Ice companies in 19th century New England

[NRGeep]

I understand the "first one" was on Fresh Pond in Cambridge along the B&M Watertown Branch and there was one on the Maine Central (Sebago Lake in Maine). Did the railroads run these or were they private companies? Were there centralized ice freight houses/ports for shipping? And what other bodys of fresh water in New England were used for this purpose?

[B&M 1227]

There used to be massive ice houses on the Lexington Branch just east of the Boys n Girls club along Spy Pond. They burned in the 1930s and that was the end of it. Also in the early 1800s there was a branch from about where Alewife is winding northwest a couple miles to the an ice house on the west bank of Spy Pond. This is almost entirely obliterated now by Route 2 and other developments in the area.

[BandA]

There was an ice house at Crystal "Lake" in Newton. The Boston and Albany Highland Branch (and predecessors) goes right past. Don't know whether it was rail served, that was before my time.

[b&m 1566]

Walden Pond in Woburn was another location; the spur came off the Woburn Loop and went to the south end of the pond, right where the parking lot is next to the Woburn Water Department.

[RonM]

Lake Congamond. Southwick, Ma. right next to New Haven & Northampton (NH) Canal Line. Not sure if the NH provided service. I'm sure a google search would yield something I guess I'll look.
edit:
here ya go:

http://home.comcast.net/~congamond/history1.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Red Wing]

Walden Pond in Woburn was another location; the spur came off the Woburn Loop and went to the south end of the pond, right where the parking lot is next to the Woburn Water Department.

You are thinking of Horn Pond in Woburn. Walden was harvested for ice hence the name of Ice Fort Cove along the railroad.

[Tower35]

Before the creation of the Quabbin Resevior the Athol Branch of the B&A hauled ice from Greenwich Lake in that lost town on a daily basis in the winter. The ice was headed to an ice house in Springfield, MA. Since the line ran through the village of Bondsville, we could only assume that ice from the "Lilly Pond" may have been loaded onto trains unless it was used locally. My uncle grew up along the track and related stories of long trains of reefers headed west during the night.

[ferroequinarchaeologist]

Lots of ice houses, anywhere there was a lake or pond with rail access to Boston. The one I'm familiar with was Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield, where there were several icehouses along the western (North Avenue) side. There was a rail siding from the main line, across North Avenue, down to the lake. That same right of way is today's driveway to the boat launching ramp.

PBM

[b&m 1566]

Walden Pond in Woburn was another location; the spur came off the Woburn Loop and went to the south end of the pond, right where the parking lot is next to the Woburn Water Department.

You are thinking of Horn Pond in Woburn. Walden was harvested for ice hence the name of Ice Fort Cove along the railroad.

Yes, Horn Pond is what I meant to say.

[The EGE]

Lake Massapoag in Sharon had a short branch with an ice house (and a summer-only station). Parts of the right-of-way are still visible from the air.

[superwarp1]

Lake Congamond. Southwick, Ma. right next to New Haven & Northampton (NH) Canal Line. Not sure if the NH provided service. I'm sure a google search would yield something I guess I'll look.
edit:
here ya go:

http://home.comcast.net/~congamond/history1.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yes the NH provided service. One of the Ice house used be located between Berkshire ave and Crystal drive.