Since 1919, there have been several changes in ownership of the dairies at 172 Sargeant Street. It was the time of World War II, and there were economic and supply change reasons behind the transition to new ownership. This is the story of H.P. Hood and Sons Inc., the final chapter in this historic account of the 172 Sargeant Street Dairies.
The year was 1941, and on March 1, Harold Darling, the General Manager of Holyoke Producers' Dairy Co., announced the company would be merging into H. P. Hood & Sons Inc. (H. P. Hood). H.P. Hood was a Boston-based business that had been in the dairy industry since 1846.
Harvey Hood had left his homestead in Chelsea, VT, and moved to Boston in 1844 to work as a baker's deliveryman. With his savings, he opened his own dairy and dairy products business two years later. The family continued to grow the business generationally, ultimately becoming one of New England's most significant dairy operations.
Many of the current owners of the Holyoke Producers' Dairy Company would obtain stock ownership in Hood. Employees would maintain their jobs at the Holyoke facility.
The economics behind the sale were based on the conservation of supplies during the war. This included some of the rationed supplies, such as gasoline and rubber. Eliminating duplicate services would also be beneficial from a business standpoint, as it would cut costs.
During the 1940s, H.P. Hood continued to grow, acquiring additional independent dairies. The company was one of the first dairies to have its own milk testing lab. The company also had a 60°-degree-below zero quick-freeze, hardening room.
The company's product line included Family Milk, Golden Crest Milk, Super Grade A Milk, Buttermilk, Chocolate Drink, cheese, Creamed Cottage Cheese, Mello-Spread, ice cream, and eggs.
Toward the late 1940s, Young Broom Company and Emily & Jenny's Luncheonette also operated retail businesses on the Sargeant Street side of the building.
Given that the Holyoke dairy was built in a predominantly residential area, there was significant opposition to H. P. Hood's attempt to obtain a zoning change in the early 1950s, as it intended to make improvements to the building and add additional gasoline storage to serve its delivery vehicles.
In September 1959, H. P. Hood announced it would be closing the Holyoke facility, as it was consolidating operations into a $1 million new plant built on Main Street in Agawam, MA. The company announced that the Holyoke plant would close on March 31, 1960. Approximately 50 workers, 32 trucks, and their drivers were relocated to the new Agawam facility. The building would be put up for sale.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Morning Union; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription), Price & Lee City Directories, Holyoke, Massachusetts.
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