Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

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The organization was reincorporated and additional
stocks were issued to set the total share holders at 300.
The new building, made of rough red brick. was
erected across the street and slightly to the north of the
old creamery. Completed in 1920, the building was
initiated into service in March of that year.
Many changes took place through the years.
Refrigerator cars, trucks and machinery changed the
methods of production. In 1918 the creamery had only
one chum with which to make butter. The continuous
ice cream freezer accomplished its work only by being
kept chilled by a brine of salt and ice.All cooling in the
creamery was done with ice, which was laboriously
hauled in wagons from the ice house on the
Wapsipinicon River. Modern ammonia machines
replaced the old ice methods.
The first truck used by the creamery was a secondhand
Model T Ford. purchased in 1921.
In 1918 Henry Morey was manager-secretary, with
C.A. Miller his buttermaker. In 1922 Morey was
replaced by Clayton Hartman who remained until
1929. N.O. Bendickson was supervisor until 1931, with
Carl Knutsen taking over from 1931 to 1933. In 1933
A. Hazel Smith became manager and retained that
position until his retirement in June 1958.
The creamery was both a retail and wholesale
operation. Cream brought for processing was made into
butter, and milk and cream were bottled and ice cream
was manufactured. Trucks made daily deliveries to
homes in Anamosa, and retail outlets and stores in
neighboring towns had regular deliveries of ice cream
products.
Livestock feed was also sold at the creamery and,
when the railroad was passing through the Anamosa
area. the feed would be delivered in railroad cars to the
creamery warehouse. Many other farrn-related items
were sold by the firm. such as cream cans, coolers, fly
sprays. 50 bags of flour, pancake flours, soap powders.
motor oils, and many other items, making it a one-stop
shopping center for its patrons.
In 1950 the creamery began to make cottage cheese
adding another product to the wholesale and retail
business. At that time, the officers were: Alvin Byerly,
president; Harold Hartman, vice-president: Burton
Brown. secretary; and I-Iarold Heefner, treasurer. Other
directors were: Henry Yanda, Bert Wink, H.J. Johnson.
Frank Pillard, Darrell Meredith and Lee Finn.
Regular full-time employees were: A. Hazel Smith.
manager; Mildred Barker, Clyde Barker, M.E. Boots,Jr..
Lloyd Green, Harold Gray, Budd Cook, Walter
Farrington. Hubert Newhard, Lester Houstman, Roy
Folkerts. Robert Neville, Virgil Hinz, and Howard
Farrington. Cream haulers were D.B. Tharp, William
Filter, Menno Otten. William Ray and Ralph Clemens.
In 1951 the Anamosa Farmers Creamery set an alltime
record production by producing over one million
pounds of butter.
In April 1954 construction began on a new building
located next door south. When fully equipped, it was
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Anamosa Farmer's Creamery work force about
1937, left to right: Gertrude Brown, Harold Gray,
Matthew Boots, A. Hazel Smith, Harold Gavin and
Clyde S. Barker. (Photo submitted by Roy Foikerts)
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Anamosa Farmer's Creamery delivery truck in
I947 (Photo submitted by Roy Folkerts)
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1943 photo of the Anamosa Farmer's Creamery
staff. Back row: Fiavei DeLancey, Herbert Leeper.
Mildred Meeks. A. Hazel Smith. Roy Folkerts. Front
row: “Zeke” Evans, Clyde S. Barker, Herman Adams.
Lester Houstman, Matthew Boots. (Photo submitted
by Roy Folkerts)