An addendum/correction to my earlier post about ice deliveries in the 1940s: I got a note from my older brother last night regarding my recollections about ice deliveries, ice chips, etc. He’s nine years older than I and has a much clearer memory of those years.
As it turns out, the reason I don’t recall an icebox in our home is because there wasn’t one; we already had a refrigerator. However a lot of neighbors on our block did have iceboxes and were getting ice deliveries. And we kids did indeed get ice chips from the delivery vehicles.
I also learned that we moved into that house in 1946 (I’d have been 3 years old) and at that time horse-drawn wagons were still being used to make ice deliveries on our street. So there were horses after all. My brother even remembers where the stable was.
I was 7 years old when we moved out of that house, and in our new, more upscale neighborhood everyone had refrigerators. So no ice deliveries there. All my fuzzy memories took place at the first house.
Research says few adults remember events in their lives that happened before age 3, so those ice chips and deliveries are in the fringes of my earliest memories. I’m glad I have an older brother who can confirm they were not my imagination. Hell, I’m just glad I have an older brother.
Evidence big brothers are good for something beside tormenting younger sisters? Even in the nice sections of homes, there were milk men in trucks for quite a while.
When I was small, our family enjoyed taking a car ride (it was cooler riding as there was no AC0 and we’d go by to see what color the downtown Mobil Pegasus flying horse was (On top of their offices – they change the color to show what weather was predicted), then past a very large flowing bubbling fountain in front of a hotel, and finally past the Mrs Bairds’ bakery to smell all the lovely bread baking smells ( everyone kept any window available window wide open in all buildings). Such outings were a big deal.
Ah yes, milk deliveries. We had those too. With five kids, we went through a lot of milk. I distinctly remember my older brother getting home from football practice, going to the fridge, and standing there chugging an entire quart of milk. (Or maybe I’m misremembering that, too.)
In OKC it was the First National Bank building downtown that used colored lighting at the top to indicate the weather.
Bakery smells … we had ’em in abundance. The giant Wonder Bread bakery was less than a mile from our house, and if the wind was right … mmmm! Best sales device ever invented.
I am nine years older than my oldest sister and thirteen years older than my youngest sister so I can sympathize with your brother in his responsibilities in having to keep you straight on those early life events. 🙂
Now as far as the milk deliveries go, we had those for sure and a Wonder Bread bakery to boot!
As a side note to PhilosoperMouse… tormenting younger sisters are among my most precious memories from those days growing up. Especially when I was playing ‘monster man’! 😀
I don’t recall a lot of teasing from my older brother, perhaps because he already had more important things to think about. I do recall he’d plant his hand firmly on my forehead with a stiff arm and taunt me to try to reach him. I couldn’t, of course (he grew to be 6’4″). Most of my “torment” came from a sister just 18 months my junior. I’ve heard the most friction is usually between siblings who are close in age. I, of course, never tormented my younger siblings. 😉
In addition to the Wonder Bread bakery, there was a little Mom & Pop bakery within walking distance of our house. With pies, cakes, cinnamon rolls, etc., always in the oven, and cases of fresh baked goods always on display, that place was absolute heaven. (Have I mentioned my lifelong addiction to baked goods?)
My earliest memories couldn’t be older than the late 50s, but I still remember those ice trucks! 😀
I remember ice delivery in s calif in late 40 or early 50s, one of our neighbors only had an outhouse.
Things sure have changed, haven’t they?