Ice Ships and Ice Trade - the Slow Birth of an Industry

The ice trade was started largely through the efforts of three men, and one of them, Frederic Tudor, became known as "The Ice King" due to his monopolization of much of the ice market in the early 18th century. In 1806 Tudor purchased a small ship named the Favorite and used it to carry a cargo of ice to Martinique in the Caribbean. His idea was simple - take the ice that forms in abundance in the northeastern climes of the United States, and send it via ice ships to tropical ports and nations where ice was not common. This innovative plan took time to succeed, but when it did Tudor ended up sparking the development of an entire industry which sent ice ships as far afield as India and the Pacific.