Just east of Ice House Park, two large wooden structures stored ice harvested from the lake during the winter. Inclined wooden ramps led from the frozen lake into the buildings, whose walls were 12 inches thick and filled with sawdust. Packed in additional sawdust for insulation, the ice was preserved through the summer. The storage capacity was approximately 12,000 tons. Ice from Conneaut Lake, known for its purity, was shipped by railroad throughout the eastern United States to markets including Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and as far east as New York City. The Conneaut Lake Ice Company was founded in 1880 at the end of the canal era, as railroads were becoming a dominant method of transportation. Ice harvesting, storage, and shipping became an important business for Evansburg, now Conneaut Lake Borough, employing 200 men in the winter and 100 during the summer. The Meadville and Linesville Railroad transported 100,000 tons annually from Conneaut Lake. The business flourished until the 1920's, when electric refrigeration replaced blocks of ice. The last ice for the Conneaut Lake Ice Company was harvested in 1929.