Tara Ceiling Fan Company
- by Southern Fan Company
Story and information by Dan Spiffy Neuman.
My Tara Story
The Tara Ceiling Fan was made by
Southern Fan Co.
in Tyler, Texas from 1979-1989. It was a variable speed fan with a GE
motor.
I first saw this fan hanging in a lumberyard at
age 5, and was fascinated by it. It was brown and brass with wood
blades, and very dusty. The woman there let me play with the speeds on
it. I went back there around age 10, and the fan had been replaced.
Gone. I was heartbroken. And to make matters worse, they were teasing me
by leaving the canopy from the original fan on the replacement.
Every building I went into I looked, and no matter where I went, I never
saw another fan like this. As I got older, and started to buy and
collect ceiling fans, I always kept an eye out, but never found one.
Recently, and I'm older now, I posted a
sketch
and a description of the fan on an internet site for fan collectors. A
friend recognized the description, and that was when I learned that my
childhood mystery fan had a name: Tara.
I am looking for any fans or parts, for
sentimental value and for my collection. I am interested in any fans in
any finish or condition that I come across. Please email me
mtneuman@mailbag.com.
Please keep in mind that if you have one of these fans installed, they
have some rubber and plastic parts that wear out over time and become a
safety hazarrd.
Below is a link to a separate page with are photos of the lumberyard, of
the replacement fan (still up there all these years later) and of the
canopy of the original fan. These are included to share the setting of
where my interest in these fans was sparked. What an odd place to find a
fan, no?
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