Bass Dairy and Riffe's Dairy
     Elonzo Bass (born March 7, 1877 and always called Lon) married Margaret Ethel Daugherty in Weed, New Mexico, on August 1, 1900. The couple had six children.   Although the family lived for some time in the Sacramento Mountains, they "moved to Alamogordo to run the Bass Dairy north of the Blind Institute, 1926 through 1929" (TBHS 1985:18).  Although the starting date is probably correct, the dairy was in operation until after 1941 (see below).  At some point, "L. H. Bass" took over as the proprietor and operator (NMSBD 1936, 1938, 1940-41), although he may have run the dairy from the beginning.  This was actually Lon and Ethel's son, Llewell Freeman Bass (born September 9, 1901) who "farmed and ran the dairy" (TBHS 1985:18).
 

Elonzo "Lon" Bass at far right (Courtesy of the Tularosa Basin Historical Society - G. E. Miller photo)	Elonzo "Lon" Bass (Courtesy of the Tularosa Basin Historical Society - G. E. Miller photo)

     The dairy advertised, "Milk is energy food.  There is health in milk.  Top off each meal with a glass of milk.  Drink two or three glasses of milk between meals.  Give milk to the children.  We sell fresh milk and dairy products, delivered at your home daily if you say the word" (Alamogordo News May 12, 1927).  By 1929 Bass bragged that "Our Dairy is Clean and Sanitary [because of]  Frigidaire Cooling Apparatus, Patent Milking Machines and every modern convenience" (Alamogordo Advertiser September 5, 1929).  In an Alamogordo city directory the dairy advertised "Milk for Health" and quipped, "You can whip our Cream, but you can't Beat our Milk."  Bass Dairy was located along the La Luz Highway (ACD 1930-31).

     Sometime after 1941, Bass sold the dairy to J. A. "Jap" and Charles H. Thomas (NMSBD 1946-47).  After the death of Jap, Charles ran the dairy until he in turn sold out to Herb H. Riffe, his wife, and his sons, L. D. "Dick" and Louis S. in the first week of June, 1946 (Alamogordo News June 6, 1946).

     Herb Riffe, with the help of his sons, had run City Dairy, owned by Dr. E. D. McKinley, from its inception about 1925 until McKinley's heirs sold it to George E. and William H. "Mac" McMurry in 1943, although Riffe's son, Dick, remained for a while to help with the transition (McMurry Interview 1998).  The Riffes apparently had dairying in their blood by this time, since they started Riffe's Dairy prior to 1946 with sons Dick and Louis in charge.  By 1950, Dick Riffe and L. D. West were running the dairy, but it was no longer listed by 1957 (NMSBD 1946-47, 1950).
 

Alamo Dairy
     Early in 1930, Alamo Dairy placed an ad for their Jersey milk and cream that included a price list.  Whole milk at wholesale was 45¢ a gallon, 14¢ a quart, retail.  Skim milk was 20¢ a gallon, and double cream was 50¢ a pint.  Butter cost 50¢ a pound, and cottage cheese was 25¢ per pound.  The dairy was run by F. M. Reading and offered deliveries twice a day (Alamogordo Advertiser February 20, 1930; NMSBD 1930).  A later ad stated, "Our aim is to supply good healthy milk under sanitary conditions.  Supply and Demand regulate the price of all commodities[,] and we will continue our prices announced on milk to everybody.  Giving customer the benefit.  Every family can drink more milk, to advantage of health and well-being.  We are receiving a good patronage, and thank the public for their business" (Alamogordo Advertiser March 6, 1930).  We can only hope that Reading's milk was better than his grammar.  Later in the year, he simplified his ad claiming "Jersey milk and cream from tubercular tested cows[.] Two deliveries daily" (Alamogordo Advertiser April 17, 1930).
 

