what was used as insulation of icehouses in the pioneer days?

Answer 1

There are still old ice houses in some of the big country houses near where I live in England.

Ice houses came into general use from the late 17th century. Sometimes they were used as refrigerators, or probably even freezers, but mostly contained only the ice which was to be taken indoors as required to keep food fresh in the larders.

Out of doors the main store of ice could be kept frozen from one winter to the next in an ice well or an ice house. The former was a brick or stone-lined pit, wholly or completely subterranean. It was usually shaped like an inverted egg so that the whole surface was arched, pressure of the earth keeping every brick in place. The latter generally consisted of a four-sided, roofed chamber built above ground but with its floor below ground level.

Both types were ideally sited in the shade of large trees and completely covered with a mound of earth for insulation; where possible an ice house was built into a bank for the same reason. All types were further insulated from the outside air by a short passage between an outer and inner door at ground level.

Methods of storage varied slightly. Sometimes the ice was crushed then packed tightly in straw, otherwise ice and straw were built up in separate layers. A drain or soak-away lay at the base of the storage area to keep it free of melt water; moisture melts ice as quickly as warmth.

Answer 2

Most of the time they were below ground level,above ground models were generally double wood walls with dirt between the walls.

Answer 3

Straw and saw dust.

Answer 4

doo doo-and i mean doo doo [mixed with various thistles and corn stalk clippings] but surprisingly "no M.S.G."!!!