When you enter the hamlet of Wallkill, you are greeted by the happy face of the Borden Company’s mascot, Elsie the Cow. The company’s website states that this mascot dates to the 1930s.
Underneath Elsie is a sign stating that the Hamlet of Wallkill was the location the “Home Farm” of John G. Borden. Thus, many commonly believe that Borden Condensed Milk was in fact invented in the Hamlet of Wallkill; however, its origins can be traced to Burrville, Connecticut and Gail Borden, Jr. Actually, the business was not originally called Borden at all – that title would come later.
Gail was born in Norwich, Connecticut on November 9, 1801. He spent his entire life hoping to better the lives of Americans at a time when their diets were greatly limited due to a lack of refrigeration. When he moved to Texas in 1829, his primary goal was to find a way to improve people’s livelihoods by keeping food, especially milk, from spoiling.
The company’s website relates that the impetus behind Borden, Jr.’s ideas involved a trip overseas. During the 1850s, Borden, Jr. was in Europe where he demonstrated that the meat pies he invented did not spoil. The meat pies, according to his patent, were dehydrated in a way to prevent them from going bad. In 1852, Scientific American reported that the meat pies were successful in Europe, as the Royal Navy periodically had problems with meat turning sour.
During his return from Europe, Borden, Jr. encountered something which changed his life…and would eventually affect the world. While on a boat crossing the Atlantic Ocean, he had the misfortune of witnessing several children perish. The cause of their deaths was all too common – they drank milk which had become contaminated over time. He became determined to find a way to keep milk fresh in order to prevent anyone, let alone children, from dying.
Borden, Jr. capitalized on his future creation when he came upon a contraption called vacuum pans by the Shakers. These were used to generate preserves from harvested fruit. Borden felt that he could utilize a variation of this technique to make milk safer. according to a company historian: “He discovered he could prevent milk from souring by evaporating it over a slow heat in the vacuum. Borden [Jr.] reasoned that milk was 97% water so if the water could be evaporated, at high temperatures, then the milk could be made safe. He called his revolutionary product condensed milk.” This method of heating milk killed microorganisms which, in turn, prevented spoilage. On July 2, 1853, Scientific American proclaimed:
For domestic use it will be the means of saving much in families, especially in warm weather, and at no time need there be any necessity for a person taking a cup of milkless coffee, even after a thunder storm, or a week of hot weather, with the thermometer daily at 97º in the shade, as it has been in this city [New York City] during the past week.
After receiving a patent, Borden, Jr. decided to open a small plant in Wolcottville, Connecticut. Unfortunately, his innovation was anything but successful – it seemed that it would not catch on with the public. Although Borden, Jr. appeared to be a genius at inventing, he was not adept at marketing.
Borden, Jr. again relocated, this time to Burrville, Connecticut. According to the company’s history, he named the new location of his business: “Gail Borden, Jr., and Company.” This business venture was also a failure and Borden, Jr. was running out of money fast. The Texas Historical Society biography of Borden, Jr. relates that the reason for his mounting debt was also due to the unpopularity of his meat pie (outside of Europe). His fortune would change, however, after meeting with his future partner, Jeremiah Milbank. Milbank had the capital required, as well as experience in the food industry, to market condensed milk properly.
According to Gail Borden: Dairyman to a Nation, Borden met Milbank, who was a wholesale grocer, banker, and railroad financier, in 1858. During that same year, the two men formed a partnership and ultimately opened up a factory that proved successful. They decided to change the name of the business from “Gail Borden, Jr., and Company” to “The New York Condensed Milk Company.” By this time, Borden, Jr. was living in New York City. The collaboration between the two men could not have been better timed, as needs which arose from the Civil War greatly benefited The New York Condensed Milk Company. While working on marketing his inventions, Gail Borden, Jr., also started a family.
Borden, Jr. was married three times and with these wives produced seven children, one of which was John Gail Borden born in 1844. This son would follow his father’s path in the condensed milk business. In an effort to enhance the business, Borden enrolled in Eastman College in Poughkeepsie. He wanted to obtain a business degree in order to manage his family’s company. However, these plans were interrupted by the Civil War.
When the war began, Borden was almost 18 years old. He enlisted in the 150th New York Volunteers in Poughkeepsie, where he was attending college. His father’s condensed milk business caught the eye of the U.S. Army; as a result, they contracted-out his family’s milk to be provisioned to the Union Army.
