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A Crook County Historical Moment
| Arnold Cave was the Source of Bend’s Ice Supply in Pioneer Days |
Pioneer settlers in Central Oregon managed to
harvest ice from frozen rivers and ponds during
the winter months for storing of perishables and
to keep beverages cool. But during summer
months it was often difficult to procure ice. The
residents of Bend discovered ice in Joe Cave,
later to become known as Arnold Cave about 12
miles south of Bend.
Ice formed in the lava flow cave and the
insulating coolness of the interior of the cave
allowed ice to be preserved most of the summer.
Ice was quarried from the thick cavern ice floe in
giant chunks and moved up a steep incline chute
utilizing a block and tackle system. Once the
chunks of ice were brought to the surface they
were loaded on wagons and hauled to Bend for
storage in sawdust insulated buildings. Hundreds
of tons of ice were hauled from Arnold cave in
the first decade of the twentieth century. Other
ice caves, such as Dillman Cave and East Cave,
were also utilized for ice but on a much smaller
scale.
During years when the Deschutes River or ponds
did not freeze ice could only be obtained from
Arnold Cave. A Bend saloon operator had
monopolized the Arnold cave ice supply and when
the warm days of summer approached there was
only one saloon in Bend that could offer ice-cold
beer.
harvest ice from frozen rivers and ponds during
the winter months for storing of perishables and
to keep beverages cool. But during summer
months it was often difficult to procure ice. The
residents of Bend discovered ice in Joe Cave,
later to become known as Arnold Cave about 12
miles south of Bend.
Ice formed in the lava flow cave and the
insulating coolness of the interior of the cave
allowed ice to be preserved most of the summer.
Ice was quarried from the thick cavern ice floe in
giant chunks and moved up a steep incline chute
utilizing a block and tackle system. Once the
chunks of ice were brought to the surface they
were loaded on wagons and hauled to Bend for
storage in sawdust insulated buildings. Hundreds
of tons of ice were hauled from Arnold cave in
the first decade of the twentieth century. Other
ice caves, such as Dillman Cave and East Cave,
were also utilized for ice but on a much smaller
scale.
During years when the Deschutes River or ponds
did not freeze ice could only be obtained from
Arnold Cave. A Bend saloon operator had
monopolized the Arnold cave ice supply and when
the warm days of summer approached there was
only one saloon in Bend that could offer ice-cold
beer.
In the warm summer of 1910 ice sold in Bend for $40 per ton and most of the ice was hauled
from Arnold Cave. But a cold winter in 1911 created extensive ice on ponds and streams and
expanded storage facilities for ice led to a drop in the ice market with ice selling for only $5 per ton.
As late as 1911-12 ice harvests were still a major season activity. The bend Livery stable
constructed an ice house late in 1910 on the west bank of the Deschutes river six miles south of Bend.
In December of that year crews harvested 500 tons of 12 inch thick ice for storage. Small dams were
built on the Deschutes to provide a source of ice during cold winters and many businesses purchased
ice for summer use. Ice would be delivered to homes and businesses that had wooden and metal “ice
boxes”.
Ice from Arnold cave was heavily harvested until the development of refrigeration and the
delivery of electricity to the Bend community just prior to 1920. The ice harvest days soon became
just a memory but old timers for many years could still recall with nostalgia the arrival of ice wagons
to the community.
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A.R. Bowman Memorial Museum
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See the drop
down menu at
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page for more
local stories
of Prineville's
colorful past.
down menu at
the top of the
page for more
local stories
of Prineville's
colorful past.
Use the drop down menu for more local stories of Prineville's colorful past.
