Written with permission, from the April 2019 You must be from Arcanum FB page post authored by Dick Hunt.
Dick Hunt – During the late 40’s early 50’s shorty Vanatta was Arcanum’s ice man and when he decided
to retire our mother and father, Lloyd and Myrna Hunt, decided to build an ice house, the reason being
was mom worked at Clark’s Restaurant Jay and Grace Clark owned it (our grandparents) and they
needed a supply of ice daily back then. Dad came home from the war went to work in Dayton, married,
quit the factory and Webster Troutwine offered him a job (the only job he had). They bought the house
at 12 E. George St. next to the Troutwine Dealership, in the next few years there were 4 young Hunt kids
to feed. Since we were all cheap help it was a profitable business decision for them so the 1 st ice house
was an insulated large box with no refrigeration unit. Dad would drive to the Dayton Home Ice Co. on @
3 rd St. and buy ice when needed. A short time later they built a new modern concrete block well
insulated and power refrigeration system under the ramp behind our house on the alley. There was a
doorbell at the ice house connected to the house, when it rang some one had to go to work, usually Sue,
Dick or Ted, I think Ted had a job. We sold it in 25 lb. blocks which you had to ice pick cut from a 300 lb
block or cut and crush a 25 lb. block. And bag it in a heavy weight paper bag paper bag for 50 or 75
cents, most of the time we prebagged it as needed. We sold a lot of ice in the mid 50’s to mid-60’s. In
the summer someone would need to be home all the time for the family picnics, ice cream socials,
farmers, concession people. Etc. even some of the old order people would pull up with their buggy and
get ice to cool their beer and they did not want anyone to know what was in the cooler, it was a good
sideline business for our family and a good hard work experience for us 4 Hunt kids! Dad closed it
sometime after Jay Clark sold the restaurant. Many times over the years it operated on the honor
system and no lock on the door and never were we short changed. If people could not break a 5 or10
dollar bill, when they would see one of us they would pay you! Back in those days, most were good
honest folks March 2019
Dick Hunt – During the summer of 1967 or 68 I graduated in 68 not really sure of the time, Kenny Baker
graduated in 1963 and after 4 yrs. In the US Navy he came home and was working at the Mobil Station
for Dick Drew and Gayle Wright and had earlier, since his discharge bought a 1966 Pontiac Ventura and
it was his pride and joy and it was a really nice car. One evening after we had left the gas station ad
Kenny closed up, he said let’s go over to Sam’s place in Glen Karn and get a beer or two. We drive over
to Sam’s and park near the entrance, it is still day light (and this when you left your keys on the front
seat and people were more trustworthy and had more respect for each other). We entered the bar, sat
down, probably drank half of our beer, and Kenny said “Hunt give me a cigarette”, he did not like what I
smoked, Marlboros. So he went out to get a pack of cigs out of his car and it was gone. In a
minute Kenny comes, says to Sam Lindamood, “What did you do with my car?”. Thinking he was
pranking him, so we look all around the village and with help from some other guys but no car to be
found. Kenny calls the Sheriff and reports it stolen. And they tie it to an interstate auto theft ring out of
Kentucky. His pride and joy sadly was found in clover Bottom Ky stripped and dismantled by some car
theft hoodlums on the Ky/TN border. Kenny and Ramon Miller went to the trial and made several trips
to KY but still lost in many ways both emotionally and financially. March 2019