This week's blog is a mini-post on something that I happened to come across over the holidays.
I continue to be surprised at the amount of history tucked away in the most unsuspecting places. Perhaps that should be a 2021 resolution — seek out history wherever I go?
While visiting family for the holiday, we went for a walk at Rockland State Park.* It has a lovely walking path that circles Rockland Lake (it's also very popular so be sure to wear a mask!)
Half way along the eastern edge of the lake, you'll start to notice falling rock walls in the woods. Keep your eyes peeled for a marker placed just off the path, which explains what these ruins originally were.
In the 19th century, the Knickerbocker Ice Company used Rockland Lake as an ice supply. The crumbled stone walls are the last remnants of the ice houses that used to store the ice between harvest and shipment.
Like most ice suppliers, the company dissolved with the advent of refrigerators and freezers. A fire in the mid 1920s burned down the last standing ice house along the lake's edge, leaving these tumbling stone walls as the only evidence that something used to stand here.
Now that's what I'd call a chilly historical find!
*We were very mindful of travel restrictions (getting tests, staying mostly indoors) in our choice to spend part of the holiday with family. Masks were always in hand and this was our one 'big' outing besides daily walks around the neighborhood. If anything, I hope this post encourages you that there's history and something new to discover in your own backyard, regardless of season!