October 29, 2022 | Last updated Jul 7, 2023

Fairmont Foods Company

Fairmont Foods Omaha plant fleet, 1920 (RG4218.PH3-69)



Fairmont Foods Omaha plant fleet, 1920 (RG4218.PH3-69)

Fairmont Foods began as the Fairmont Creamery in Fairmont, Nebraska, in 1884. The creamery was a pioneer in milk can pickup and was one of the first creameries to give farmers their own hand cream-separators in its early years. The business grew rapidly and moved to Omaha in 1904. In 1929 it was incorporated and began to diversify its product lines to include frozen foods, cheese, and poultry products.



By 1948 the company name was changed to Fairmont Foods, a direct reflection of the corporation’s diversification. At one time it was a Fortune 500 company and it earned a seat on the New York Stock Exchange in 1959. The photograph portion of the collection tells the visual story of the rise of Fairmont Foods.

1921 exhibit for Better Butter (RG4218.PH1-10)



1921 exhibit for Better Butter 

(RG4218.PH1-19)

A butter mold (RG4218.PH1-11)



A butter mold

(RG4218.PH1-11) 

1921 exhibit for Better Butter (RG4218.PH1-10)



1921 exhibit for Better Butter 

(RG4218.PH1-10) 

Interior of the Omaha plant, 1911 (RG4218.PH1-12)



Buttermaking, Omaha plant, 1911 

(RG4218.PH1-12)

Checking the temperature of the cream, Omaha plant, 1911 (RG4218.PH1-14)



Checking the temperature of the cream, Omaha plant, 1911 

RG4218.PH:1-14 

Cream separation, Omaha plant, 1911  (RG4218.PH1-12)



Cream separation, Omaha plant, 1911  

(RG4218.PH1-13)

Milk can washing, Omaha plant, 1911 (RG4218.PH1-15)



Milk can washing, Omaha plant, 1911 

(RG4218.PH:1-15)

Egg cracking at the Omaha plant, 1911 (RG4218.PH1-17)



Egg cracking at the Omaha plant, 1911 

(RG4218.PH1-17)

Butter packaging at the Omaha plant, 1911 (RG4218.PH1-16)



Butter packaging at the Omaha plant, 1911

(RG4218.PH1-16)

Feeding chickens at the Crete plant (RG4218.PH1-74)



Feeding chickens at the Crete plant

(RG4218.PH1-74)

Cottage cheese production facilities, Minneapolis, Minnesota (RG4218.PH1-26)



Cottage cheese production facilities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 

(RG4218.PH1-26)

Interior of the Crete plant (RG4218.PH1-6)



Interior of the Crete plant

(RG4218.PH1-6)

Fairmont plant, Minneapolis, Minnesota (RG4218.PH1-60)



Fairmont plant, Minneapolis, Minnesota

(RG4218.PH1-60)

Poultry production, Omaha plant  (RG4218.PH1-29)



Poultry production, Omaha plant 

(RG4218.PH1-29)

Poultry production, Omaha plant (RG4218.PH1-52)



Poultry production, Omaha plant

(RG4218.PH1-52)

Poultry production, Omaha plant (RG4218.PH1-45)



Poultry production, Omaha plant 

(RG4218.PH1-45)

Poultry production, Omaha plant  (RG4218.PH1-31)



Poultry production, Omaha plant 

(RG4218.PH1-31)

Poultry production, Omaha plant  (RG4218.PH1-27)



Poultry production, Omaha plant 

(RG4218.PH1-29)

Poultry production, Omaha plant  (RG4218.PH1-33)



Poultry production, Omaha plant 

(RG4218.PH1-33)

Poultry production, Omaha plant  (RG4218.PH1-71)



Poultry production, Omaha plant 

(RG4218.PH1-71)

Poultry production, Omaha plant  (RG4218.PH1-56)



Poultry production, Omaha plant 

(RG4218.PH1-56)

Grand Island, Nebraska, plant, 1921 (RG4218.PH3-111)



Grand Island, Nebraska, plant, 1921

(RG4218.PH3-111)

Fort Dodge, Iowa, February 1930 (RG4218.PH5-5)



Fort Dodge, Iowa, February 1930

Left to Right: Cecil Gibson, Merle Dayton, H. A., Gilpin, manager. 

(RG4218.PH5-5) 

Hiawatha, Kansas, 1919-20 (RG4218.PH4-56)



Hiawatha, Kansas, 1919-20

(RG4218.PH4-56)

 Fairmont Creamery Co., Denison, Iowa, August 1929 (RG4218.PH5-6)



Fairmont Creamery Co., Denison, Iowa, August 1929 

(RG4218.PH5-6)

Fairmont Foods Omaha plant fleet, 1920 (RG4218.PH3-69)



Omaha plant fleet, 1920 

(RG4218.PH3-69)

 Scranton, Iowa, 1921 (RG4218.PH5-7)



Scranton, Iowa, 1921

(RG4218.PH5-7)



 

Employees of Fairmont Creamery, probably at the Crete plant, about 1920 (RG4218.PH3-17)



Employees of Fairmont Creamery, probably at the Crete plant, about 1920 (RG4218.PH3-17)

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