According to a 1929 story in the "Daily Local News," the first business on the site, in the early 19th century, was a woolen mill run by James Barton and then his son Joshua. After it burned down, Pusey Buffington bought the ruins in 1898 and built a three-story public hall. In 1904 M. Darlington's Sons rented the first floor as a branch creamery, and four years later Alfred and Maurice Darlington bought the entire building to convert it into a milk-condensing plant to make evaporated milk. Albert Hoopes of West Chester bought the business in 1921 and renamed it Highland Dairy Products Co.: "This concern retails about 4,000 quarts of milk and 200 quarts of buttermilk per day on routes to Kennett Square and Coatesville by way of their nine trucks."
Local historian Don Silknitter adds that "the large milk delivery truck, to the right, was driven by former West Marlborough supervisor Landis Hess. He picked up milk from local farmers for Al Hoopes."
I have this photo also. The historic info is correct, however the date of the photo is circa 1950.(See truck style and cars parked behind the building) The large milk delivery truck, to the right ,was driven by former West Marlborough supervisor Landis Hess. He picked up milk from local farmers for Al Hoopes. I talked with Mr. Hoopes about his operation at Doe Run in 1982. I put up,at the Chester County Courthouse, a window display for the township. Every township was honored during the Chester County TriCentennial. Mr. Hoopes walked by while I was setting up, saw all the Highland items I had,ran home,and came back with a few different bottles I did not have to add to the display. A friendship began.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Don -- I should've noticed the later vintage of the vehicles! I will fix and I will also go down and take a photo this afternoon for a "then-and-now" comparison.
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