Borden Dairy Milk & Ice Cream Plant At 1900 Milam St.

[DMac]

formerlly located @ the corner of Pierce & Loisiana where the City is currently bldg. a new super {9 bay} fire station. Does anyone have any old photos that they would share? I used to work there in my youth and really enjoyed when a customer would change there order AFTER we had began to make it to something else. Well now don't ja know that ice cream can't be thrown away. The consumtion of ice cream was just 1 of the bennies for a kid back then. And I'm here to tell you that even way back then {50's} when we had to go back to the plant to retreive a new 5 gallon tub of cream is was frozen hard as reinforced concrete 2day.

[dbigtex56]

Wasn't there a Spanish-style 1920's restaurant building on that site?

Prior to being demolished about 10 years ago it housed a restaurant called Adrien's. Or am I thinking of a different block?

The Borden's plant that I recall (also demolished) was a Streamline structure on Waugh Drive, near what used to be called the American General Building.

[jwphillips2]

I thought the Bordens on Waugh(South of Allen Pkwy) was still there, no? The Bordens on Louisiana was on one of the streets Gail Borden laid out and named. Thanks for the info!

[isuredid]

[Heights2Bastrop]

Wasn't there a Spanish-style 1920's restaurant building on that site?

You are thinking of Santa Anita.

[DMac]

Thank you so much for the photo & story. What a great looking old sign on the roof!

Respectfully

Danny

[jm1fd]

Great article. Thanks for posting that. I had no idea ammonia was flammable....toxic, yes...flammable, not so much. So, did they tear the building down 'cause of the explosion?

Here's another article about the explosion:

http://www.houstonfiremuseum.org/major_fires/bordens.htm

Edited December 7, 2007 by jm1fd

[jwphillips2]

Carnation Milk was on Waugh just south of Allen Parkway. I worked there in '65-66 while at Reagan.

I was dream-splicing Bordens into this because you could tour the Carnation plant (in the 60s) and then buy "hand-packed" ice cream at the end of the tour, which is actually a better deal than a tour of of the Bluebell plant.

Thanks for the terrific picture. I remember this one pretty vividly after the anhydrous (meaning no water) ammonia truck that super-novaed on 59 in front of the Houston Post building under the 610 overpass. As the cloud of ammonia drifted down the freeway, it sucked all the moisture out of the grass and palm trees instantly killing them and turned everything dark brown. Looked like a wide area death ray. Whew!

Edited December 7, 2007 by jwphillips2

[Disastro]

I was dream-splicing Bordens into this because you could tour the Carnation plant (in the 60s) and then buy "hand-packed" ice cream at the end of the tour, which is actually a better deal than a tour of of the Bluebell plant.

Thanks for the terrific picture. I remember this one pretty vividly after the anhydrous (meaning no water) ammonia truck that super-novaed on 59 in front of the Houston Post building under the 610 overpass. As the cloud of ammonia drifted down the freeway, it sucked all the moisture out of the grass and palm trees instantly killing them and turned everything dark brown. Looked like a wide area death ray. Whew!

The sign should have been preserved.

Oh, wait...I live in Houston. For a moment, I almost forgot...

Edited December 8, 2007 by Disastro

[Dan the Man]

I like that picture of the giant smiling cow in cheerful colors looming over the scene of a disaster...

[Fringe]

Great pic isuredid. I had completely forgotten about that incident even though I was 5 years into my own professional firefighter career when it occurred. I remember later talking to a couple of guys that were there. It was a very close call. The "haz-mat" training back then was pretty sparse. They almost walked right into it.

[Disastro]

Great pic isuredid. I had completely forgotten about that incident even though I was 5 years into my own professional firefighter career when it occurred. I remember later talking to a couple of guys that were there. It was a very close call. The "haz-mat" training back then was pretty sparse. They almost walked right into it.

I have absolutely no recollection of this explosion. I must have been so busy chasing skirt in 1983, I didn't even notice...

[EspersonBuildings]

You are thinking of Santa Anita.

