Wilcox Ice Cream: Family, Perseverance and Humor
May 24, 2025

Wilcox Ice Cream was once made in Manchester Village using a handheld motor and ice gathered from Equinox Pond.

The Wilcoxes operated the business in the village a century ago before moving it to the family farm a few miles south on Route 7A.

“My grandfather and his brother needed something more for the next generation to do,” says Chris Wilcox, vice president of Wilcox Ice Cream, explaining the early days of the ice cream business.

The Wilcoxes are known throughout Vermont for their ice cream, which comes in flavors like blueberry crumble, mint chip and mocha mud pie.

In the 1960s, Howard A. Wilcox took over the family ice cream business and later ran it with two of his children, Craig and Chris.

Over the years, the family has faced challenges, including a devastating fire at the farm in Manchester 24 years ago, Howard’s death in 2023, and the loss of Craig’s son, Austin, in late 2022.

“I feel that I have perseverance tattooed on my forehead,” Chris says.

Listen to the podcast episode

-Chris Wilcox with her brother, Craig, right, and her father, Howard, and nephew, Austin, in 2016.  Courtesy photo 

Family and work ethic

While growing up at the Route 7A farm—no longer affiliated with the family’s ice cream business—Chris helped label ice cream containers, move hay bales and drive a tractor, all contributing to her strong work ethic.

“We were absolutely never bored, and there was always something going on,” she recalls. “We were trained from a young age to put one foot in front of the other and keep going.”

Her father, Howard, helped grow the business until he died at age 80. He worked on a Friday at the Wilcox Ice Cream headquarters in Sunderland and died two days later on Sunday, May 21, 2023.

“We were very, very unprepared for that,” Chris recalls. “So, we began funeral preparations, and our dad always told us he wanted to go in an ice cream truck. Also, my dad was always late. He was five minutes late to his funeral and he came (to the church) in an ice cream truck.”

Happy Vermont Podcast

In this Happy Vermont podcast episode, Chris talks about ice cream, hard work and her family’s legacy.

Listen to the podcast episode

-The early days of the Wilcox family enterprise. Courtesy photo.

Get a scoop of Wilcox Ice Cream

You can find Wilcox ice cream in grocery stores and at these ice cream stands across the region:

Arlington Dairy Bar in Arlington

Cones Point in Poultney

Vermont Cookie Love in Ferrisburgh

Creami Cone in Swanzey and Chesterfield, N.H.

Creemee Stand in Wilmington

Insomnia Cookie in Burlington

The Maple Angus in West Rutland

Pop’s Biscotti and Chocolate in Ludlow

Prouty’s Parlour in Rutland

Red Barn in Stowe

Red Clover Cafe in Thetford

Rutland Snack Bar in Rutland

Scoops Ice Cream in Lake George, N.Y.

Star Theater in St. Johnsbury

The Freeze in Bennington

The Scoop in Grafton

Weston Village Store in Weston

Woodstock Scoops in Woodstock

Visit wilcox-ice-cream.com to learn more.

Subscribe to Happy Vermont 

-The Big Howie Cookie Sandwich, named after Howard Wilcox. Courtesy photo. Main photo: Wilcox mint chip ice cream at Vermont Cookie Love. Photo by Erica Houskeeper 

Where in Vermont? Test Your Knowledge of Vermont Geography

The answer to last week’s quiz is Canaan.

Winners
David Ertel
Barbara Marlow
Suzie Reider
Kim Greenwood
Carol and Bruce Wyatt
Hubie and Sherry Norton

Can you name the town in the photo below? Share your answer by commenting below (be sure to give your name) or email me at [email protected].

Winners will be mentioned in next Sunday’s email. Thanks for playing!

Want to play twice a week? Follow me on Instagram to play every Wednesday and Sunday.