Chicago… in the middle of winter. ❄️🚂
Even though Chicago was buried under snow and its streets were frozen solid, demand for stored ice was high.
Before refrigerators, icehouses relied on thick lake ice cut during winter and shipped year-round.
So while locals shivered, trains rolled south full of frozen water — a vital cargo for food preservation and industry.
Talk about bringing ice to a snowstorm.

#WeirdHistory #DidYouKnow #history #shorts #chicago