My Genealogy Hound

The Kirksville Creamery was built in the spring of 1883, by J. S. Blackman & Co. This firm operated it for one season, and then sold it to Wilkes, Blackman & Wilkes, which firm existed for about two years, and then was succeeded by W. J. Wilkes, who had control of it until June 1, 1887. It was then that E. V. Blackman purchased a half interest. They have twelve teams gathering milk from the vicinity of Kirksville, and their weekly production of butter is 4,500 pounds, which they ship chiefly to New York City. They employ four men in the creamery, and their business has been steadily increasing. It has also led to a larger number of cattle being raised in the vicinity, there being probably three times as many grown as there was at the organization of the creamery. Mr. Wilkes is a native of Bloomington, Mo., and came to Kirksville many years ago. The other partner, Mr. Blackman, was born in New York State in 1845, and was there reared and married. His wife, Elpha, is a daughter of W. B. Monroe. After his marriage to this lady they came to Adair County in 1865. They spend their summers in Kirksville, but since 1883 he has made the land of flowers his home, where he and Mr. Wilkes are engaged in the real estate business. Besides their creamery business they deal extensively in eggs and poultry, shipping several car loads of the latter, and one of the former every week. The firm is one of the leading interests of Kirksville and vicinity, and its management is in thoroughly competent hands.