Willoughby: Now common, but once a luxury — electric refrigerators

Those who were old enough to be aware of their surroundings before WWII might have a different memory, but those of us who came after simply remember a bulky, and always white, electric refrigerator, in our home kitchen. We assume such an important item had been around for a much longer period, but few homes had one.

That doesn’t mean they did not have prior methods of keeping things cool — they did.

During that period, refrigerators, usually referred to by the name ice box, the refrigeration was accomplished using ice. Keeping items like milk and meat cold posed challenges. There was a story in 1894 of some miners who discovered an abandoned mine shaft in New York Gulch that had ice on the sides not far from the surface. They tied their meat with ropes and lowered it down below the ice level.

Around that same time, you could buy a Leonard Refrigerator from Turley’s furniture store on Cooper Street billed as “the only refrigerator made that the walls can be taken out and cleaned.” Leonard was a popular brand going back to its introduction in 1885. Its introduction of porcelain, making them easier to clean in 1907, boosted sales. It merged with Kelvinator in 1926 dominating the market.

Fortunately for many in Aspen, refrigeration was not a major challenge, especially in winter. Food could be kept cold in a basement or, if you had one, a potato cellar. Natural ice was available for refrigerators (ice boxes) like the Leonard from local companies that cut ice from ponds and stored it. The ponds at the Music School/ACDS Campus were one of the sources.

The first electric refrigerator came out in 1913, but not for home use. They required a fair amount of maintenance and were very large, intended for commercial use.

One of the first to advertise a home electric refrigerator in Colorado pushed the new invention in 1925 in this way: “freeze your own ice cubes, sherbet molds, the electric refrigerator simplifies the business of party-giving.” Refrigerators, in those days, were sold by the electric departments, in this case the Public Service of Colorado. It sold Frigidaire, Kelvinator, and Serve-El and, in 1927, added General Electric.  

What slowed the trend was the cost. In those early years, an electric refrigerator cost almost twice as much as a Ford Model T car!

The price began to fall in the 1930’s when freon was introduced, making them safer, but mass production did not begin until after WWII. 

If you wanted an electric refrigerator in Aspen, beginning in 1936, you could acquire a Westinghouse from the Mesa Trading company. They advertised, “you will soon need one — be wise and buy Westinghouse.” Mountain Utilities Corporation in 1940 sold General Electric, Westinghouse, and Crosley-Frigidaire units. They suggested to “see your dealer today and stop food spoilage.” Aspen Supply, better known as Sardy’s, in 1940 sold Frigidaire: “greatest among refrigerator value.”

My uncle, John Herron, also sold refrigerators in 1940 at his gas station on Galena Street; he also sold Westinghouse. With local sales increasing, refrigerator repairmen, some doubling as car mechanics, insured viability of the new-fangled coolers.

Tim Willoughby’s family story parallels Aspen’s. He began sharing folklore while teaching at Aspen Country Day School and Colorado Mountain College. Now a tourist in his native town, he views it with historical perspective. Reach him at redmtn2@comcast.net.