Ice and coal companies delivered ice in summer and coal in winter to meet the growing demands of consumers and businesses for refrigeration and heat. The collection consists of trade cards from seventy-one companies that were used as advertisements and as order tickets for ice and coal.

William F. Endress, Inc. was a coal and ice supplier at 66 Foote Ave. in Jamestown, New York. The company was founded by Colonel William Fries Endress (1855-1935). In 1897, Endress purchased three existing brickyards owned by M.J. Mecusker & Sons, Jamestown Shale Paving Company, and C.A. Morley, Jr., which he then consolidated into a wholesale and retail establishment selling brick, wood, cement, and tile, but which specialized in the sale of anthracite, bituminous, and lignite coal. In 1902, Endress expanded into the ice and cold storage business, opening the first freezer storage facility in the city.

This collection consists of ten perforated pages containing six coupons each. Each coupon was redeemable for twenty-five pounds of ice from William F. Endress, Inc.