Ice was a big thing back in those days as there was no electricity and every one had their own icebox which had to be filled by the iceman, usually the drey man. Two icehouses were here in Grace City, one back of Otto Topp's store and one back of Ernest Petrick's meat market. There were also two ice pits, one in the yard where Pfeifers now live and one in the Molyneaux farm beneath the dairy house. The ice was cut either at the James River or Juanita Lake. There was a layer of flax straw on the bottom and then the ice packed in solidly and flax straw packed on 'the sides and over the top. On July 20, 1916 the Grace City Pharmacy had a carload of ice shipped in from Minneapolis. When the ice was hauled for the icehouses nearly every household would have a load hauled to their house for it was used to wash clothes and for baths, etc. Little do we realize today that ice was so important in those days.
Source: A History of Foster County 1983 Page 323