By Monty Siekerman
Know where the Ice House Recycling is across the railroad tracks from Keith’s Hardware? It’s an old brick building in the rear with a new part added onto the front but has stood idle for decades. The weathered sign still says Ice House Recycling and Propane Fill Station.
The original building was put up by Storer Bros Co, which dealt in butter, eggs, and poultry from area farms. The company located along the railroad tracks so that the merchandise, kept cold with ice, could quickly be put on trains.
A section of Storer Bros large, brick building burned in the 1950s. What was left of the building was turned into a recycling business, but those types of business, although a good idea, folded quickly.
Now, the long-dormant building stands empty and the little bit of parking area along Johnson Street is used as overflow parking for diners going to Viva Maria’s.
(Reminder: the Ada Historical Society charter membership drive is 5-6:30 p.m. on Monday, May 7, with a reception at the Railroad Depot. $10 individual, $15 family. All are invited to go to Viva Maria’s at 6:30 to continue the conversation over dinner.)
