Hot Spots for ice Cream

With the forecast for another warm summer week, I thought we would follow up on ice cream.

This was once a favorite spot in North Conway for ice cream. It is now operated as an antique store. 

Here is a close up of the sign over the front door. According to the Conway Public Library's ancestry subscription, Ella May (Berry) Masson lived from 1855 - 1943. Her daughter Susie lived from 1877 - 1970.

Here is a business card of the place.

You can also find out more about Mrs. E. M. Masson and Daughter through the Conway Public Library's online collection of the Reporter News. Start your search at this link. The earliest reference I could find was here from 1895. They wintered in Florida and this January 7th, 1909 edition of the Reporter News described a "New Year's Token" of flowers they sent folks in Conway. The same page of the paper points out that people are preparing to fill their ice houses and that a church supper was to serve cold ham with potatoes a la cream (sounds interesting!). 

Of course, cream is a key ingredient in ice cream and that comes from a cow and was delivered in the old milk wagons. Local celebrity, Sut Marshall displays some of his collection each year at the Fryeburg Fair and has published a book on some of his wagons. 

Ice was cut from local ponds, stored in ice houses (such as the one that still exists pictured below) and delivered in horse drawn wagons.

The large ice house on the left from Payson Tucker's Birchmonte estate can still be seen at the Red Jacket Hotel in North Conway.

Here is an ice wagon from the library's collection.

In my search for "cool" things to enjoy in the summer, I ran across this paper weight advertisement that doubles as a relief map.

While it doesn't look too accurate to me, if you have one and are willing to donate it, it would make a nice addition to our collection. For more on relief maps see our previous blog here.

Many of you may remember the 28 flavors of ice cream served at the local Howard Johnson's.

If you have stories to share about Hojo's please write them in the comments section of this blog. For more on North Conway's Howard Johnson's see this link.

For more on Mount Washington Valley history contact us at the Conway Public Library's Henney History Room and keep cool!