Ice Mountain earned its nicknames "Nature's Ice Box" and "Nature's Refrigerator" because of its use by Native Americans and early settlers for storage of perishable food items during the warmer months of the year. During the American Civil War, Ice Mountain was used as a lookout point while the surrounding area served as the scene of numerous small skirmishes. Thomas McMackin's Confederate militia company camped alongside North River at the base of Raven Rocks, where a was placed from daybreak to dusk. Around the late 19th and early 20th centuries, North River Mills residents would celebrate Independence Day and other occasions as late as September by digging up ice from the talus for the making of ice cream and lemonade.