2 NE D – 401 E Central
The brick building above is all that remains of the Ottawa County Ice Company, founded in 1900, which once stretched over nearly 1/3 of the north 400 block of East Central.
Ottawa County Ice Plant, 1923. This picture appears to be looking southeast from NE D Street.
The Ottawa County Ice Plant was bought out by the Southwest Utility Ice Company in 1926 or 1927.
Artesian well at ice plant, early 1900’s
Artesian well at the ice plant, 1910
The ice plant’s location was perfect because of the proximity of the railroad, and also because of this powerful artesian well located on the site.
Southwest Utility Ice Co. announces that they will stop accepting coupons from Ottawa County Ice after April 1, 1927.
W.R. Kreeger Transfer and Storage – 1931. Note the water tower in the background, belonging to the Southwest Ice Plant
Southwest Service Co. ad, 1938
Besides ice, Southwest also sold refrigerators.
Southwest supplied ice to the new Wiley Drug in 1947.
The last mention of Southwest in the paper was in 1949.