Adrian's Mexican Restaurant was located on the corner of Pierce and Louisiana on the block that is now where the new Fire Station is being built.

[Subdude]

Adrian's Mexican Restaurant was located on the corner of Pierce and Louisiana on the block that is now where the new Fire Station is being built.

Adrian's took over the Sanat Anita location.

I don't remember the Bordens building, but it is too bad that the south side of downtown lost so many small infill buildings like this.

[dbigtex56]

Carnation Milk was on Waugh just south of Allen Parkway. I worked there in '65-66 while at Reagan.

You're absolutely right. Thanks for the correction.

[sinister1]

Hey guys, how about the Borden's plant that was near 59 in the area of Texas Ave./Harrisburg, Preston St. area? Does anyone have pictures of it? Or knows of it?

[houston1973]

Hey guys, how about the Borden's plant that was near 59 in the area of Texas Ave./Harrisburg, Preston St. area? Does anyone have pictures of it? Or knows of it?

 

Sam found this last night but facebook was acting up. its where Inn at the ballpark is now.

 

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/14780-bordens-east-of-downtown/

[sinister1]

Sam found this last night but facebook was acting up. its where Inn at the ballpark is now.

 

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/14780-bordens-east-of-downtown/

 

Thanks, this might be it but for some reason I remember it being bigger.

[EspersonBuildings]

houston 1973,

 

Thanks for the photos of the Borden's Milk Plant that was on 2020 Texas Avenue.  My late father worked there for about 40 years.  He started working there in the early 1950's then was drafted into the Army and was in the Korean War.  After returning from the service he resumed working there until his retirement in the early 90's.  He took me inside the plant a couple of times when I was young.

 

Those pictures sure brought back some memories, thanks!

[blue92]

How about the Formost Dairy east off Shepard on maybe West Alabama? Is it still around?

Edited July 15, 2013 by blue92

[sak]

The former dairy at Westheimer near Hazard has been converted to self storage facility. I think that may have been Formost.

[Ross]

The former dairy at Westheimer near Hazard has been converted to self storage facility. I think that may have been Formost.

 

There's still a big Oak Farms sign on that building. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=westheimer+at+shepherd+houston+tx&hl=en&ll=29.742749,-95.408567&spn=0.008803,0.017885&sll=31.168934,-100.076842&sspn=17.720337,36.628418&t=h&hnear=Westheimer+Rd+%26+S+Shepherd+Dr,+Houston,+Harris,+Texas&z=17&layer=c&cbll=29.742765,-95.40834&panoid=njivnBepmgQ2K70NxzLvUg&cbp=12,45.33,,0,1.89

[mike75785]

formerlly located @ the corner of Pierce & Loisiana where the City is currently bldg. a new super {9 bay} fire station. Does anyone have any old photos that they would share? I used to work there in my youth and really enjoyed when a customer would change there order AFTER we had began to make it to something else. Well now don't ja know that ice cream can't be thrown away. The consumtion of ice cream was just 1 of the bennies for a kid back then. And I'm here to tell you that even way back then {50's} when we had to go back to the plant to retreive a new 5 gallon tub of cream is was frozen hard as reinforced concrete 2day.

I worked at Paul Creel's diner on the corner brings back old memories. 

[Michelle C]

The Borden's ice cream building was a Rettig's ice cream building before it was a Borden's.

[sevfiv]

Yep - here are a few things I've gathered:

 

http://arch-ive.org/archive/rettigs-ice-cream/

[Michelle C]

That was some great information Sevfiv. I wasn't aware of the other locations. I do have a picture of  the building when it was a Rettig's building.

 

 

 

[Subdude]

Was there another dairy building in Midtown?  I seem to remember one, but maybe I'm thinking of the Borden's that blew up.

