Traditional Ice Harvest

Millions of tons of ice were harvested every year from lakes and ponds of Northeastern Pennsylvania and shipped to New York and Philadelphia. By the end of the 1940’s that all changed with the introduction of automatic ice makers. One of the last pieces of ice for commercial use may have been cut from Gouldsboro Lake in the Poconos in the early 1950’s. For the last twenty years the Tobyhanna Conservation Association has been holding a traditional ice harvest on Millpond in Monroe County to introduce a younger generation to one of Pennsylvania’s most important lost industries. To find out when and where the harvest is held contact the association at (570)-894-8205.