Army life was difficult on Borden and he thus succumbed to a serious illness. This sickness, which is not known, weakened him for the rest of his life and eventually led to an early death from “dropsy.” Prior to this affliction in 1863, and while in the Union Army, he had risen to the rank of Second Lieutenant. He then “was transferred to the 47th N. Y. Volunteers, and remained with that regiment until the close of the war.”
One local story circulating in Wallkill, which cannot be substantiated, involved Borden being wounded on the battlefield. An African-American soldier came to his rescue and saved his life. The same anonymous source, which is closely linked to the Borden’s mansion and its history, related that Borden never forgot this kindness. He spent part of his life looking for this individual. Once Borden located the man, he took care of him and his family for the remainder of their years.
After the war, Borden returned to Brewster, New York in Putnam County where Borden, Jr. had built a condensery in 1864. According to information from The Southeastern Museum in Brewster, it “stood by the East Branch of the Croton River where Route 6 and Route 22 meet today.” This factory met its demise, according to the museum’s records, when New York City flooded prime dairy farm lands for the Croton Reservoir System at the turn of the century.
Borden, Jr. died in 1874 and left his business to his John G., who would become its second president. As early as 1866, Borden wanted to “establish a farm, and a model community near a large city.” It made sense to him, then, that the location of the family business needed to remain close to New York City. After all, a large part of the Borden’s eventual fortune originated there due to a great demand for fresh food and milk.
After searching for some time for an ideal location for these products to be produced, Borden finally settled on an area known as “the Basin” in the Town of Shawangunk in 1881. The Basin occupied the region where the present-day Hamlet of Wallkill is located. He purchased what was then known as “the Andrews farm and about 200 acres of prime farmland.” Borden and his family, which by this time, included his wife Ellen and three children Marion, Lewis, Gail, and Penelope (known as Nellie), chose this location partly because it was near railroad, water routes, but its beauty.
Borden continued purchasing large parcels of land. By 1890, he owned thousands of acres of premier real estate. He named his property in Wallkill “Home Farm.” The town, which was a short distance away, became his project as he went about “improving the lands and lives in the village.” Borden created in Wallkill what he viewed as a paradise. Frank Mentz, in his Recollections of an Old Timer, recalled that he not only built “new roads and lined them all with maple trees; he also lined the public roads that ran through Home Farm.”
In fact, Mentz attributed the hamlet’s entire evolution to the Borden Family. They quite literally created a town parcel by parcel. Mentz remembered that they “had the entire land east of the railroad laid out in building lots with wide streets, such as Lavoletta Street, which is a double street.” Borden also hoped to create “a cemetery on Bona Ventura and First Street,” but it never seemed to have materialized. This would have been near the present-day police station.
Additionally, Borden gave the building where the firehouse currently stands to Wallkill, which he envisioned being a bank, and also donated a town square. Borden also foresaw a part of Wallkill to be commercial in nature. In his recollections, Mentz believed this area to be where Fair Rite Corporation is today.
Even on Home Farm, writes Alfred Smiley, Borden built “houses for farm labor, many barns and silos, and two water-powered grist mills…Orchards and vineyards, rolling grain fields and pastures.” Borden also extended his vision of park-like surroundings to the people who worked and lived around Home Farm. He included two parks there that still exist in Wallkill today.
It would have made sense to call today’s Hamlet of Wallkill the Hamlet of Borden or Bordentown because the Borden family came to own just about everything in Wallkill (or their fortune helped build it). In addition, Borden’s generosity was well-known there, especially to children. In Russell Headley’s History of Orange County, “every Decoration Day he presented to every child in the public schools in his vicinity, a small American flag; continuing this practice until his death.” Mentz recalled that the flag was accompanied by “a small bag of 25 new pennies.”
When John G. Borden died in October of 1891, he was vacationing in Florida. It was where he retreated in the cold months because of his poor health. His body was returned to his beloved Home Farm where he was buried, according to tradition, in a spot that he chose. Borden did not see his ultimate dream realized, for when he died he was still far from the completion of his paradise. His work would be continued by his daughter, Marion, and his widow. His daughter became the president of the company and continued her father’s legacy until her own death. It was under her direction that the company changed its name in 1899 to the Borden Dairy.
