Idaho History: Early dairymen found a ready market for their products

Idaho’s pioneers had fresh milk, butter and other dairy products as early as 1865. We know this because of the directory compiled by George Owen in that year, published in San Francisco. It bears the cumbersome title “A general directory and business guide of the principal towns east of the Cascade Mountains, for the year 1865, including valuable historical and statistical information: together with a map of Boise Basin, embracing a portion of Ada, Owyhee and Alturas counties.”

The guide lists “T.A. Ellis, dairyman,” and “William S. Harley, dairyman, Montgomery Street,” in Idaho City, and “H. Conant, dairyman” in Boise City. Idaho’s population was in constant flux in the early years, and none of these men were still in Idaho in 1870 when the first federal census of the territory was taken. By that year, however, there were many dairies and dairymen in Boise Basin.

They are listed as John F.T. Basaye, 24, of Illinois; Hiram Pixley, 46, New York; J.H. Terry, 35, Canada, and Idaho-born Manassa Lossin, age 10, who was “herding cows” for Terry. Eugene M. Goff, 22, was from Vermont. Nelson H. Darrah, 28, was from Prussia, and working for him was Charles Randall of Illinois. Charles Croucher, 35, was from England, and William Arthur Bull was from Missouri. John Hanafan, 36, was from Ireland, and George Francis Stone, 43, was a native of Vermont.

Curiously, no dairymen were listed for Ada County in 1870, so they must have been lumped together with farmers, of which there were hundreds.

The Idaho Tri-weekly Statesman of June 25, 1874, noted that “Ed Bryon of the Warm Springs Ranch is making cheese as good as any ever manufactured in the county.” It is almost certain that Bryon got this favorable review of his cheese through the gift of a sample to Editor Milton Kelly, as was the practice at the time.

In February 1877, Ada County founder Henry Chiles Riggs, who was now farming in Emmett Valley, received this notice from Kelly: “Choice Butter. Our esteemed friend, H.C. Riggs, is in town with a choice lot of nice fresh butter.” In April, Kelly reported “Dairy at Warm Springs. Mr. and Mrs. James Dunn, who lease and operate the resort, will carry on an extensive dairy this season; they are already milking 18 cows and will milk 50 soon.” (The Dunns were renting the Warm Springs resort east of Table Rock from owner Milton Kelly.)

In the 1880s, Boise’s leading dairyman was Francis Marion “Frank” Davis, younger brother of Thomas Jefferson Davis, the city’s leading fruit grower. (Tom Davis would one day donate the land for Julia Davis Park, in honor of his wife.) Frank Davis advertised regularly in the Idaho Statesman, with this message: “Milk and Butter For Everybody. The undersigned has the best tame pasture and is prepared to deliver the choicest quality of milk to families in any part of the town at 25 cents per gallon; or $3 per month for one quart per day; or $5 per month for two quarts per day. It is cheaper to buy milk of me than it is to keep a cow. The best quality of butter will be delivered when called for. Give me your orders while on my daily round if you want the best milk or the best butter. Frank M. Davis.”

In 1885, Davis advertised as proprietor of the Locust Grove Dairy Farm and was making deliveries twice daily, and taking orders by telephone. “We have been in the business 15 years and have the cleanest and best appointed dairy, barn, cellar, milk house and fixtures in the Territory and will guarantee our milk and cream to be pure and sweet and the best quality of butter that can be made. Come and see our dairy farm and inspect our arrangements and you will be sure to give us your orders.”

When dairyman B. Gladheart from Weiser Valley came to Boise in September1885, the Statesman reported that he had called at the office with a sample of his “Sweitzer cheese, pronounced by experts to be a superior article.” It paid to advertise, especially if you could pay for it with a sample of your product.

Arthur Hart writes this column on Idaho history for the Idaho Statesman each Sunday. Email histnart@gmail.com.