Memories of stone boats and ice houses

By Joan Janzen

There's nothing quite like an old photo to bring back stories about the past. A photo posted by Ralph Goff on Historic Saskatchewan's Facebook page did precisely that. A simple image from the 1940s of a stone boat with an ice house spotted in the background caused numerous people to comment and share their fond memories.

Although younger generations will never have heard of a stone boat or an ice house, older generations know all about them. One after another, people shared memories of stone boats being pulled by horses to haul barrels of water for washing clothes and bathing or to rescue newborn calves from the cold while the upset mama trailed behind.

Photo: Ralph Goff, Historic Saskatchewan

This farm implement was also used for cleaning out the barn, hauling bales, and, as its name implies, hauling stones. It was used to move stones from the field to a spot designated as not likely to be used for crops, which was usually known as the stone pile.

Everyone in the family helped pick stones. During the era of youth farm labour, one person recalled working like an adult at the age of 12 years, loading and unloading the stone boat.

The horses were patient helpers, waiting attentively for the call to come to the latest pile of gathered stones. Some stone boats had a pole to prevent the stone boat from sliding into the horse's hooves.

A stone boat was used almost every day during winter. At times, it was used as transportation to a nearby town or country school when roads were impassable. The children would huddle together on a few bales of hay while being transported to school.

Every time this old conveyance was used, the driver was bundled up in winter gear, standing with legs braced, and riding the front of the old stone boat over the snow banks.

The ice house served as a great refrigerator during the summer. Early in spring, a pile of ice was put in the ice house and covered with sawdust. The sawdust kept the ice most of the summer, and the ice house provided a cool refuge on a hot summer day.

Milk and cream were kept in the ice house or placed in a container and dropped down the well. One person remembered finding salamanders and lizards in the outhouse, which he used to chase his sister.

When you see an image of a stone boat and an ice house, it revives many memories of days gone by.