Don Chaney is the former mayor and a long-time resident of Crane.
Taken from the Crane News, published July 16, 1998.
We had ice houses in Crane years ago. G. A. Tooke had one and Gordon Dixon also ran one. They had ice hauled in in 300 pound blocks. If you wanted ice you went to the dock where you could buy 12½, 25, 50, 75, 100 or 300 pounds in a block.
When you got ready to crank the old hand operated ice cream freezer you went for the ice. Then you put it in a burlap bag and beat it with a hammer until crushed. Who calls those the good old days?
We had ice boxes literally then. As the ice melted it drained into a drip pan and had to be emptyed. If you could keep milk in the ice compartment next to the ice it kept it fairly well.
The first commercial refrigerant was ammonia for walk in boxes, etc. That was before my time. Next came freon. When we got a leak in our refrigeration system you could smell the sulfur gas all over the store.
