Items are produced everywhere. There are multiple companies producing items everywhere. Almost everything is made by a company, unless it is homemade or is naturally as-is. Canning is an important part of manufacturing because almost any food can be canned. Things like corn, carrots, peas, green beans and kidney beans are canned. The production processes of the items are very interesting. Beard Ice Company Before ice could be stored in refrigerators, keeping it cold was a big problem. In those days there was no technology good enough to refrigerate well enough. Before the invention of refrigerators, the only way to cool items was an insulated box filled with ice. During the time the insulated box was around, it only worked for a short time. Although the insulated box also required a lot of ice, it cooled very well. Ice was hard to get in the summer, so it made it even harder to cool things down (Burton 52). Before 1830 it was not possible to produce ice. Before 1830 ice had to be harvested in winter. The collected ice was stored until summer and then sold for profit. William Cotton saw an opportunity to organize a company and did so. (Burton 52) John Custer became William Cotton's partner in the 1840s in the ice business. To produce ice they built a dam to produce ice in the winter. The dam had problems and collapsed, which was a big problem (Burton 52). Custer abandoned Mr. Cotton in 1875. Custer left Cotton alone. John Beard helped Custer build a dam and was rewarded by partnering with the company. By 1905 Beard ran virtually the entire company. Then in 1905 the company name was changed to Beard Ice Company (Burton 52). The beard now had a slogan. The slogan... in the center of the card... is fascinating due to the wide variety of production. The different things produced could be found right at your home due to the numerous amount of corn fields. You could probably even see things being produced taken to their manufacturing companies and see them being boxed up and shipped to another state. Works Cited Burton, Grant A. "Page 52." Illinois History: Manufacturing and Retailing in Illinois. Illinois State Historical Library, 1978. Print.Meiss, Cindy. Illinois History: Manufacturing and Retailing in Illinois. Illinois State Historical Library, 1982. Print.Http://www.deere.com/wps/dcom/en_US/corporate/our_company/about_us/history/timeline/timeline.page. 2014. Web. May 20, 2014. Clemmons, Harlen. Illinois History: Manufacturing and Retailing in Illinois. Illinois State Historical Library, 1978. Print.