Artifact of the Week — November 16, 2023

Mack Farm

When Aquilla Wilson Mack settled in our area in 1854 in the homestead still known as Mack Farm, his son, Gerling Milton Mack, was 16 years old. Gerling was wounded in the Civil War before returning home to marry Laura Louisa Ann Gilbreath. Of their 7 children, their daughter Lou De Anna Mack married Luther E. Massey. Luther Massey began a dairy business named Mack Farm Dairy in 1928 when refrigeration was nonexistent and deliveries were house to house, twice a day after the cows were hand milked.

Ten years later, Gene Mack Massey, Luther’s son, ran the business, which grew from a single delivery truck to multiple trucks running dozens of delivery routes in nine counties.

Mack Farm Dairy delivery truck
Mack Farm Dairy delivery truck

The Mack Farm Dairy processing plant on Main Street opened in 1946. This marks the first recorded time milk was formally tested in an on-site laboratory before shipment.

When Gene Massey passed away, his wife, Mrs. Emma Massey, headed the business from 1969 to 1981. At its peak in the 1970s, Mack Farm Dairy employed 40 people and produced 900,000 gallons of milk annually.

Ms. Betty Barnett and Ms. Julia Nail, descendants from this long line of Independence County founders, have supplied Old Independence Regional Museum’s “A Taste of Home” exhibit with dozens of artifacts relating to their family’s dairy business. We will begin showcasing these artifacts in January 2024 when the “A Taste of Community” exhibit, which is a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, formally opens.

November is a time to give thanks, and the Mack, Massey, Barnett, and Nail families have blessed OIRM with their talents, time, stories, ideas, and countless donations. We wish to give thanks to all the Mack family descendants.

Categories: Artifact of the Week, items in our collections | Comments Off on Artifact of the Week — November 16, 2023

Artifact of the Week — November 8, 2023

J. K. Southerland

J. K. Southerland’s poultry empire sprung to life in 1935 when his wife, Cleo, discovered her chicken had hatched a dozen eggs. When the chicks grew to pullets, J. K. sold them for $1.00 each, a huge amount of money in the midst of the Great Depression. Southerland recognized poultry could be a thriving industry and decided to build a laying house on his property. At that time, production chickens were raised more naturally, venturing outside whenever they wanted, which meant they were easy prey for many predators. His new method of containing the chickens at night gave him a financial edge, and his business prospered.

Chickens need feed. Rather than relying on others, Southerland decided to finance his own feed store, then expanded to include more feed stores throughout the region. Southerland also grew tired of transporting his chickens to the processing plant in Memphis, which is a journey he and his company drivers made frequently. Southerland opted to close that gap as well by building a processing plant. With every part in place, J. K. Southerland built an empire that no longer had to rely on an abundance of outside help. He did order feed from Purina, and his feed stores, vehicles, uniforms, and even pith helmets bore the telltale signs of Purina’s white and red checkerboard.

Pith Helmet
Pith Helmet

At every turn Southerland invested his money in another chicken-related venture, eventually leading to dozens of hatcheries, processing plants, mills, and feed stores. Many of his ventures included subcontractors in the guise of local chicken farmers. In this manner and by hiring local workers for his growing businesses, Southerland significantly bolstered our area’s economy. To this date, poultry remains a major employer in our area. Broiler production in Arkansas ranks third in the United States.

J. K. Southerland Broiler Supplies
J. K. Southerland Broiler Supplies

This November Old Independence Regional Museum is again honoring our patrons with “Artifact of the Week” articles highlighting their amazing stories. Learn more about the Southerlands by visiting OIRM beginning in January 2024 when we open our exhibit “A Taste of Community” in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution. We will showcase dozens of local businesses and individuals who have contributed to our area with innovative ideas relating to food.

Categories: Artifact of the Week, items in our collections | Comments Off on Artifact of the Week — November 8, 2023

Artifact of the Week — November 2, 2023

Brooms

We have recently acquired two brooms, one from Danny Dozier and the other from Mary Miller.

The broom Danny presented to Old Independence Regional Museum looks similar to what we would consider a ceiling fan duster – a long pole with an oval head made of soft bristles  attached to it

Broom from Danny Dozier
Broom from Danny Dozier

. Upon research, this broom has been in existence for a long time with different uses, most noticeably advertised as a cobweb broom. The bristles and shape would definitely aid in the removal of pesky cobwebs lurking in tight corners in any room.

The second broom gifted by Mary Miller was initially a long-term loan that she graciously gave to us last week. Most agree it is a hearth broom, but research on this has also given it another name: a cobweb broom! The stout handle and lengthy bristles clearly indicate it could reach hidden corners in a room. For our display, it was used during the Great Depression to keep the porch clean. As a hearth broom, it does have a loop affixed to the handle for easy hanging from the hearth. However, its overall length may have prevented that.

