The Grapevine Historical Society maintains and operates two uniquely different and significant museums for residents and visitors to explore and learn the rich history of settling the Grape Vine Prairie. Admission is free. However, monetary donations to help continue the work of the museum program are greatly appreciated. Donations for support are accepted at the Grapevine Historical Museum or through the mail at Grapevine Historical Society, P.O. Box 995, Grapevine, TX 76099-0995
The museum is located in the Ted R. Ware Plaza Settlement to City museum complex and housed in the Grapevine Ice Company building at 206 West Hudgins street, just off Main Street in Grapevine, Texas.
The front exterior of the museum replicates the appearance of the Grapevine Ice Company building originally built in 1940 and located on Northwest Highway. The Ice House was an important and thriving business in Grapevine's development into the 1970s.
A visit to the Grapevine Historical Museum offers many interesting and valuable artifacts related to life on the Grape Vine Prairie - even prehistoric life, as dinosaurs once roamed where the DFW airport runway now stand. In 1843 General Sam Houston and representatives of the Republic of Texas met with members of 10 American Indian nations at Grape Vine Springs to negotiate a treaty of peace and friendship, and soon came settlers, especially once the railroad arrived in 1886.
There are rooms that recreate frontier home life, exhibits devoted to the days when Grapvine was a community of cotton and cantaloupe farmers, recollections of mid-century small-town life, and much more.
Visitors will enjoy the many interesting artifacts and experiencing knowledge about times in history and the spirit of the people of Grapevine.
An article by Wade C. Cummings in the 1979 “Grapevine Area History” book tells the story firsthand of the Grapevine Ice Company:
Grapevine Ice Company was built by Copeland in 1940 on Highway 114 (now called Northwest Highway) one block west of Main Street.Cummings, who was an engineer during its construction, purchased the ice company in 1946 and operated the business until it was sold in 1967 to Dr. Ira Woods, then-mayor of Grapevine. Operation of the plant was discontinued in the early 1970s.
The plant output was originally 10 tons a day until expansion in 1947 increased daily tonnage to more than 15 tons. During the summers, Coppell, Hurst, Keller and Roanoke were furnished ice by this company, and some was sold to Dallas and Irving. An ice route covered the Grapevine area.
According to the book, an everyday sight was the old familiar ice card in the window of many homes.“The cards were square with the numbers 100, 50, 25, and 12 ½ printed, one on each edge of the card,” the book says. “These were placed in the window with the number at the top indicating to the iceman the size of the block of ice the housewife wished to purchase that day.”
“Truck farmers also used crushed ice to keep produce fresh during transport,” the book says. “To many homes in the rural areas where no electricity was available, ice was depended upon to keep insulin for the diabetics, to provide milk for the baby and to make good old-fashioned home-cranked ice cream.”
In the mid-1950s, ice crushers and coin-operated vending machine were installed to dispense small blocks and bags of crushed ice. Farmers and construction workers came early in the mornings to fill their kegs with a day’s supply of ice and drinking water for their workers.
