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to the Insulator Collectors' PagesHi, My name is Leon Prestia, Jr. I now live in Lake Charles, LA. I am originally from New Orleans. I first got involved in collecting insulators in 2002, shortly after I purchased a computer and typed "HEMINGRAY" into the search engine which soon led me to www.insulators.info. I had a Hemingray #40 aqua that had been sitting in a box of other railroad items that I inherited from my grandfather when he passed away back in 1990. He was a lifelong employee of the Illinois Central R.R. and worked at their yard in Vicksburg, MS.
I spent my childhood summers with my grandparents in Mississippi and was always fascinated by my grandfather's stories of the railroad. I was fortunate enough to experience watching trains go by when they still had cabooses. Railroads helped to shape our great nation, and I believe insulators are an important contribution to their history and development. As of now, I've been on a few hunts.
Most were solo, but my father came along on a couple, and my wife (fianc�e at the time) was convinced to come along on one. Those hunts were within short drives from New Orleans. They were from dead poles on active lines in Jefferson, Luling, Paradis, Donaldsonville, and a more recent hunt in Roanoke. Most have resulted in common Hemingray 40s,42s,45s,Whitall Tatum 1s,spools,and some brown porcelains (Donaldsonville), which were beehive shaped and embossed with the state of Illinois and 1920s dates.
I collect for fun and do not focus on any particular style. As far as I'm concerned, every insulator has a story to tell. I buy insulators that catch my eye because of color, swirls, or bubbles, etc. I really enjoy the thrill of finding insulators in the wild and would love to join others in group hunts in Louisiana as well as Mississippi and east Texas.
Leon Prestia Jr.
1791 Justin Lane
Lake Charles, LA 70605
Last updated Sunday, September 26, 2004