Ice in the heat; pretty neat

This week’s blog is about a little piece of history in Punta Gorda. The Port Charlotte Sun recently wrote an article on three ice plants in the 1800s. Mechanical refrigeration was first patented in 1851 by a Dr. John Gorrie in Apalachicola, Florida, as a treatment for tropical diseases. Isaac Trabue, an early founder of Punta Gorda improved the idea, making factories able to mass produce ice. He built the town’s first ice plant in 1891 on both sides on Berry Street, between Virginia and Olympia. It was steam driven and could produce 15 tons per day. He later went on to build more over the next 11 years, which all makes for a very interesting story of ice plants in the sub-tropics. Visit Charlotte County online library resources to view photographs of Punta Gorda’s ice plants. There are many more facts and stories on the linked article. There is a rich history in Southwest Florida. We hope that some of you can get around and get interested.

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