Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Dairymen Come To Covington

In 1905, a "modern creamery" was established at the Sans Souci dairy farm north of Covington, where the Playmakers Theater is located today.


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According to this article from the St. Tammany Farmer 113 years ago, the dairymen started their own association in 1909.


In 1911, a model dairy was proposed and the dairy industry was promoted in Mandeville.




Military Road Dairy sells milk in Covington

In 1922, they were thinking about setting up a milk depot in Covington. 


Here's another dairy industry article from 1955



A 1955 tour of dairy farms in the area

The Story of Prats Dairy in Abita Springs




Delivery driver Maurice Tisdale in 1956. Phone number 162

In 1973, some 44 years ago, the dairy farmers of St. Tammany Parish held a summer bar-be-que. Here's a picture and some information with quite a few names of the longtime dairy farmers.

Click on the images to make them larger and more readable. 


 
Dairymen enjoy barbecue

The Florida Parishes June Dairy Month Committee sponsored a St. Tammany Parish Dairy Barbecue at Donice Thompson's camp off of Bennett Bridge road recently, honoring over a dozen parish diarymen.

Over 50 persons, including dairymen, family members and friends attended the cook-out with swimming in a nearby river, horseshoe throwing, darts and ping pong among the games played.

Certificates of appreciation were handed out to the dairymen testifying to their years with the industry. The June Dairy Month committee had been coordinating a month long commemoration of the dairy industry and the cook-out  ended the planned activities.

Among the dairymen honored were Delos Thompson for 31 years in the business, Donice Thompson for 30 years, Esther Cazubon for 27 years, Mrs. John Prats for 25 years, Clarence Baham for 24 years, Roy Oalmann for 24 years, Owen Sharp for 23 years, Henry Mauthe for 22 years, Truman Sharp for 21 years, Herman Sharp for 21 years, Ezra Rainey for 21 years, Dudley Rainey for 15 years, Bobby Rainey for 10 years, Charles Even for 16 years, J. H. Foster for 11 years, Jerry Bruhl for eight years, Paul Fitzmorris Jr. for six, Doyle Glass for four, Roy Pierre for three and Tommy King for two.

Ladies who are members of the June Dairy Month Committee are Mrs. Paul Fitzmorris Jr., Mrs. Jerry Bruhl, Mrs. Donice Thompson and Mrs. Delos Thompson.
Brief comments were made by the committee concerning the hard times that had befallen dairymen and the coming crisis in increasing costs. The dairymen were thanked for their many years of faithful service to the St. Tammany Parish diary industry, service totaling over 340 years.

The barbecue was a cooperative effort among parish merchants and members of the dairy community.

Among those present were Police Juror Red Thompson and C. A. Stewart, president of the Louisiana  Milk Producers Association.

The fact that only 21 dairymen were left in St. Tammany Parish was mentioned.
June had been named Dairy Month to help keep milk and milk products sales up after the closing of schools. Better production during the month had usually increased supplies when the demand was down, thereby bringing down prices.

The end of school and steadier production practices have eased the situation somewhat, but June is still celebrated as the month to honor dairies. Both statewide and national campaigns are initiated to salute the dairy industry.   1973


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