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 >