Before rural electrification in the 1930s, most farmers kept a few dairy cows for personal consumption, selling the excess milk to townspeople. Because it was difficult to preserve milk, they often separated it, churning butter or making cheese from the cream, and feeding the skim milk to calves or pigs, who thrived on it.

Electrification transformed dairying from small, labor-intensive operations into larger ones with bigger herds. Instead of milking by hand (which took ten to twenty minutes depending on the milker), farmers used machine milkers which took less labor and provided more milk; they replaced milk cans with bulk milk tanks, chilled milk to the proper temperature, and sanitized and filled bottles.

In the 1930s, the Schwendler Dairy offered home delivery, a boon to busy housewives. While most dairies raised Holsteins, the Schwendlers preferred Jerseys, an English breed, known for their rich cream.

Two large dairies, Benbush and Trupka’s Dairy, lasted into the 1960s when they sold their land for residential development. Benbush is now the site of Old Farm Estates; one of the subdivision streets is named Benbush. In its heyday, Benbush bought alfalfa from the Tappmeyers to feed their cows.

The largest dairy in the area, Trupka’s Dairy, also known as Creve Coeur Dairy, started in Brentwood and moved to Creve Coeur in 1920. That must have been a sight as they drove their Holstein cattle out Brentwood Blvd to Clayton Road, west to Lindbergh, and north to adue, coming to rest in their new home on the southwest corner of Ladue and Mosley. By 1964, land prices had become so high that the Trupka brothers sold the land and their herd of forty Holsteins, tanks, milkers, tractors, and other farm machinery. Where cows used to moo and chew their cud, people live in midcentury houses on Carriage Square Drive and Plantation Drive.

Now people get their milk and cream from big dairies, many of which use advertising that reminds us of the small local dairy with home delivery.