Ice cream social to foster Ilasco history awareness

This gathering of people is representative of social events in the town of Ilasco during the early years of the town’s settlement. An ice cream social, planned for June 22, will replicate the sentiment of the former gathering, in a modern-day celebration of how the town of Ilasco once united people from many countries.

MARY LOU MONTGOMERY

Reminiscent of the early 1900s’ gatherings held at the unique cement factory town of Ilasco, the preservation group, Historic Ilasco, will host an Ice Cream Social from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 22. Proceeds will go toward ongoing education and preservation projects.

The event will take place in a portion of the village, along Missouri highway 79, that has been preserved for historical review. A key building remaining on the former town site is Al’s Tavern, which once served plant workers and their families.

During the past decades, the preservation committee, led for many years by David and Sally Polc, has transformed this small portion of the former town of Ilasco into a memorial to the men and women who left their home countries to come to America. They raised their families at Ilasco, their children attended school, and the bread winners worked in the plant which ultimately made the cement used in the construction of the Panama Canal.

The June 22 Ice Cream Social will raise money - and awareness - for the continued preservation of this unique way of life in rural Ralls County, Missouri.

“I hope everyone has fun,” said Angela Brown, the chair of this event and member of Historic Ilasco. “There will be places to sit and enjoy some laughs.” In addition to ice cream, “they’ll get a commemorative sticker that shows they came; something to take home.”

Advance tickets, at $10 or $15, depending on serving size, are available online at: ilascomo.com

These advance sales will help planners know how much ice cream to have on hand. “I want to be able to know how much ice cream to bring; hopefully we will do this every year.”

The ice cream will be served by Smooth As Ice, located at 218 N. Main Street. The business has a food trailer that will be onsite.

An event unique to Smooth As Ice will be an ice cream challenge. The business fills what they call “the kitchen sink” with 40 ounces of ice cream. “If you can eat that in 20 minutes, you get your money back,” Angela said. “I’m hoping that some people will do that for fun. I love silly things like that.”

Tickets for the kitchen sink challenge are $60. If successful, they get $40 back, and the other $20 will be a donation to Historic Ilasco.

A topping bar, hosted by The Warped Spoon and Finn’s Food and Spirits, will also be available.

The event will be held, rain or shine.

A portion of the proceeds will be used for a Christmas 2025 light display at the memorial site.

“For the first time since (long-time tavern owner) Al Venditti lived there, there will be a Christmas light display,” she said. They have an agreement with a local business to create a display visible from Missouri highway 79.

The goal is to have the lights in place in time for the Christmas Church Tour, scheduled for December 2025. The Holy Cross Catholic Church at Ilasco will be a tour participant.

Coming soon will be the announcement of custom T-shirts which will be sold in conjunction with the Ice Cream Social tickets.

Angela is hopeful about getting the word out for the Ice Cream Social, and attracting young people to attend.

“We need younger people involved,” she said, “interested young people who love history or who are descendants of people from Ilasco. They don’t have to join the board, but to start learning now, so that someday they will be interested enough to join the board.”

So much has been accomplished, regarding the preservation and memorial at Ilasco. “I don’t want everything that has been done to fall apart,” she said.