What is that? Dec. 15, 2022

If you know, let us know. Send your responses to [email protected], or phone 631-275-1859.

Roger McKeon via email, and Ed Mullins by phone, proved they are astute students of Shelter Island history.

The men identified last week’s mystery photo (see below) as the brick smokestack looming over Ice Pond.

The smokestack was part of an incinerator, noted on an 1889 map, according to the Shelter Island Historical Society.

It was near what was then the New Eastern Ice Company at Ice Pond owned by the Heights Grove and Camp Meeting Association, which later became the Heights Property Owners Corporation.

The incinerator generated power to move and cut ice blocks.

Tom Speeches, another student of Island history, has written to us saying, “The ice blocks were pulled by horse and wagon before electrified refrigeration became widespread on the Island. As a youngster, I remember Supervisor Evans K. Griffing giving us kids a history lesson on how it was done.”