 

 

[57Tbird]

Yep - here are a few things I've gathered:

 

http://arch-ive.org/archive/rettigs-ice-cream/

 

There was a Rettig's ice cream parlor on the southeast corner of Main and Elgin in the early-mid 40's.  I lived across the street from it on Elgin in that time-frame.  It had a soda fountain, tables, and booths.  A single dip cone was 5 cents, a double dip was 10 cents.  A banana split was 35 cents.  You could get a pint of factory-packed ice cream for 25 cents.  Hand-packed would set you back 35 cents.  Unbeknownst to my parents, I would sometimes spend my weekly 25 cent allowance on a pint, sneak it back to my hiding place under the house and consume the entire pint.

 

[57Tbird]

There was a Rettig's ice cream parlor on the southeast corner of Main and Elgin in the early-mid 40's.  I lived across the street from it on Elgin in that time-frame.  It had a soda fountain, tables, and booths.  A single dip cone was 5 cents, a double dip was 10 cents.  A banana split was 35 cents.  You could get a pint of factory-packed ice cream for 25 cents.  Hand-packed would set you back 35 cents.  Unbeknownst to my parents, I would sometimes spend my weekly 25 cent allowance on a pint, sneak it back to my hiding place under the house and consume the entire pint.

 

 

I came across a picture at http://www.sloanegallery.com/ of the Rettig's that I mentioned in my earlier post above.  I lived next to the Mobilgas station, whose sign you see in the background,

 

 

Edited March 8, 2014 by 57Tbird

[Michelle C]

T Bird, was the Mobile station across the street from the Retting's ice cream parlor on the corner of Main and Elgin?

[57Tbird]

T Bird, was the Mobile station across the street from the Retting's ice cream parlor on the corner of Main and Elgin?

 

Yes.  It was across Elgin on the NE corner of Main and Elgin.  It faced toward Main.  There was a D'Arcy's on the SW corner and a Gulf station, I think it was, on the NW Corner.  I lived between that Mobil station and another big, old house that was on the NW corner of Fannin and Elgin.

 

[gpb]

The old Borden's sign from downtown Houston was bought by the husband of a lady, who has has since retired from Borden's, as a present. It is now at their residence in Conroe on Longmire Rd. (drive slow, you'll see all the stuff).They have other articles and relics from all over the world in a warehouse and various other bldgs in their "backyard". They have a small store in front where many things are for sale or trade.  (Really neat stuff). My wife worked there 20 +years and worked for the lady in the accounting dept, and we had the privilege to tour a few times. 

[HoustonIsHome]

With all these plants, ice cream palours, etc,  downtown and midtown seemed like it was an interesting place just a few decades ago. 

[Subdude]

There was another downtown dairy - the Phenix Dairy Company was I think near where Allen Center is now.

[IronTiger]

1 hour ago, Subdude said:

There was another downtown dairy - the Phenix Dairy Company was I think near where Allen Center is now.

 

Phenix was the original manufacturer of Philadelphia cream cheese and had other cheese plants throughout the nation (they probably did dairy too, but cheese was the thing they did). They were purchased by Kraft Cheese Co. in 1928 to become Kraft-Phenix Cheese Company. I can believe them having a plant here--by 1930, after Borden and National Dairy, they were the third largest dairy company in the States. (I'm not sure when the dairy plant downtown closed down...in 1930 Kraft-Phenix was acquired by National Dairy, and in the 1950s, National Dairy was moving away from things like fluid milk...and ultimately, National Dairy would change its name to Kraft).

[native_Houstonian]

There was Sanitary Dairy on West Gray....but I just remember hearing about it.   Don't have any personal info.

[FilioScotia]

***gpb -  The old Borden's sign from downtown Houston was bought by the husband of a lady, who has has since retired from Borden's, as a present. It is now at their residence in Conroe on Longmire Rd. (drive slow, you'll see all the stuff).They have other articles and relics from all over the world in a warehouse and various other bldgs in their "backyard". They have a small store in front where many things are for sale or trade.  (Really neat stuff). My wife worked there 20 +years and worked for the lady in the accounting dept, and we had the privilege to tour a few times.*** 

 

People who like watching American Pickers on the History Channel know that places like this one are the very sorts of places the "pickers" look for. Can gpb provide the name of that place and a phone number? I want to submit it to the Pickers producers because it sounds like it has a lot of stuff the "pickers" like to buy. They're especially fond of old signs, and it's been a while since they've been to Texas. 

