Photograph courtesy of the Missouri Historical Society Photographs and Prints Collection
Workers at the Merchant's Ice & Coal Co. line up their trucks to get their loads. Around the turn of the century, factories fueled their operations with coal. Fortunately, coal deposits were found in South City, as well as Forest Park (under the government buildings at the 1904 World's Fair). After exhausting resources in St. Louis, nearby Illinois land was mined for the precious resource. The ice trade was also important at this time for businesses such as the many breweries, which needed to stay cool in warmer temperatures.
