In my history of Bonham’s Kraft Cheese plant, I gave a passing mention to another dairy-related business that opened in 1947 known as the Robbins Milk & Ice Cream Company. Recent contributions from others having information on the plant, and pictures of some of its retail items, has generated a need to write about the Robbins facility.
The October 30, 1946 Bonham Daily Favorite carried a front-page article about the proposed opening of a dairy processing plant, to be located in the 800 block of East Fourth Street (now East Sam Rayburn), that would pasteurize raw milk and give the Bonham area "a continued and assured source of pasteurized milk at all times."
The article went on to say that, “In addition to pasteurizing milk and manufacturing ice cream, the company plans to boost the development of dairy farming in Fannin County.” It would do so by aiding “farmers in construction of grade A dairy barns, improving dairy herds (and) increasing the amount of milk produced in Fannin County.” Bonham and the surrounding area, the article further noted, would no longer have to depend on pasteurized milk brought in from other counties; it was a time when Fannin County had enough dairies to meet the needs of local consumers.
The article also noted that the ambitious plan was put in place by the Bonham Chamber of Commerce earlier in the year, and that the plant, to be built by the Bonham Housing Company, would cost roughly $35,000. The operation would be known as the Robbins Milk & Ice Cream Company and would be managed by Chester Robbins, an experienced dairy man who had worked at milk and ice cream plants in Fort Worth, Sulphur, Oklahoma and Oklahoma City. By emphasizing on buying from grade A dairies (those fortunate enough to have concrete floors, stainless steel equipment, etc.), Robbins would pose little threat to the Kraft Cheese plant that bought mainly from less fancy grade B dairies.
As with most proposed opening dates for new businesses, the hoped-for date of April 1, 1947 proved a bit off the mark. By May 11, however, the Bonham Daily Favorite carried a large ad where Robbins Milk invited everyone to their new facility’s open house the following day.
In the following months business appeared good. Ads boasted of grade A dairies that Robbins had helped establish in the Honey Grove and Bartley Woods area. Also, by early November Robbins started home delivery of their products.
Although ambitious in scope and well-intended, it seems the Robbins Milk and Ice Cream Company started to turn sour as soon as late summer of 1948. The September 1 Bonham Daily Favorite carried an ad in which Dee Haggard’s restaurant and ice cream parlor, located on the north side of the square, stated that it had “bought the stock and supplies of the Robbins Ice Cream Plant.” Furthermore, a search of the Daily Favorite shows that ads for the Robbins plant stopped appearing at roughly the same time.
Tim Davis teaches at Bonham High School.
