Dairy

The Blanding Dairy was a family-run business that served Lowell from 1944–1947. Though the dairy wasn’t here long, the Blanding family has been a part of the Lowell area community since before 1860.

Noah Blanding first appears in Vergennes Township in 1860. Soon after, four sons enlisted in the Civil War.

William enlisted in Company C of the 13th Michigan Infantry. Tragically, he died of illness at the post hospital in Grand Rapids before he could reach and join his regiment.
Alexander served in Company I, of the 26th MI Infantry. He was taken prisoner at Spotsylvania, Virginia, spending time at both Libby and Andersonville prisons. While held captive he went from 160 pounds down to just 90 pounds. He mustered out on June 4, 1865.

Charles served in Company D of the 2nd Cavalry. Later in life he moved to Montcalm County.Emory enlisted in the 10th Michigan Cavalry. He moved to Montcalm County following the war.

Another of Noah’s sons, Daniel Smith Blanding, did not fight in the Civil War because he was part of the 1859 “Pike’s Peak or Bust” Fifty-Niners Colorado gold rush. This was when an estimated 100,000 men went and searched for the reported gold in the Kansas and Nevada Territories. Upon his return, Daniel stated that it wasn’t as big of a rush as the California rush ten years earlier, but it was a “bigger humbug.” Daniel married neighbor Jannette McLean and after her death he married Sarah McDowell. He lived the rest of his life on the family homestead and is buried across Vergennes Street in the Krum-Blanding Cemetery.

Emory’s son William started the Blanding Milk Company in Greenville. William named one of his sons after his granduncle, Daniel Smith Blanding.

After working in his father William’s dairy, Daniel (Dan) Blanding and his wife Gertrude moved their family from Greenville to Lowell and opened the Blanding Dairy in 1944 at 725 W. Main, the location of today’s Baker Buick GMC Pre-Certified Auto. It was a 30 X 75-foot two story building, with living quarters upstairs for Dan and Gertrude’s family. Dan delivered milk first from his horse drawn wagon and then by truck. Exciting things were on the horizon, as their plans were to manufacture ice cream and open a dairy bar. A dairy bar specialized in ice cream treats served from a counter and was a popular community hang out.

The dairy was operating at a difficult time, for not only dairies, but the world. World War II was raging. Dan’s oldest son Dan was in the military. His son John stayed home from school for two years to help the family. The small-town dairy business was changing fast. The horse drawn wagons were being replaced by trucks. Refrigeration was changing how families bought milk. Since milk could be stored for days, daily delivery was not needed anymore.

Dan and Gertrude Blanding spent some time in Arizona helping a family member with a health issue. Upon their return in 1947, they sold Blanding Dairy to Koerts Dairy.

Though the Blanding Dairy was only here for a few short years, the memories bring back a time when life in the dairy business was very different from today. Descendants of Dan and Gertrude Blanding remain a part of the Lowell area today.

Blanding Family photos courtesy of Susan Dues and Mark Blanding, descendants of Dan and Gertrude.

Images:

Blanding Dairy Bar - Gertrude serving on far right and daughter Marjorie is serving on the far left.

Exterior of Blanding Dairy Bar.

Daniel Smith Blanding in the office.

Dan Blanding

Daniel Smith Blanding family.

John Blanding, father of Mark Blanding, son of Dan Blanding.
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Blanding Dairy cottage cheese bottle.