Date: c. 1918

 

Description: This is a section of a long postcard featuring different rooms of Hanford’s Produce Company, a creamery manufacturer based out of Sioux City on First Street between Court and Virginia. Hanford’s began in 1890 by Arthur S. Hanford. He was the inventor of an idea called the “centralized butter plant,” in which the company only bought cream from local farmers at centralized locations. In 1920 Hanford’s plant paid over $7,000,000 to area farmers for cream, and produced over ten million pounds of butter. The plant also manufactured other cream products like ice cream and sold eggs. The creamery was self-contained, with its own power, water, refrigeration, repair and re-tinning shops. In 1927 Hanford sold his business to Central Distributors, who retained the Hanford name until 1937. Then Pilley & Sons, who had worked for Hanford in the past, bought the company and renamed it Pilley’s. Pilley’s was sold in 1949 to City Products Corp, who maintained the name for many years. After Hanford sold the creamery, he became president of First National Bank.

 

Donor: Donald Weaver