Alamogordo Advertiser, February 20, 1930

Haynes Dairy
     Haynes Dairy began advertising in competition with Alamo Dairy in 1930.  Their ad was clearly aimed at their competitors when they asked, "Does Your Dairyman meet the 26 requirements necessary to put out GRADE A MILK under the Federal Milk Ordinance[?] You are invited to visit our plant and see for yourself the condition, (sic) under which our milk is handled" (Alamogordo Advertiser February 13, 1930).  In one issue of the Advertiser, someone at Haynes tried his or her hand at poetry:
 

Apparently, Haynes got some commentary about the quality of the poetry (showing that Reading was not the only one with grammatical problems) because the ad was changed again in the next issue.  They continued with the same theme, however, saying, "We made it our business to furnish a good Cream Line with each bottle of milk.  Try us and see" (Alamogordo Advertiser June 26, 1930).  Haynes' ads changed again in mid-September.  The new ad, which ran until mid-December indicated that the dairy delivered only "mechanically capped milk" (Alamogordo Advertiser December 18, 1930).  Haynes last ad returned to the idea of high quality production suggesting that the public "safeguard the health of your family by using mechanically capped milk.  The safest of safe milk" (Alamogordo Advertiser September 25, 1930).  In December, Haynes advertisements ceased.

City Dairy
     The final contender (at least in advertising) for 1930 was The City Dairy.  The City Dairy also offered Jersey milk delivered twice daily.  The ad stated some of the dairy's prices with "Fresh buttermilk every day with the butter in it at 10 c per quart [,] Whipping Cream at 50 c per pint[, and] Coffee Cream 20 c for one-half pint" (Alamogordo Advertiser June 26, 1930). (See Chapter 6 for the history of City Dairy) [Link]

Life Saver Goat Dairy
     Life Saver Goat Dairy at 1800 9th St., advertised in 1930/1931 that its milk "Digests in 20 Minutes[.]  The Key to Good Health is Goat's Milk[.] You'll See the Difference!  Children and Invalids Find Goats' Milk the Ideal Food.  Alkaline reaction-- not Acid[.] Samples on request" (ACD 1930-31).  Newspaper ads followed the same track and added the place of business: "Jackson Place–College Addition" (Alamogordo Advertiser July 31, 1931).  The final Life Saver ad ran until late 1932 and offered the following advice: 
 

The ad identified the proprietor of the dairy as Ernest Steffen and directed the public to Garrett's Store on 10th Street, another purveyor of Life Saver Goat Dairy's milk.  After 1932, Life Saver discontinued their advertising efforts in Alamogordo newspapers.

     Life Saver may have been affiliated with the Life Saver Goat Dairy operated by Mrs. Lillian Kopilowitz on County Road southeast of El Paso, Texas.  Mrs. Kopilowitz began the El Paso Life Saver in 1928 and changed the name to Wholesome Dairy as well as Life Saver Goat Dairy in 1930.  She advertised her business as "the complete dairy, raw, pasteurized milk, table cream, whipping cream, buttermilk, cheese, also life saver goat milk."  In 1932, she sold the goat dairy to Mrs. E. D. McCollough, who offered "goat milk and cheese."  Mrs. Kopilowitz continued with Wholesome Dairy which is still in existence today.  Mrs. McCollough remained with El Paso Goat Dairy until 1936 (EPCD 1928-1936).  It is possible that after the 1932 sale, Mrs. McCollough chose to discontinue the extended service to Alamogordo.  It is equally feasible that the dairies were unrelated.
 

Alamogordo Advertiser, September 2, 1932

T. B. Clark Dairy
     Clark Dairy only advertised in Alamogordo newspapers for four months beginning on December 18, 1939. The ad offered Grade A Raw Milk and put the dairy's location at "One Mile South of Town" (Alamogordo Advertiser December 14, 1939).  T. B. Clark Dairy is only listed in the 1940-41 and 1946-47 New Mexico State Business Directories with T. B. Clark as proprietor.  By 1950, the dairy was no longer listed.

Wyatt Griffin Dairy
     As with Clark, the Wyatt Griffin Dairy is only listed in the 1940-41 and 1946-47 New Mexico State Business Directories with Wyatt Griffin as proprietor.  By 1950, the dairy was no longer listed.  Griffin Dairy advertised very briefly (only three issues) in 1941 and offered "Grade A Raw [milk,] Butter[,] Buttermilk[,] Cream[, and] Cottage Cheese" (Alamogordo Advertiser April 17, 1941).

