Colorful vintage signs line the walls of the front office of the Wilcox Ice Cream factory in Sunderland. The signs paint a vivid portrait of the history of an iconic family-owned business. A framed receipt of a transaction between the Wilcox family farm and the Equinox Hotel from 1889 rests in a prominent alcove, paying homage to the early origins of their dairy business in the 19th century. The Wilcox family first settled in Vermont in the early 1800s in Sandgate. In 1928, just a little more than a century later, third-generation Wilcox family members Dutch and Roger Wilcox began making ice cream. Refrigeration technology was still in its early development back then, so their ice cream was made in small, on-demand batches with ice that was harvested during the winter from nearby Equinox Pond. Many things have changed since those early days, but after all these years, not only is Wilcox Ice Cream still faithfully serving Vermont and neighboring states with their delicious products, but they have also prevailed over enormous adversity and come back stronger than ever. They have taken their business in new and exciting directions—all while remaining an honest, family-owned company founded on hardworking Vermont values. In 2001, a tragic fire destroyed the milking plant and ice cream–production facility at the old Wilcox Ice Cream factory. Much was lost on that day, but the Wilcox family never lost hope. After vowing to find a way to continue carrying on their legacy of ice cream excellence, they moved to four different locations in Vermont, to upstate New York, and to Massachusetts during the 14 years following the calamitous fire in order to continue making their ice cream true to their recipe. In this time of transition, fourth- and fifth- generation family members Howard and Christina Wilcox worked 20-hour manchester life magazine 2020 89