The Story of The Penn Yonge Fish Nursery and Ponds
Spring Villa Fish Nursery
Penn Yonge's ambition for Spring Villa was to create a model fish lake and dairy farm for the nation.
Penn has ads for the Spring Villa Fish Nursery
In 1871 he placed the first ads in Columbus and Montgomery, for the new Spring Villa Fish Nursery run by William Gesner, selling eggs and fry fish - trout, bream, dace, redhorse, perch fish (The town was called Yongesboro, Lee, AL)
Penn has a trout hanging in the Rotunda!
In 1872 the AL Senate passed a bill to encourage Fish Culture in the state. Col. Penn Yonge has a specimen of trout hanging in the Rotunda of the Capitol
Story about the finest and most extensive fish ponds in the South possible the United States. Over 7 acres of water averaging 7 ft in depth, fed by ten large and bold springs of clear water.
In 1878 he was nominated for Federal Fish Commissioner
In 1880 after Penn's death in 1878, the Fish Nursery was swept away in a flood.
Sources:
4/6/1871 Montgomery Advertiser p2 ad fish nursery
2/15/1872 Montgomery Advertiser p3 Penn Yonge's trout hanging the Rotunda of the AL Capitol
5/23/1875 Montgomery Advertiser long story about Penn's fish and environs
5/23/1878 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer p2 nominated for Fish Commissioner
5/28/1880 Opelika Times Fish Nursery swept away in flood
