The ice house in Dublin was on west elm street, one block off the main street. I went there when I was a very small child to get ice. I do not know when it went out of business. Part of it was turned into a locker plant and operated ini that capacity for a long time. Buster McCarty worked there for years and I'm pretty sure he was the manager. Elizabeth ----- Original Message ----- From: "HaynesO'Neil" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2003 9:03 PM Subject: Re: [ERATH] Andrew J. Spencer > Lynette, Your questions are challenging my memory, which is pretty pocked > with holes something akin to Swiss cheese. If I remember correctly, the ice > plant was on Belknap street about two blocks or so from the town square. > (Charles or someone correct me if I'm wrong here). It was either in the same > block or one down from the theater. It wasn't large, just a small business, > but of course was vital to the people of Stephenville prior to > refrigeration. Many of the farmers outside of town had to wait many years to > get electricity poles put up in their area, so they relied on ice from the > plant (long after the city people) for their perishables, drinks, etc. > People would mostly buy blocks of ice for their "ice boxes" but also crushed > ice for manual ice cream makers and such. The ice plant kept in business > until the late 1950's or early 1960's when it went out of business. I guess > by then ice was being brought in from Ft. Worth in trucks and sold through > stores in bags. Also by then, the whole area was electrified and even the > rural people had refrigerators, so the demand was small. > > I loved to go there on my summer errands with my grandfather, Bryan > Wood/Christopher's brother. We would pull up to the plant at a loading dock, > and in the hot summer it was a real treat. It was probably about the only > place in town that was "air-conditioned". We would walk into the loading > area and the cold air was wonderful. I believe the floors were cement. I > remember thinking how lucky the men were who worked there (I don't know what > happened to them or what it was like in the winter when the demand for ice > would have been small, probably not so pleasant being cold all day). They > moved the blocks around by huge tongs and dollies, and since the ice was > very heavy, the men had to have some bit of fitness. > > My guncle Christopher Wood was a very nice man and he worked there as far > back as I can remember. I don't remember if he was plant manager or just an > employee. Anyway, one day in the 1950's he accidentally tripped over a super > sharp cycle or blade that was used to cut the ice and cut off all of his > toes on one foot. He limped the rest of his life. So the work was somewhat > dangerous with the wet, slippery floors, heavy weights, and sharp cutting > instruments. > > There weren't that many people who worked there......only a handful, if my > memory serves me correctly. It was quiet there, not like what you would > think, and the activity was slow. The term "ice plant" sounds like a large > industrial, noisy, busy place, but it wasn't like that at all. > > My mother would probably remember more, if you still need additional > information. Anyway, hope this helps give you a better picture of what it > was like for your relative. My Best, Randy Haynes > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2003 3:02 PM > Subject: Re: [ERATH] Andrew J. Spencer > > > > In a message dated 6/30/03 9:49:14 PM Pacific Daylight Time, > > [email protected] writes: > > Dear Randy, > > Thanks for the reply, Andrew did have two sisters Mary and Allis/Alice, > but > > they both lived in Hunt County, TX. > > > > However, your side note interests me very much. Do you have any > information > > on the Ice Plant? Was there more than one, where was it located, is it > still > > in business, etc.? > > > > Is there a professional genealogist who would be willing to search court > > records for me? A very kind member of this mailing list did look for a > death > > record for Andrew, but found nothing. As he owned a house on Black Jack > Street, > > > > Dublin there should be records of the sale. > > > > Thanks again for try to help, > > Lynette in CA > > > > > > > > > > > I have a Spencer about that time in my database. Her name was Martha > > > Francis > > > Spencer who married John Hamilton Stephen. Don't know if this is your > family > > > or not, but could have been a sister to your Andrew J. > > > > > > Also, just as a sidenote, my great-uncle, Christopher Wood worked at the > Ice > > > Plant most of his life. > > > > > > My Best, Randy Haynes > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== TXERATH Mailing List ==== > > --- Author Retains Copyright --- > > -- Copyright 2003 Author -- All Rights Reserved > > Post to List: [email protected] http://www.selfroots.com > > Unsubscribe request To: [email protected] > > ARCHIVES: http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl > > > > > > > > ==== TXERATH Mailing List ==== > --- Author Retains Copyright --- > -- Copyright 2003 Author -- All Rights Reserved > Post to List: [email protected] http://www.selfroots.com > Unsubscribe request To: [email protected] > ARCHIVES: http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl >