The Penny Ice Fund was a lifesaver for Indianapolis' needy

IndyStar

This 1940 photo shows a delivery for The Star-Salvation Penny Ice Fund at the corner of Vermont and Koehne streets. During the Depression, children with wagons, carriages and carts waited to get a block of ice for a penny to guard the meager food supply at home and perhaps bring some relief during hot summer nights.

The summer of 1936 is a benchmark for heatwaves in Indiana. Hoosiers withstood temperatures of at least 100 degrees a record 12 times, including a nine-day streak. On July 14, 1936, the temperature in Collegeville, in Jasper County, rose to 116 degrees, the hottest temperature ever recorded in the state of Indiana.

Thousands of people across the country died because of the intense heat. At least 38 heat-related deaths were recorded in Indianapolis alone.

Physicians at City Hospital, which was later known as Wishard Memorial Hospital, issued a warning to stay out of the sun and to take small amounts of salt with frequent drinks of cool water.

For the most part, though, Hoosiers made do with electric fans, and even those were at a premium. Add in the Great Depression, drought and minimal air conditioning and 1936 made for a miserable time for many.

There was no escaping the heat, but a fund created five years earlier made it bearable for those in need.

The Penny Ice Fund, organized by The Indianapolis Star and Salvation Army in 1931, raised funds so needy families could buy 25 pounds of ice for 1 cent or 50 pounds for 2 cents to keep food fresh.

A few homes had refrigeration, but most had iceboxes to keep food cold, and an "iceman" would drop off blocks of ice to store inside it. The Salvation Army deliveries were made in neighborhoods where people would line the streets with wheelbarrows, buggies, baskets and even baby carriages to pick up their ice. As the iceman chipped away at the ice, kids would get the shards of ice that fell off the back of the truck.

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Eagerly awaiting thirsty customers on July 29, 1939 in front of the Barney home at 3058 E. Fall Creek Blvd. were (left to right) Nan Barney, Jessie Brayton, Johnny Brayton and Judy Barney. Revenues from sales at their curbside stand were donated to the Penny Ice Fund, sponsored by The Indianapolis Star and the Salvation Army during the summer months from 1931 to 1957.

The Salvation Army delivered ice to shut-ins.

The biggest contributors to the fund were children. Kids would set up lemonade or “pop” stands, backyard shows, games, hold plays, carnivals and miniature golf tournaments or find their own unique way to raise money to help other children keep cool. The Penny Ice Fund ran until the mid-1950s.

Follow IndyStar Visuals Manager and RetroIndy writer Dawn Mitchell on Twitter: @dawn_mitchell61.