Courtesy Photo | Shown is a piece of an ice cream carton for Ranney’s ice cream that was found at...... read more read more
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Archaeologists from Colorado State University’s Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands recovered six plastic ice-cream carton fragments at a Fort McCoy homestead site that was last occupied prior to World War II.
Ice cream has been a delicacy for more than 2,000 years. Its history goes back to the time of the Romans, who combined ice with fruit; the ancient Greeks, who would mix honey and fruit with snow; and the Chinese, who combined ice with milk. Ice cream came to the United States in the late 1700s, and American colonists are believed to have coined the phrase “ice cream.”
The ice cream packaging recovered at Fort McCoy is in poor condition, but the brand name “Ranney’s” is clearly discernible. Ranney’s Dairy was opened in Tomah, Wis., in 1922 by A.L. Ranney, who had previously been a butter maker in the New Lisbon (Wis.) Creamery. In 1927, Ranney’s Dairy was the first business to provide pasteurized milk to the city of Tomah, and the company was using mechanical refrigeration trucks at least as early as 1935 to make deliveries.
Ranney’s Dairy was one of many dairy businesses that contributed to the local economy and provided jobs in the region; numerous autobiographical accounts were found archived on the internet which described life in Tomah from this time period and include mention of the author getting their first job at Ranney’s Dairy.
Ranney sold his retail milk business in 1928 to Max Neuman to focus on production of ice cream and sweet cream but merged interests with Neuman 11 years later to form the Ranney Neuman Milk and Ice Cream Co. This merger prompted a move from the old Goodyear Lumber Co. office on North Glendale Avenue to a downtown Tomah location at 900 Superior Ave., where the company remained until they were acquired by Dolly Madison sometime around 1965.
In the interim, Ranney retired to California and handed over leadership of the company to I.B. Bell, one of his first delivery drivers. Retirement did not agree with Ranney, so he returned to the company a few years later to continue chasing his passion for ice cream.
Operations moved once more after the acquisition by Dolly Madison to 109 East La Crosse St., and the milk was eventually sold under the Kemp’s label until production ceased sometime around 1969.
All archaeological work conducted at Fort McCoy was coordinated by the Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch.
Visitors and employees are reminded they should not collect artifacts on Fort McCoy or other government lands and leave the digging to the professionals.
Any person who excavates, removes, damages, or otherwise alters or defaces any historic or prehistoric site, artifact, or object of antiquity on Fort McCoy is in violation of federal law.
The discovery of any archaeological artifact should be reported to the Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch at 608-388-8214.
(Article prepared by Colorado State University Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands.)
| Date Taken: | 09.25.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 09.25.2018 15:05 |
| Story ID: | 294328 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 286 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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