The Grapevine Ice Company
Earl Copeland was the founder of the Grapevine Ice Company. It is believed he selected Grapevine because he saw the city’s growth potential
For more than 30 years, the Grapevine Ice Company served customers in Dallas, Tarrant and Denton counties.
An article in the “Grapevine Area History” book, published in 1979, by Wade C. Cummings tells the story firsthand of the Grapevine Ice Company.
Grapevine Ice Company was built by Copeland in 1940 on Highway 114 (now called Northwest Highway) one block west of Main Street.
Cummings, who was an engineer during its construction, purchased the ice company in 1946 and operated the business until it was sold in 1967 to Dr. Ira Woods, then-mayor of Grapevine. Operation of the plant was discontinued in the early 1970s.
The plant output was originally 10 tons a day until expansion in 1947 increased daily tonnage to more than 15 tons. During the summers, Coppell, Hurst, Keller and Roanoke were furnished ice by this company, and some was sold to Dallas and Irving. An ice route covered the Grapevine area.
According to the book, an everyday sight was the old familiar ice card in the window of many homes.
“The cards were square with the numbers 100, 50, 25, and 12 ½ printed, one on each edge of the card,” the book says. “These were placed in the window with the number at the top indicating to the iceman the size of the block of ice the housewife wished to purchase that day.”
“Truck farmers also used crushed ice to keep produce fresh during transport,” the book says. “To many homes in the rural areas where no electricity was available, ice was depended upon to keep insulin for the diabetics, to provide milk for the baby and to make good old-fashioned home-cranked ice cream.”
In the mid-1950s, ice crushers and coin-operated vending machine were installed to dispense small blocks and bags of crushed ice. Farmers and construction workers came early in the mornings to fill their kegs with a day’s supply of ice and drinking water for their workers.
For more than 30 years, the Grapevine Ice Company served customers in Dallas, Tarrant and Denton counties.
An article in the “Grapevine Area History” book, published in 1979, by Wade C. Cummings tells the story firsthand of the Grapevine Ice Company.
Grapevine Ice Company was built by Copeland in 1940 on Highway 114 (now called Northwest Highway) one block west of Main Street.
Cummings, who was an engineer during its construction, purchased the ice company in 1946 and operated the business until it was sold in 1967 to Dr. Ira Woods, then-mayor of Grapevine. Operation of the plant was discontinued in the early 1970s.
The plant output was originally 10 tons a day until expansion in 1947 increased daily tonnage to more than 15 tons. During the summers, Coppell, Hurst, Keller and Roanoke were furnished ice by this company, and some was sold to Dallas and Irving. An ice route covered the Grapevine area.
According to the book, an everyday sight was the old familiar ice card in the window of many homes.
“The cards were square with the numbers 100, 50, 25, and 12 ½ printed, one on each edge of the card,” the book says. “These were placed in the window with the number at the top indicating to the iceman the size of the block of ice the housewife wished to purchase that day.”
“Truck farmers also used crushed ice to keep produce fresh during transport,” the book says. “To many homes in the rural areas where no electricity was available, ice was depended upon to keep insulin for the diabetics, to provide milk for the baby and to make good old-fashioned home-cranked ice cream.”
In the mid-1950s, ice crushers and coin-operated vending machine were installed to dispense small blocks and bags of crushed ice. Farmers and construction workers came early in the mornings to fill their kegs with a day’s supply of ice and drinking water for their workers.