Broom from Mary Miller
Broom from Mary Miller

Both these brooms will appear in our 1940s kitchen for our “A Taste of Community” exhibit, a collaboration between OIRM and the Smithsonian Institution. Come by beginning January 2024 to see this amazing exhibit celebrating how food affects us as individuals, within our social groups, as a community, and as a society. If you have any items you would like to present to OIRM to include in the “A Taste of Community” exhibit, please call us at 870 793-2121. Thank you, and we will see you at the museum!

Categories: Artifact of the Week, items in our collections | Comments Off on Artifact of the Week — November 2, 2023

Artifact of the Week — October 26, 2023

Hoosier Cabinets

On October 12, Danny Dozier generously brought by his grandmother’s Hoosier cabinet for our Smithsonian Institution/OIRM “A Taste of Community” exhibit. This beautifully constructed cabinet is even more unique because it was purchased new in downtown Batesville from Crouch Furniture. Close examination of the butterfly closures dates the cabinet somewhere in the 1930s.

The Hoosier Manufacturing Company met a need for many kitchens at the turn of the 20th century: areas to store food within close proximity of a work space. At the time Hoosier cabinets were manufactured (1880s – 1942), most kitchens did not include cabinetry – a fault not remedied until the 1930s. Kitchen owners were also faced with a lack of counter space to prepare meals. The Hoosier cabinet met both these needs in a variety of colors and details. The moniker “Hoosier cabinet” derives from the home state of the company – Indiana. As a brand name, Hoosier cabinets were also manufactured by companies other than The Hoosier Manufacturing Company, with the main gist of the name falling on the state of manufacture. If it came from Indiana, they were known unofficially as Hoosier cabinets.

These cabinets ranged in price from $12.75 to $50.50 in the 1940s, and at their peak one in every ten American homes contained a Hoosier cabinet. As new homes were constructed with ample storage and the Great Depression strangled the economy, the popularity of the Hoosier cabinet diminished. Today, Hoosier cabinets can fetch a pretty penny depending on condition and size.

Hoosier cabinet
Hoosier cabinet

This cabinet was lovingly “antiqued” by Danny’s mother, who inherited the cabinet from her mother. Danny recalls the cabinet in his family home throughout his life. He and his siblings have graciously loaned the Hoosier cabinet to Old Independence Regional Museum for the duration of our “A Taste of Community” exhibit. Interested in donating or loaning a food-related item to OIRM? Contact us at 793-2121. Interested in seeing the exhibit? Visit us beginning January 2024. We will see you at the museum!

Categories: Artifact of the Week, items in our collections | Comments Off on Artifact of the Week — October 26, 2023

Artifact of the Week — October 19, 2023

Minute Man of America Restaurant

Proprietor Wes Hall opened Arkansas’ native Minute Man of America restaurant chain in Little Rock in 1948. With steady growth, the chain reached 57 company-owned and franchised restaurants by the early 1970s, expanding beyond Arkansas to seven nearby states. 

Raytheon Company took an interest in Minute Man, shipping its latest technology, a RadaRange microwave oven to its flagship Little Rock location in 1948. At the time, it was one of three experimental microwaves released by Raytheon. Imagine a restaurant nowadays advertising cooking with a microwave!

Advertisement for Minute Man Restaurant (lower left)
Advertisement for Minute Man Restaurant (lower left)

Consider how Minute Man pioneered fast food service with several gimmicks that have been taken up by restaurant chains across the United States. Burger King was so taken with the idea of a specific meal marketed to children they bought the Magic Meal name and used it for advertising in the 1980s. Minute Man also gave away free glasses with the purchase of a Coca-Cola product, which was a brand new concept. And Wendy’s adopted and paid for Minute Man’s “old-fashioned hamburgers” slogan. 

Locally, Jerry and Connie Townsley operated a Minute Man at 595 St. Louis from 1974 – 1981. Today one Minute Man restaurant remains, located in El Dorado. 

The accompanying picture is of the 1974 Newport High School Homecoming court. Sponsors fill the program, and Minute Man is boldly displayed on the bottom of one of the program’s initial pages.

Newport High School Homecoming Court (1974)
Newport High School Homecoming Court (1974)

OIRM will showcase Minute Man in its “A Taste of Community” exhibit in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution. Come by and learn about the history of foods from your area beginning January 2024 at OIRM!

Categories: Artifact of the Week, items in our collections | Comments Off on Artifact of the Week — October 19, 2023