Dairy milk is a major component of the American diet in cheese, butter, yogurt, and other products. In years past a community would have relied on local dairy farms to produce the milk desired for everyday living. In those days, local dairy farmers would supply the needs of the community via farms where the owners lived and worked.

Large scale dairy producers eventually bought out smaller, family-run businesses, and so now the local dairy industry is a remnant of the past. Some may still remember the days of milk delivery in glass bottles. This shifted to paper containers in 1945, eliminating the need for washing and returning bottles for a deposit.

In Transylvania County, there were two major dairies that endured through many years: Eastview and Sunny Side. By the 1940s both operations were producing milk for a local market but mostly selling to larger distributors such as PET and Sealtest. The dairies would sometimes advertise cooperatively and seemed more like cohorts than competitors, especially after this convergence of smaller operations into a larger network of farmers.

Both dairies were certified Grade “A”. Transylvania County had many involved members of the Transylvania Dairy Association and would often compete in state-wide competitions. The 4-H Club helped to support teaching youth about agriculture and supporting their development as farmers.

The Sunny Side Dairy was described in ads as being located off Country Club Road, but the extensive property was also described as being across from Brevard College on Neely Road. Sunny Side was owned and operated by Davis Glazener and sons Walter and Paul before it was purchased by Nantahala Creamery of Franklin, NC in 1942 when it was renamed Transylvania Dairies.

The Eastview Dairy was located on Old Highway 64. The large property contained what is now ForeU putting range and other French Broad River-bordering lands. It was owned by the Osborne family and was a family business passed down from Claud to sons Frank and Lewis Osborne before the industry shifted and the operation was sold to PET. Claud established the business in 1916, and his sons took it on starting in 1928. It was still operating up until the early 1970s.

A more regional market began to take hold, and there was a new cultural phenomenon, the “dairy bar.” This was an outpost for regional distributors such as Biltmore Dairies to sell ready-to-eat dairy products such as ice cream and milk shakes. One well-known example was “The Biltmore Dairy Bar” that was on Highway 280 at about the current location of Metcalf Pharmacy and Marathon gas station. It was established in 1960 and lasted into the 1980s. Kalmia Dairy based in Henderson County also engaged in advertising and distribution in the area, but it didn’t seem to capture the loyalty of the customer base the way Transylvanian dairies did.

Although the community dairy farm may be part of a different past, they still live on in memory of a simpler time. Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library. This article was written by Local History Librarian Laura Sperry. Sources available upon request.