Fairmont Creamery Company

The Fairmont building has a long history dating back to 1923.[1] Originally, the building was a Fairmont Creamery and that title can still be seen on the building today. This creamery was just one location in a chain. The Fairmont Creamery Company was founded in 1884 with its headquarters in Fairmont, Nebraska with wide-ranging locations across the United States.[2] In 1923, a location in Moorhead was selected for its close proximity to the railroad and the creamery opened soon after its construction in 1924.[3] This Fairmont Creamery location was known for its experimental farm in rural Moorhead on which purebred Guernsey cows were raised. These cows had highly maintained records to document the experimentations they were undergoing. Additionally, the farm also ran experiments on turkeys in which they were fed flaked buttermilk. These turkeys were of such a high quality that all the best local flocks can apparently trace their roots back to these turkeys.[4] 

As for local relevance, Fairmont advertised its ability to provide cream checks to farmers through its significant quote, “Let your cows and Fairmont’s check pay all your bills.”[5] (A few other notable slogans over its lifetime include “Let Fairmont’s better butter, butter your bread,” and “Ring for Fairmont.”)[6] The creamery advertised in a variety of publications, The Concordian, the Concordia College (Moorhead) newspaper included.[7] Cream checks were payments that local farmers received for producing cream for the Fairmont Creamery. Between its opening in 1924 to 1929, Fairmont mailed 12,325,000 checks (roughly 205,416 a month). These were of extreme importance to local farmers as a form of income, especially in the 1930s.[8]

During World War II, the Fairmont Creamery received a contract with the government to provide eggs, poultry, and dried milk. Also, Moorhead's Fairmont Creamery was given an Army-Navy “E” Award (also known as the Army-Navy Production Award) in 1943 for its "excellence" in production. This established a great pride for the surrounding area as it was a collective effort, and as such had a large celebration to go with it.[9] In 1947, Fairmont Creamery Company changed its name to “Fairmont Foods” as it moved from producing milk-based products to a variety of frozen foods.[10]

In 1980, Fairmont Foods as a company decided to combine with a subsidiary of American Financial Corporation of Cincinnati, Ohio. From 1980 to 1984, all Fairmont Foods were either sold or closed. In 1980, the local Fairmont was sold to Cass-Clay Creamery, and in 1981, the creamery closed.[11] However, Cass-Clay quickly resold the building to Anderson-Jordhal Development in 1981.[12] Anderson-Jordhal added Fairmont to the National Register of Historic Places for tax purposes.[13] Shortly after, Jordhal turned Fairmont into a senior living facility.[14]

While the details are hazy, in 1982, Fairmont was remodeled towards a living facility. In 1987, Fairmont was re-labeled as an “assisted living apartment” complex which indicates this was the beginning of Fairmont’s new life as a retirement home. In 1987, Bethany Retirement Home purchased the building, and in 1994, Eventide purchased Fairmont and made a significant investment in the building the next year. This included remodeling the kitchen and dining area, remodeling the front and rear entrance locations, constructing a storage shed, remodeling the lobby and lounge, and other smaller improvements.[15] Currently, the retirement home is known as “Eventide Fairmont” with reference to its historical roots.

The Fairmont is a long-standing building with relatively minimal change in its exterior over time. As previously mentioned, the original “Fairmont Creamery Co.” writing is still located on the building as of 2021. It has had a long life as a creamery/supermarket before shifting into its next phase of senior living facilities. Over its long life, despite its many changes, the building stands as a current symbol of Moorhead’s long past.

[1] Rod Eggleston, “National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Fairmont Creamery,” United States Department of the Interior, March 4, 1982, https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/765db7be-0328-4190-9e4e-b1da2f63c9a4.

[2] Fairmont Creamery Company, Half a century: being a chronicle of interesting developments in the life of Fairmont Creamery Company, 1884-1934 (Omaha, NE: Fairmont Creamery Co., 1934), 37.

[3] Fairmont Creamery Company, Half a century, 37.

[4] Fairmont Creamery Company, Half a century, 37.

[5] Eggleston, “National Register,” p. 5.

[6] Robert Howe, "Interview with Robert Howe, Regional Oral History Project, Moorhead, MN," interviewed by Eleanor Hallin, Heritage Education Commission, accessed March 24, 2021, https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/p16022coll66:167.

[7] Locals, Concordian (Moorhead, MN), April 26, 1946.

[8] Howe, “Interview with Robert Howe.”

[9] Howe, “Interview with Robert Howe.”

[10] Janet Jeffries Spencer, ““To Make a Good Product Better”: The Fairmont Creamery Company, 1884-1984,” Nebraska History 65 (1984): 392.

[11] “Fairmont Foods Company (Omaha, Neb.) [RG4218.AM],” History Nebraska, accessed March 24, 2021, https://history.nebraska.gov/collections/fairmont-foods-company-omaha-neb-rg4218am.

[12] Eggleston, “National Register,” p. 5.

[13] “Fairmont Foods, Inc., Moorhead, Minnesota (S2691),” Minnesota State University Moorhead, accessed March 24, 2021, https://www2.mnstate.edu/northwest-mn/s2691.aspx

[14] Eggleston, “National Register,” p. 5.

[15] “Property Summary,” City of Moorhead Minnesota, accessed March 24, 2021, https://www.moorheadproperty.org/585751870/Info.

Eggleston, Rod. “National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Fairmont Creamery.” United States Department of the Interior, March 4, 1982. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/765db7be-0328-4190-9e4e-b1da2f63c9a4.

Fairmont Creamery Company. Half a century: being a chronicle of interesting developments in the life of Fairmont Creamery Company, 1884-1934. Omaha, NE: Fairmont Creamery Co., 1934.

“Fairmont Foods Company (Omaha, Neb.) [RG4218.AM].” History Nebraska. Accessed March 24, 2021. https://history.nebraska.gov/collections/fairmont-foods-company-omaha-neb-rg4218am.

“Fairmont Foods, Inc., Moorhead, Minnesota (S2691).” Minnesota State University Moorhead. Accessed March 24, 2021, https://www2.mnstate.edu/northwest-mn/s2691.aspx.

Howe, Robert. "Interview with Robert Howe, Regional Oral History Project, Moorhead, MN." Interviewed by Eleanor Hallin. Heritage Education Commission. Accessed March 24, 2021. https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/p16022coll66:167.

Locals, Concordian (Moorhead, MN), April 26, 1946.

“Property Summary.” City of Moorhead Minnesota. Accessed March 24, 2021. https://www.moorheadproperty.org/585751870/Info.

Spencer, Janet Jeffries. “To Make a Good Product Better”: The Fairmont Creamery Company, 1884-1984.” Nebraska History 65 (1984): 387-394.