The Ice Plant in Hagåtña
The island of Guam did not see ice, at least locally-produced ice, until the year 1900. That was less than a year after the American Navy moved in for good. The Americans were in a hurry to get their ice.
It was on October 6th of that year that the government Ice Plant was opened, amidst great fanfare.
It was on October 6th of that year that the government Ice Plant was opened, amidst great fanfare.
Since it was the Americans who introduced ice on Guam for the first time, our people just called it what the Americans called it.
Some older Chamorros, especially those with Spanish blood and breeding, may have called it by the Spanish name, hielo. The 1918 von Preissig Chamorro dictionary says that "ice" in Chamorro is called either "ais" or "ielo." But "ais" must have been the more usual word because even von Preissig says that the Chamorros called the "ice plant" the fåbrikan ais, or "ice factory."
Later, in 1921, Pedro Martinez opened his own ice plant as a private business.
When I was growing up, Pedro's Ice Plant was still in business and did a very good business especially after typhoons when the power would be out for weeks and months and there would be no refrigeration.
No comments:
Post a Comment