Price's Dairy
     Mark and Mary Price moved to El Paso, Texas, in 1905 and bought their first cow a year later.  Mary Price began selling milk and bought a second cow the next year and purchased the Story Dairy in that May.  She changed the name of the business to Price's Dairy.  The herd and the business grew, and Price's incorporated.  Mrs. Price continued to be president of the corporation until 1929 and bought out El Paso Dairy Co., Inc. in 1927.  Robert B. Price replaced his mother as president and merged the company with Desert Gold Dairies, Inc., Velvet Ice Cream Co., and J. B. Butler Ice Cream Co. to create Midwest Dairies, Inc.  The name was later changed to Price's Creameries before the company became a subsidiary of Creameries of America, Inc.  In 1953, Creameries of America merged with Beatrice Foods, Inc. (Prendergrast 1961 115-151).
 

Alamogrodo News, June 12, 1952

     I have found no record as to when Price's first began marketing in Alamogordo, although the company was advertising ice cream as early as 1949.  Price's undoubtedly trucked dairy products to El Paso prior to opening a local branch in the community.   Although a branch of Price's Creameries was probably begun earlier, it appeared in the 1957-58 Alamogordo City Directory (the earliest directory currently available) at 800 McLain (corner of 8th & McLain) with Ted Houghton as manager.  By 1964-65, the Alamogordo branch of Price's finally acknowledged the switch to Beatrice Foods, Inc., with Joe Evans as the local manager.  M. Wayne Hillis took over management in 1967 and in 1972 formed Alamogordo Distributing Co. which took over the distribution of Price's products in the city (Alamogordo News January 6, 1949; ACD 1957-58, 1959-60, 1964-65, 1997, 1969, 1971).

The Borden Co.
     The Borden Co. opened its plant in El Paso, Texas, in September 1932.  The new plant was "built to handle daily 20,000 quarts of milk[,] 8000 pounds of butter, and 2000 gallons of ice cream, enough to supply at least 50 per cent of the population of El Paso" (El Paso Herald Post September 9, 1932).  Borden remains in business in El Paso today.

     Although it was probably open earlier, the Borden Co. first appears in the 1957-58 Alamogordo City Directory at 123 Pennsylvania Ave. with W. L. (Mack) McBroon as agent.  J. O. McPherson was listed as owner of the company (undoubtedly local owner) by 1964-65 and in turn sold out to Jess Harwell by 1969 (ACD 1959-60, 1964-65, 1997, 1969).  Harwell bragged, "You Know...If it's Borden's Milk, It Has to be Good" and sold milk, ice cream, frozen deserts, and dairy products (ACD 1971).  Borden's ads disappeared after 1971, but the milk may still have been distributed by Alamogordo Distributing Co., located at 8th & McLain (west of the railroad), managed by M. Wayne Hillis.

Farmers Dairies
     Although I have found no written history of Farmers Dairies, a few hints of their story are available. A 1954 El Paso Times article states that "Farmers Dairies has been in operation over 25 years in El Paso" (i.e. since before 1929).   Adelberto Navar first appears in El Paso City Directories in 1918 as a dairyman.  By 1921, Navar's dairy was named the San Antonio Dairy, and San Antonio Dairy bottles bear the same phone number that was later used for Farmers Dairy.  The directories carry no more listings for the Navars until 1933 when Luis Navar appears as the head of Farmers Dairy.  Although the directories list the company as Farmers Dairy, milk bottles from ca. 1933 to ca. 1938 are embossed S. A. & F. Dairy (San Antonio and Farmers) and bear a stylized "N"on the base, the symbol of the Navar family (used at least as early as 1921 of the San Antonio Dairy bottles).  Bottles embossed Farmers Dairy bear dates after 1940.  The above evidence suggests that at some time between 1921 and 1933, Navar's San Antonio Dairy merged with Farmers Dairy (possibly operated by a brother?) to form S. A. & F. Dairy.  About 1940, "San Antonio" was dropped from the name.  Farmers Dairies still operates in El Paso (El Paso Times June 17, 1954; EPCD 1918-1921, 1933-1997).

      Farmers Dairies first appears in the Alamogordo city directory in 1972 at 121 White Sands, offering milk, ice cream, frozen deserts, and dairy products. Jess "Jay" Harwell was listed as manager.  This is certainly the same Harwell who bought the Borden franchise in 1969.  Apparently, Harwell was still interested in the dairy business after the dissolution of the local branch of Borden and through in his lot with Farmers.   Farmers was no longer listed in 1975 (ACD 1972, 1973, 1975).