1880-1960
Hamden: The Early Years
The Town of Hamden was organized in 1825
In its early years, butter was it's most valuable
commodity particularly during the Civil War years.
The size of a typical family farm was 80 to 100 acres
and supported 8 to 10 cows. One hundred years
later, Hamden was no longer a sleepy little hamlet.
1880-1960: Dairy Industry
and Hamden Hey Days:
By 1925, trains had been fitted with refrigerated
fluid milk tankers, an invention that allowed
farmers to increase their herd and hire help to
produce more milk. The 1925 New York State
census of Hamden counted 169 farms and 264 people working these farms. The size of a typical
family farm had grown to an average 200 acres
supporting 40 to 50 cows.
The dairy industry was booming as were many
other businesses and cultural groups. Hamden was home to two feed mills and three creameries:
Borden's Creamery,
Ferndale Creamery
and the Hamden Co-Operative Creamery.
The town supported three full time ministers, two physicians, seven merchants and 20 schoolteachers.
For recreation, many families belonged to various local
civic groups such as the Grange and other Missionary
Societies. Elvin L. Miller provided theatrical entertainment as proprietor of the town's movie theater, the "Hippodrome." This bustling
little town even had a weekly newspaper
published by the Business Men''s Club with Miss Annis Hume as its Managing Editor.
Today in 2013, it has been over fifty years since the
train ceased to run through our town. Hamden has returned to being a sleepy little village. There are six farms remaining that ship milk from Hamden. The creameries and feed mills are long gone and
the district schools are closed.
However, our valuable resources remain - the
land, the mountains and the river. These continue
to attract seasonal visitors and second
homeowners who enjoy hunting, fishing,
hiking, and kayaking. Fresh air, serene
mountain views and plenty of clean
water brought generations of settlers
here and continue to bring others back to their roots.
CREAMERY BUILDING/WORKER
PHOTOS (Clockwise from top): Hamden Co-Operative Creamery, Fermdale Creamery and Borden''s Creamery. The sloping stone wall in front of the Borden's Creamery still exists
Photos of the Ferndale Creamery and strikers by
Bob Wyer, February 1941. Creamery photos Courtesy
of the Delaware County Historical Association.
HAMDEN INN PHOTOS-Hamden's "Cottage Hotel" attracts visitors during
horse and buggy days
(photo courtesy of Loretta Foster, Hamden Town Historian)
renamed the Hamden Inn, in later years, the site hosted group events like
this Veterans dinner, November 6, 1946.
(Photo by Bob Wyer, courtesy of the
Delaware County Historical Association)
MADE IN HAMDEN: One can still find evidence of Hamden's thriving creamery businesses such as this wooden Ferndale Creamery cream cheese box and cardboard Hamden Co-Operative Creamery cottage cheese box. The feed mill bag on the left shows that Crawford Brothers
maintained operations in Walton as well as Hamden.
Artifacts courtesy of Hamden Town Historian, Loretta Foster
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