Icebox Instead of Refrigerators

Refrigerators in homes would not be seen until around 1913, and only in homes where the owner could afford one. Most people relied on an icebox to keep their food cold.  Kept in the kitchen, an icebox resembled a piece of furniture.  A block of ice was placed in the lower compartment to cool the food above. The melted ice collected in a tray underneath the icebox. Everyday, someone in the house would empty the tray. Once a week or when neccessary, the iceman would deliver a block of ice to the house.

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