Red's Icehouse | Shem Creek

A Short History of Red and his Icehouse

Lewis Hughes “Red” Simmons

Born in Mount Pleasant on November 12, 1937

Red became part of the shrimping and fishing industry very early in his life. The Simmons family dock was built in 1957 to provide a shrimp packing shed for local shrimpers.

By 1970, Red headed the business built upon these same old concrete floors, providing countless tons of the sea’s bounty to many a supper table. In the mid-1970s Red installed a big ice blowing machine to fill the ice holds of the local fleet.

He provided ice and fish packing services until the late 1990s by which time he was ready to retire and start traveling with his wife, Cindy. The couple loved seeing the world and spent many a memorable time together until Red’s untimely ‘Crossing Of The Bar’ in September 2002.

He is truly loved and missed by all. It was Red’s desire that this old fish and ice house be transformed into a public gathering place at the water’s edge where locals and visitors, regardless of their age, wealth or culture, could gather, watch the boats go by and help celebrate, preserve and protect the rich and storied traditions of Shem Creek. This is our aim here at Red’s Icehouse.

God bless Red for his work… and vision!