Mauserts Pond Ice Harvesting. The most successful business in Clarksburg was harvesting quality ice which began sometime prior to 1897. The pond provided an important source of ice for North Adams important for food preservation. A large “new” ice house was built about then, the only structure on the pond. The ice houses were insulated with sawdust, preserving the blocks of ice well into the summer. Aside From Beaver Creek and numerous springs feeding the pond, water quality was very good. Testing in 1897 showed that, other than the Haskins House upstream, there was no sources of contamination. In 1937, they claimed to be the largest ice dealers in New England, harvesting about 15,000 tons of ice each winter. Conrad H. Mausert, proprietor of the business employed 80 men in 1938. Icemen worked 10 days to two weeks a season, usually in early January, depending on weather conditions. The last year that ice was harvested from the pond was in 1950 when modern refrigeration and ice making became common in most households. The concrete pillars from the ice houses can still be seen in the water near the first spillway as you come into the day use area. Courtesy DCR.

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