Men Climbing on Ice Jams, ca. 1883

Men Climbing on Ice Jams, ca. 1883

Toledo’s location on the Maumee River has provided innumerable benefits, but it isn’t without its drawbacks. Historically, winter on the Maumee River provided opportunities for entertainments like ice skating, but there was a dangerous side to that ice as well. The Maumee River is prone to developing dangerous ice jams and flooding over the winter months. The ice jams and accompanying flooding were a popular subject of stereographic* cards like the image above taken around 1883 by Frederick J. Trost. Ice jams and flooding have continued to be a problem on the river. 

*These images were designed to be viewed through a stereoscope to produce a three-dimensional image. They were very popular during the second half of the 19th century and many Toledo photographers were producing images this way.

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