Refrigerators

Refrigeration is the act of keeping things cool artificially. Before refrigeration, people stored food in cellars or streams in hopes of keeping it fresh through the hot months of the year. Spices and salts were used to “cure” meats so they would last.

Merchants realized they could sell ice to places that didn’t have their own. In the 19th century, ice was cut from ponds, lakes, and rivers and shipped on trains to warmer climates. Because more and more people were moving to cities, consumers now lived farther from the farms and factories where their food was produced. Scientists in America and Europe tried to invent more efficient ways to keep that food safe while it was transported. As electricity became more widely available in the late 19th century, the possibilities for refrigeration…