Fairhope, Alabama
INGERSOLL FAMILY HISTORY DISCUSSED
During a recent weekly 'Tea For Two' presentation at the Museum of History, Clyde Ingersoll talked about his family's long history in Fairhope and experiences growing up on their dairy farm.
He said his grandfather Fred's family came from Iowa around the turn of the century (1900); their home was on Blue Island Street (west of Winn St.) in the 1930's when he went into the dairy business and cows free-ranged across vacant pastures to the east all the way to Greeno Road.
Later, the dairy moved to south Greeno Road (funeral home area now) where they produced, bottled, and delivered milk daily all the way from Pt. Clear to Spanish Fort.
The dairy provided milk to the Baldwin County Schools in the area as well, and sold cream to Delchamps grocery to make ice cream, he said.
Clyde said he and his siblings worked on the farm after school and on weekends; but when he got older (11th, 12th grades) he got a job as a substitute school bus driver making $25/ day (for transporting teams to sports events) before graduating in 1971.
Their 60- 70 cows had to be milked twice a day (using machines) and produced about 250-300 gallons/day.
AIR CONDITIONING BUSINESS STARTED LATER
After learning about refrigeration on the dairy farm and taking correspondence courses through the mail, his father Glen started an air conditioning business in the 1960's.
Clyde said he attended AC refrigeration trade school in Mobile then helped his father with the business when he got home.
"Everybody wanted air conditioning ... window units at first... then central ... very popular in the 60's and 70's."
After 50 years, 'Ingersoll's Refrigeration and Air Conditioning' is still going strong.
HORSE MONUMENT TO STAY
Ingersoll said his father bought the 10 acres along Ingleside Avenue where a former owner's monument to his favorite horse and dog now stands (T.H. Molton); but the monument was first-located further east, about where the front of the 'Agave' restaurant is today.
When the Ecor Rouge Place shopping center was being built in he 1970's, he and his brother "dragged it" to its current location (in the field behind Agave) to save it from demolition.
Recently, he has been contacted about re-locating it (including by a descendant of the mason who built it); but as far as he was concerned it will stay where it is "as long as I am around."
(During another presentation about a month ago another museum speaker, local attorney and historian Ken Niemeyer, proposed moving the monument back nearer to what he believes is its original location, the Molton house property at the Fairhope/Ingleside Avenue intersection ... to save it from potential new development at its current location.)
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| Clyde Ingersoll seated at left (back to windows) |
INGERSOLL FAMILY HISTORY DISCUSSED
During a recent weekly 'Tea For Two' presentation at the Museum of History, Clyde Ingersoll talked about his family's long history in Fairhope and experiences growing up on their dairy farm.
He said his grandfather Fred's family came from Iowa around the turn of the century (1900); their home was on Blue Island Street (west of Winn St.) in the 1930's when he went into the dairy business and cows free-ranged across vacant pastures to the east all the way to Greeno Road.
Later, the dairy moved to south Greeno Road (funeral home area now) where they produced, bottled, and delivered milk daily all the way from Pt. Clear to Spanish Fort.
The dairy provided milk to the Baldwin County Schools in the area as well, and sold cream to Delchamps grocery to make ice cream, he said.
Clyde said he and his siblings worked on the farm after school and on weekends; but when he got older (11th, 12th grades) he got a job as a substitute school bus driver making $25/ day (for transporting teams to sports events) before graduating in 1971.
Their 60- 70 cows had to be milked twice a day (using machines) and produced about 250-300 gallons/day.
AIR CONDITIONING BUSINESS STARTED LATER
After learning about refrigeration on the dairy farm and taking correspondence courses through the mail, his father Glen started an air conditioning business in the 1960's.
Clyde said he attended AC refrigeration trade school in Mobile then helped his father with the business when he got home.
"Everybody wanted air conditioning ... window units at first... then central ... very popular in the 60's and 70's."
After 50 years, 'Ingersoll's Refrigeration and Air Conditioning' is still going strong.
HORSE MONUMENT TO STAY
Ingersoll said his father bought the 10 acres along Ingleside Avenue where a former owner's monument to his favorite horse and dog now stands (T.H. Molton); but the monument was first-located further east, about where the front of the 'Agave' restaurant is today.
When the Ecor Rouge Place shopping center was being built in he 1970's, he and his brother "dragged it" to its current location (in the field behind Agave) to save it from demolition.
Recently, he has been contacted about re-locating it (including by a descendant of the mason who built it); but as far as he was concerned it will stay where it is "as long as I am around."
(During another presentation about a month ago another museum speaker, local attorney and historian Ken Niemeyer, proposed moving the monument back nearer to what he believes is its original location, the Molton house property at the Fairhope/Ingleside Avenue intersection ... to save it from potential new development at its current location.)
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| Monument today |
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