First Mechanical Production Of Ice By John Gorrie

In 1844, John Gorrie first produced ice mechanically while experimenting with artificial cooling in Apalachicola, Florida. Gorrie had begun using cooling as part of his medical work with fever patients, and the need to avoid dependence on natural ice led him toward artificial ice production. After 1845, Gorrie gave up his medical practice to pursue refrigeration work, and by 1850 he could routinely produce brick-sized ice blocks. On May 6, 1851, he received U.S. Patent No. 8080 for an improved process for the artificial production of ice, an important step in the technical history of mechanical refrigeration that later made reliable industrial cooling possible.