Clinebell Ice Blocks

Once upon a time, blocks of ice were harvested from lakes in the winter, packed in saw dust and shipped via rail to the south. In the early 1900’s refrigeration was discovered and the "modern" ice plant was built in this country.

City Ice Company was established in 1903 as what was then a very modern ice manufacturing plant. This type of block making is almost obsolete in the US today due to the age and cost of upkeep of the equipment. City Ice stopped making blocks the old fashioned way in the 1970’s after an ammonia leak in the system.

The way they made block: There was a very large tank which held "brine" or saltwater. In this tank were miles of steel pipe which held a refrigerant (anhydrous ammonia) which was used to cool the brine below freezing temperatures. Immersed into this tank were in our case hundreds of steel "cans" or containers. These cans were filled with fresh water and lowered by an overhead crane system into the freezing salt water bath. The water in the cans would freeze and form blocks. When they wanted them clear, they would "suck the core" or remove the unfrozen water from the center of the block and replace it with fresh water. It was that "core" which was heavy with minerals and cause the ice to have a white "feather" or area in it. By sucking the core and replacing it with fresh water reduced or in some cases eliminated the feather.

Original Factory, 1903 - 1998

Today, City Ice Company manufactures crystal clear Clinebell blocks serving the Ice Carving Industry. Our blocks come packaged in cardboard boxes, 10" x 20" x 40" eight to a pallet- stretch wrapped, 160 to a trailer load.

We have the capability to arrange for transportation for trailer loads of blocks according to inventory, to anywhere in the U.S. If you are close enough to our facility we are here 6 days per week to load your truck. If you are a commercial establishment and need blocks for carving we do deliver blocks on a very limited basis… Call for more information.

We also carry a molded bowl into which we freeze beautiful Sea Shells. This can be an added item to sell – We can with enough time, freeze other items like holiday ornaments or corporate logos into the bowls.

Call today to arrange a delivery or for pricing on any of the above items.

A member of NICA (www.nica.org) the National Ice Carving Association.