The popularity of iceboxes meant a huge demand for ice, and Polar Wave Ice Company met it by harvesting ice from Creve Coeur Lake. First, they built a massive icehouse on the west side of the lake, and then every winter they waited for the water to freeze. When it was at least eight inches thick, men worked around the clock to cut it with ice saws drawn by horses. As they cut, they created channels so newly cut pieces of ice could be floated through the channel to the conveyer belt that took the ice to the icehouse where it was packed in sawdust to await shipment in insulated freight cars on the Missouri Pacific Railroad to St. Louis.

The train stopped along the way to replenish small icehouses which supplied residences. Each morning ice drivers arrived at their designated icehouse and picked up their loads. The ice, cut into blocks of 25, 50, 75, or 100 pounds, was loaded onto the wagons. Each driver checked the ice card displayed in the house’s front window to see how much ice was needed and delivered that amount. Using ice tongs, he pulled the correct size out of the wagon, slung it over his shoulder protected by a sheepskin or leather pad, took it into the house and wedged it into the icebox. If it didn’t fit properly, he used a pick to shape it.