 

 

[Timetrekker]

There was a Rettigs on Telephone Rd, near Austin High School, near Dumble St.  Does anyone remember that one ?  I loved the triple dip cones, and wonderful milkshakes.

[MartiMoser]

On 12/13/2016 at 6:30 AM, HoustonIsHome said:

With all these plants, ice cream palours, etc,  downtown and midtown seemed like it was an interesting place just a few decades ago. 

It was. Our family moved to Pearland in 1960. But my dad and his family lived downtown, The Heights and then bought a home in Denver Harbor. But any shopping, eating, etc was still done downtown when we settled in Pearland. I was the 4th of 5 kids and if the older kids wanted the car they had to take us 2 youngest brats with them. To this day I can remember my precious big sister with the cone with double side and a quadruple dip ice cream. We called her Little Lotta after the comic book character. We went to a place above a street level storefront that sold clothes. Piles and piles of the weirdest misfit stuff. The owner's name was Sol Stimble. I came home once with 1 red patent leather shoe. Couldn't find the other but I had to have that shoe. I was probably about 8. Oh the fun we had downtown. We didn't need an amusement park. We made our own. 

[Clarence Sophus Jr]

There was definitely a Borden's Ice Cream & Fountain Shop at Pierce and Louisiana. My family went there often, after church services. Great memories of that place. I was actually looking for old vintage photos myself.

[Ruff Draught]

On 7/7/2013 at 9:45 PM, sinister1 said:

Hey guys, how about the Borden's plant that was near 59 in the area of Texas Ave./Harrisburg, Preston St. area? Does anyone have pictures of it? Or knows of it?

No pictures, but I remember it.  Way before the Hwy 59 elevated, but I think I remember seeing the building later, from hwy 59, while driving north.  Believe it's been gone for a while now, can't say when.  In the mid 1950's, my uncle would let me ride along with him on his job(he lived in Needville), getting up at 1:00 or 2:00 in the early morning and picking up cans and fractions of cans of milk from the very small dairy operations in Fort Bend County between Rosenberg and Houston, and delivering them to the Borden Company's facility on Houston's east side(think someone said later that the address was 2020 Texas, between Chartres and St Emanuel Sts.), waiting while the milk was emptied, take the cleaned cans, and return them to pickup points near the farms on our way back.  My uncle also drove an 18 wheeler for a while to this Borden plant, picking up a full truckload of bottled milk for the Rosenberg distributor, daily, and I would ride along also.  There were few freeways, then, and we would drive through downtown Houston;  I remember we would turn on the corner where the Kress building was located, seeing the red and black(best I can remember) Kress sign every day.  I was about 10 or 12 at the time, my uncle was about 10 years older, and I always enjoyed his philosophical stories, some I cannot repeat here.  I truly miss those days, and the pint of Dutch Chocolate milk I'd get there most days!

[Ruff Draught]

In reply to Timetrekker, yes, I do remember the Rettig's on Telephone Rd.  We lived at 4920 Pease, in that little old 2 1/2 story apartment(still there) and we would walk, the four of us kids, 6-10 years old, by ourselves(different day then) to the Eastwood Theater(long gone, I think) on Saturdays to see a movie.  We would pass the Rettig's on  our way, never stopping, money a bit tight for us back then.  Our mom and dad might treat us there for perhaps a very special occasion.  Seems the 'Wishing Well' a hamburger place was very close by.  Had a wishing well out front by the street that one could throw some change into and make a wish!  Always a lot of change showing in the water!  I seem to remember a Rettig's on Wayside Drive, back toward Buffalo Bayou from the Sears store, somewhere around E or F avenue or close by, that lasted perhaps years maybe to the '70's(?) before becoming a hamburger place run by Koreans, I think.  The really best burgers and very inexpensive!