The White House Milk Company
93.63.2: White House Milk Company in Manitowoc, circa 1950.
The White House Milk Company, once located at 102 Revere Drive in Manitowoc was once among the largest producers of evaporated milk in the country. The plant was reported to be able to process a million pounds of milk in a day and crank out 500 cans of evaporated milk per minute. White House Milk, a division of the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, was innovative in creating instant milk in the 1950’s. In addition to the Manitowoc Plant, White House Milk operated facilities in Mayville, Eden, Winneconne, Stratford, Abbotsford, Vesper Marinette, and Marathon, Wisconsin as well as Stephenson, Michigan. The Manitowoc plant played a key role in our local economy and made significant contributions to the war effort during WWII.
Evaporated milk is made by removing roughly 60% of the water from fresh milk. It is then homogenized, canned and sterilized. Once canned, the liquid milk product has a shelf life of a year or more. Before consumption, the evaporated milk, which takes up about half the space of fresh milk, is reconstituted with water. With advancements in refrigeration and transportation, evaporated milk is no longer used widely in the United State as a milk replacement. Rather it is used primarily for baking and cooking. During World War II, however, the reduced volume of the milk and its extended shelf life provided a critical source of nutrition for our troops.
In fact, the contribution of White House Milk to the war effort was so important that the Manitowoc and West Bend plant were awarded the “A” Award from the War Food Administration in 1945. The plant’s 400 workers were acknowledged at a ceremony held July 14th, 1945 at Lincoln High School. The ceremony was broadcast on WOMT and featured a performance by the Manitowoc Marine Band, the raising of the “A Award” flag, and the presentation of award pins to the employees.
H.M. Clark, then President of White House Milk, praised area farmers by stating “Wisconsin milk, processed and canned at Manitowoc and West Bend, has turned up at field kitchens on all the far-flung fighting fronts and has also played an important part in the job of feeding liberated nations”.
After the War, White House Milk diversified its production, adding dried milk products. In 1955, the company was one of the first to use a machine called an agglomerator to produce instant non-fat dry milk. This innovative process helped produce dry milk that was easily soluble in water. The Manitowoc plant continued as a leading producer of evaporated and dried milk products throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s.
As the parent company, The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company consolidated operations, they ceased operation of the Manitowoc plant in March of 1979. While this chapter of our local history has ended, White House Milk has left a lasting legacy. Whether it was a Manitowoc built submarine patrolling the oceans, Hamilton wood type printing headlines across our nation, or evaporated milk feeding out troops in France, the hard working and innovative people of Manitowoc County continue to influence history and economic development on a global scale.