Ever wonder why the Gaylord Palms "Best of Florida Christmas" celebration includes a 9-degree refrigerated ICE! attraction?
It actually pays tribute to a famous Floridian - Dr. John Gorrie.
Dr. Gorrie was a physician, scientist, inventor, and humanitarian. He also is considered the father of air conditioning and refrigeration.
Yes... there would be no ice (or ICE! for that matter) if it wasn't for Dr. Gorrie.
During an outbreak of yellow fever, Dr. Gorrie was concerned for patients ill with the disease. He advocated the cooling of sickrooms to reduce fever and to make patients more comfortable. He cooled rooms with ice in a basin suspended from the ceiling. Cool air flowed down across the patient and through an opening near the floor.
Since the ice for his experiment had to be brought by boat from northern lakes, Dr. Gorrie began to experiment with making artificial ice. Consequently, he succeeded by inventing a machine that produced ice. This machine lay the groundwork for modern refrigeration and air-conditioning.
On May 6, 1851, he was granted Patent No. 8080. The original model of this machine is at the Smithsonian Institution.
Gorrie represents Florida in the National Statuary Hall in Washington D. C., where a statue stands in his honor. Every year in Kissimmee, we honor his “chilling” legacy with ICE! at Gaylord Palms.
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