As commodities go, ice is probably not the first that comes to mind. You have a freezer full of it.
But in the 19th century, before artificial refrigeration, natural ice was a prized — and costly — possession. New York City was the nation’s largest consumer of natural ice, and Hudson Valley waterways were its main source.
Today, the region’s ice fishers, hockey players and other outdoor ice lovers lament the loss of frozen ponds, lakes and rivers due to climate change. Back then, though, winter ice was expected, and January was typically the beginning of the ice harvesting season, when it was already about a foot thick…