Jefferson Ice company~ remember the vending machines?


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Jefferson Ice company~ remember the vending machines?
Posted by: Artista (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: February 28, 2010 02:45PM

Ive got another topic for all.. Growing up in our neighborhood my parents would send us out to purchase ice from the Jefferson Ice Co. vending machine. It was on the east side of Pulaski just south of Le Moyne st. If i remember correctly it was huge(for a kid) and yellow. After putting coinage into the slot it would distribute bagged ice at the bottom dispenser. Does anyone here have photos of this particular machine or maybe a link to one similar? Another fond memory and a Forgotten aspect of Chicago.

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Re: Jefferson Ice company~ remember the vending machines?
Posted by: b.a.hoarder (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: February 28, 2010 03:10PM

Not quite the image you are looking for, this one is currently available. Check out http://www.icevendingmachine.net/index.html .

Scrolling down I see that they are "available for delivery and installation in GA,SC,NC,AL,MS,and TX..." They seem to be a little behind the times out there, we progressed to the storage locker type ice dispensers around here years ago.

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Re: Jefferson Ice company~ remember the vending machines?
Posted by: 222psm (---.br.br.cox.net)
Date: February 28, 2010 03:52PM

LOL, we have those here in Louisiana, there's one near my house just like that! I tell you what, they are life savers when a hurricane comes through. They run them off generators when the power goes out. This type of machine makes the ice, it's hooked up to a water supply and you put an ice chest under the shoot and fill it up or it will dispense ice in bags.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/28/2010 03:55PM by 222psm.

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Re: Jefferson Ice company~ remember the vending machines?
Posted by: Artista (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: February 28, 2010 04:23PM

Thanks B.a.' great site to check out. I see you live in Louisiana now 222. I was asking your whereabouts at the other topic. What area in Chicago were you raised at 222?

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Re: Jefferson Ice company~ remember the vending machines?
Posted by: 222psm (---.br.br.cox.net)
Date: February 28, 2010 04:32PM

On a note related to ice, I remember an abandon ice factory near comiskey park. My uncle owned a 2 flat in the area. But for the life of me I can't remember what street it was on. I want to say it was in the area encompassed by W 31st,the Dan Ryan, W. Pershing (W. 39th), and S. Halsted. could have Jefferson ice owned this factory? My cousins and us used to go exploring in the old factory.

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Re: Jefferson Ice company~ remember the vending machines?
Posted by: 222psm (---.br.br.cox.net)
Date: February 28, 2010 04:35PM

I grew up in Irving Park, on Richmond St near Bateman school. from the late 60's till the late 80's



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/28/2010 05:00PM by 222psm.

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Re: Jefferson Ice company~ remember the vending machines?
Posted by: crowamonghens (---.dsl.mindspring.com)
Date: February 28, 2010 09:19PM

i think there's one on 95th in Oak Lawn, but it's a Lang machine?? little building's been there forever.

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Re: Jefferson Ice company~ remember the vending machines?
Posted by: bwalsh (---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: February 28, 2010 09:37PM

Yes, the ice building on 95th is a Lang Ice Machine. I know the company is still on 59th St near Western (west of Western). There is a good history of the company here:

http://www.langice.com/

I found this information on the Jefferson Ice Company:

http://www.troynovant.com/Franson-WR/Memoirs/Jefferson-Ice-Company.html

Beth

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Re: Jefferson Ice company~ remember the vending machines?
Posted by: Vern H (---.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: March 03, 2010 05:48AM

There was another one near Grand & Narragansett. Great for late night beer runs! I just checked, it's still there @ 2248 N Natchez.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2010 05:52AM by Vern H.

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Re: Jefferson Ice company~ remember the vending machines?
Posted by: Artista (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: March 03, 2010 10:19AM

Hi Vern and thanks for the input. I forgot to mention that the Jefferson Ice co. site that you mentioned on Natchez(now under a different name) is what inspired me to begin this topic. LoL I live right down the street from that Ice Co. I recently walked passed it one morning and it spurred fond old memories of the one from my childhood on Pulaski. The whole street of Natchez,from Grand ave to the Galewood Metra, has been going thru major changes these past 2 years. The tearing down of the old business buildings and building up of new condos.

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Re: Jefferson Ice company~ remember the vending machines?
Posted by: virino (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: August 07, 2011 02:53PM

There was one on Roosevelt just east of Cicero Ave. I lived across the alley from there.

One hot summer in the 50s the thing must have undergone a thorough clean-out, cause it was surrounded by chunks of ice and piles of 'frost.'

I made snowballs from this stuff and threw them at people, dead of summer, 90-degree weather. Big fun.

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Re: Jefferson Ice company~ remember the vending machines?
Posted by: Mornac (---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: August 08, 2011 11:08PM

We lived at the corner of Peterson and Paulina when I was very young (early 60’s). There was a fruit market across the street in the wedge where Ridge crosses Peterson. They had a Jefferson Ice vending machine outside. I remember hearing people use it during the night from my bedroom window.

There is an old ice factory next to our church at Chicago and Sangamon. Empire Ice Company. It’s still in operation. I don’t know how long it’s been there or who it serves. Here’s a photo of the building and one of their trucks:




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Re: Jefferson Ice company~ remember the vending machines?
Posted by: logansquare60647 (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: August 23, 2011 03:04AM

A cool little fact, Logan Square was home to the family which started Jefferson Ice.

" This boulevard system was home to some of the best known families of Chicago, such as Schwinn, Ryan, Wieboldt, Rath and the owners of the Jefferson Ice Company.
"


http://www.logansquarepreservation.org/landmarkdist.html

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Re: Jefferson Ice company~ remember the vending machines?
Posted by: xeroid81 (---.clmsdsl01.fbcom.net)
Date: June 06, 2012 08:24PM

You don't see much arhitecture like that these days. That kinda reminds me of the old Crane building on S. Kedzie whicH I believe is now part of Santa Fe R.R.

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Re: Jefferson Ice company~ remember the vending machines?
Posted by: SWEDE (---.lightspeed.iplsin.sbcglobal.net)
Date: January 15, 2016 11:05PM

Talking about Ice companies. Growing up in the 40's 50's there were still homes that had actual ice boxes not refrigerators. I remember the ice man would grab a block of ice with his tongs and carry it into the homes or especially taverns. My aunt Kate owned Town Club tavern on 50th & Oalkley.

There was an Ice House on 51st and Levit or Hoyne that we would stop by on a hot summer day and make snow balls from the pile they left by the loading dock.

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