Take a moment and imagine Jonesboro back in 1907. The air is buzzing with the sound of hammers and wagons as builders put up a brand new two-story wood-frame building right where you’re standing. At first, this place wasn’t about ice at all-instead, it was a lively wagon factory, with workers shouting, wheels rolling, and sawdust floating through the air. But fast forward to 1920 and things got a cool makeover. Architect Henry Lesmeister gave the building a fresh Mission Revival facade-think arched windows and a style that looked almost a bit like California’s old Spanish missions. But here’s the real twist! In 1929, everything changed. The building became the go-to place for ice, churning out frosty blocks for the whole community. Back then, before home refrigerators, having fresh ice was a pretty big deal-almost as magical as air conditioning on a hot Arkansas day. For more than 80 years, folks came by for their daily chill, and this spot was a rare survivor from the days when making ice took up an entire building. Even after closing in 2013-and despite a cameo by its name in Houston-a little bit of that frosty magic lingered until the building was sadly demolished in 2021. Like all good mysteries with a cold ending, the Home Ice Company still lives on in stories right here.
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