In Loving Memory of Russell Robinson
July 28, 1932 - September 28, 1981
The late Russell Robinson took an 'impossible dream' and he made it work.
Free! Oh, so free, like the fowl that wing forth.
Over his head in the fading night
May he ride forever here and
Forever on the never ending trail above
Ride Saddle Bum, Ride!
- Russell Robinson, excerpt from "Saddle Burn"
I was born 67 years too late.
So now I have to live my fate.
I realized this at age three,
for I hated the inside
And longed for the desert
where the wind blows so free
- Russell Robinson, excerpt from "Cowboy Ballad"
In the 1800s, the ice cave was used as a source of ice for the town of Shoshone.
In the 1940s, overdevelopment and a poorly placed access tunnel caused almost all of the ice to melt.
In the 1950s, the ice cave was acquired by the Robinson Family.
In 1962, the effect of the overdevelopment and integrity of the cave was restored by Russell Robinson.
After the death of Russell Robinson
In September 1981, his brother Dr. Henry Robinson took over the business until his death in December 2013. At that time, the ownership was passed down to Dr. Robinson's son, Charles Fred Cheslik, who passed away in December 2015. In 2019, it was sold to the current owners, Shane Wallace and Shelly Adamson.
