Canonsburg Ice was bought by U.M. Beck in 1901. James T. Herron describes this industry in detail, but basically, a large pond was flooded with water and allowed to freeze during the winter. It would then be harvested and stored in buildings nearby, and sold for as long as the ice lasted. In the meantime, the field was planted with sweet corn during the summer time.
By 1903 there were 8 ice houses in Canonsburg. By 1911 there were ten. A fire destroyed the U.M. Beck ice houses in 1922, killing the natural ice harvesting industry.