Snow Cap Ice Cream – Part 1

Snow Cap Ice Cream is an interesting story. The business started out as a small operation but became so much more – for a little while.

The business, operated by Al Gantose, was located at 1155 Reid Avenue. It first showed up in the pages of the Lorain Journal in the 'new telephone number' listing on April 24, 1952.

It appears that part of the original business plan was to employ boys as vendors to sell ice cream around the city from their bikes.

Aug. 20, 1952

One unfortunate young man – new to Lorain – found himself in hot water when he made an ice cream sale in Lakeview Park, triggering an angry reaction from the ice cream concessionaire at the bathhouse there. This article from June 25, 1954 tells the story. 

By 1955, ads began appearing in the Lorain Journal for Snow Cap Drive-in, such as this one from May 25, 1955.

And this ad from June 21, 1955 reveals that there was a whole fleet of Snow Cap Ice Cream trucks.

The company's specialty were the ice cream novelties and other treats, such as ice cream bars, drumsticks, fudge bars, and popsicles. You could also buy a half gallon of the company's ice cream. 

The drive-in continued to be advertised, perhaps to drum up some foot traffic. Snow Cap also reached out to groups and organizations to cater their ice cream socials.

These ads from 1956 reveal that Snow Cap had an agreement with the Walt Disney organization to manufacture and sell Donald Duck "Ducky Bubble Extra Large Popsicles." Quite a (duck) feather in their (Snow) Cap!

June 1, 1956

July 27, 1956

Next: the rest of the story