Pooling Their 
Father and Son Have 
Worked Together to 
Keep on Expanding 
"Turer Springs Fisheries, largest 
goldfish and decorative water plant 
farm in the world, has developed 
from a small enterprise launched as a 
hobby in 1917. 
At that time G. L. Thomas bought 
Three Springs Farm, a 360-acre 
spread of rolling countryside in lower 
Frederick County, Maryland. 
Mr. Thomas was destined, it seemed 
at the time, for a career in the can- 
ning business or in large scale farm- 
ing. During the early days of this 
career he converted 15 acres of his 
farm into ponds, purely in the inter- 
ests of beautification. As a part of 
this program he cultivated a fringe 
of water lilies and other aquatic 
plants around the perimeter of each 
pond. Planting stocks of healthy 
brood goldfish was the next natural 
step. 
The goldfish hobby began paying 
for itself immediately, what with 
goldfish still something of a rarity in 
the country and selling, where they 
could be found at all, for 10 to 25 
cents each. 
During the few years that followed 
the goldfish business experienced a 
phenomenal growth, due principally to 
the fact that the 5 & 10-cent store 
chains, drug and department stores 
began handling them, huskies for a 
dime, the small ones for a _ nickel 
apiece. 
Thus, in the space of a few short 
years, Mr. Thomas, professional farm- 
er and goldfish hobbyist, became a 
professional hatcheryman, farming on 
a smaller scale as a hobby. 
G. L. Thomas, Jr., grew up in the 
middle of the business, taking over 
more responsibilities as he grew older 
and finally sharing the business and 
its problems with his father. Together, 
father and son have continued to ex- 
pand the fisheries, down through the 
years, as demands for their fish and 
water plants have spread to all parts 
of the world. The establishment, from 
its very inception, has never stopped 
growing. 
The fisheries early became a sort 
of tradition in Maryland. In the early 
days their frozen ponds, in winter, 
were the best skating rinks to be 
found. Crowds used to flock to the 
fisheries, too, to pick up jars of egg 
white. Tons of boiled egg yolks were 
used at the time to feed the fish, and 
the egg whites were given away. 
Angel food cake—the 13-egg kind— 
became, and still is, a traditional des- 
sert in lower Frederick County. 
Resources 
G. L. Thomas, Sr., above, founder of Three Springs Fisheries, and G. L. 
Thomas, Jr., at left below, with Emest L. Page, superintendent. 
Three Springs Fisheries, Lilypons, Maryland 
