In 1928, milk was usually brought from the farm to the processing plant in cans. The first milk bulk tanks wouldn't appear on farms until 1938.* Once pasteurized at the plant, the milk was bottled. Plastic coated paper cartons would not be commercially available until 1932.*
This silent film, which is part of a longer film promoting Sioux Falls, shows the steps in milk processing from intake through bottling.
The film was shot at the Crescent Creamery building at 101 N. Main St., which was built and first used as a brewery. Foremost Dairy took over the building in 1953 but ceased operations there in 1974. The building burned to the ground in 1987.
For Teachers: Activity idea is available at SDPB's Digital Learning Library.
Learn more about the early history of the U.S. dairy industry at this U.S. Dept. of Agriculture site.
To learn more and see photos of the Crescent Creamery and the businesses that preceded and followed it on the site, visit http://www.greetingsfromsiouxfalls.com/Brewery/Brewery.htm
