I was born in 1940 and I can remember a horse drawn wagon delivering ice to my aunts “icebox” and she lived in an inner city neighborhood in Houston. We lived in a little country town out side of Houston called Bellaire and we had a horse drawn wagon come and sell us fresh vegetables. I remember when the guy got his first truck. He was so proud.
My mothers family really lived out in the country and they didn't have electricity or indoor plumbing.
Yikes I am old!
Milk in glass bottles and butter delivered to the back door and put in galvanized boxes lined with exposed asbestos board insulation.
Had to shake the bottle vigorously to mix the cream or scoop some cream off the top. Paper bottle caps. Homogrnized milk came later.
I've always lived in big east coast cities. It may surprise you to know that up until the 1990s, there were still many horse-drawn produce wagons, usually manned by blacks, in Philadelphia and Baltimore. I remember them from the 1940s in the heart of Washington DC. In Baltimore, they were called "A-rabbers," with the "A" pronounced like the first alphabet letter. Why, I don't know. Eventually the yuppies shut them all down because of concerns over the horses. Now you still see a few with pickup trucks. Convenient way to get fresh fruits and vegetables without having to tote them home in the city if your street is on their route.