When traveling the streets of Wallkill, you are reminded of the legacy of the Borden Family. Their hand in shaping the hamlet is still seen and felt. In fact, Borden’s “grid” for the growth of Wallkill is still followed, for the most part, today. Only recently, according to local newspapers, has the hamlet started to outgrow the original town square devised by Borden.
The essay first appeared on the New York History Blog on Oct. 12, 2013.
A.J.,
I enjoyed your article, one note it is the Southeast Museum in Brewster, not Southeastern.
With all the history about Elsie not one of the articles mention how Elsie got her name. I had a client who was a model in the 1930’s and one of her friends told me they named the cow after her. I just googled her obit and found this is true. Now I’m wondering if that’s her in the welcome home Elsie picture. Would anyone know who the model is?
Donna – When you say, “I just googled her obit and found this is true”, it might be helpful if we had a link to your friend’s obituary (or her name). It might help others who are trying to verify if the relation between the model’s name and Elsie are true. As with all web searches, information found has to be verified with reputable web sites and companies.
I was told the mascot was named after my great grandmother. Her name was Elsie. Her last name was Small at the time of her death. She was either married to a Borden or in a serious relationship with one. It may of been her 2nd husband. The details are vague, but definitely a passed down story in our family. She was a successful landlord/apartment building owner in Chicago. I will have to do some research to see if the girl in that picture was her. I was curious when I saw it.
My family also has handed down stories of my great grandmother Elsie Borden being the inspiration for the famous cow. On my grandfathers farm there were thousands of Borden antiques and memorabilia. Some items believed to be so rare that no copies are known to exist. The grandfather who owned the land and house has passed away on November 10th, 2021 and we will be revisiting the property to collect any remaining proof of family ties with Borden. (If any such proof exists) My goal is to find any provenance that provides clarity to the whole history.
I was seconded to Price Waterhouse in Columbus, Ohio in 1989 to work on the Borden Inc audit. I worked on the Borden account in Southampton , UK.
When i left Columbus Borden and Price Waterhouse gave me a leaving party and Elsie, the Borden cow, attended my party as guest of honour.
I was surprised when KKR bought Borden and then asset stripped it.
I started some research tonight on Borden having just bought some Cocio chocolate milk and started to remember that I visited the Cocio plant in Denmark in 1990.
I was raised on Bordon milk products and that was a time when milk tasted like real rich creamy milk. We had our milk delivered in glass bottles and looked forward to meeting the milkman and get a glass bottle of rich chocolate milk. What a great memory in my childhood. David
I worked at Borden’s Milk Co. in California my Junior and senior years of high school in “55” and “56” during the summer. I worked the switch board by hand, accepting calls requesting holds on home delivery and orders throughout California and walk in’s at the counter. Had embarrassing moments when I accidentally disconnected the head of the company. It was a memorable time in my life since Borden’s was a popular Co, and the first time I had money of my own to spend along with baby sitting. I inherited Elsie and Elmer salt and pepper shakers from my family and was given a stuffed animal of Elmer and Elsie’s named Bullregard, It warms my heart to recall those times.
I enjoyed reading the heart warming comments.
During the first half of the 20th century my mother’s aunt lived in an apartment at 123 Rivington St. on New York City’s lower east side. The street level retail store was a business called Borden’s Dairy Restaurant and her aunt worked there as a cook . The restaurant is long gone but I am wondering if there might have been a connection to the original family business.
my great aunt’s husband, Joseph Gottman, worked as a waiter at Borden Restraurnt at 123 Rivington in the mid 1940’s
I live in Mich and can no longer get Borden’s here in stores, they have a richer milk than anyone but I find Kroger brand comes close with a very creamy cottage cheese like Borden’s. I would give anything for a glass of Borden’s milk and some of their ice cream. The best ever
Why is Borden’s not in Mich anymore?
I’m 79 now and when I was a young boy in Easley South Carolina, Borden’s made a frozen strawberry pie. It was in an earthenware pie plate( which was kept and use as bowls for the table) with Borden printed on the inside bottom of the plate. They put in strawberries and covered them with Borden’s vanilla ice cream. You have never tasted anything so good. Does anyone remember these?? Sure wish they were still made.
I have an original clear glass condensed milk container. It measures 3″ across the top and 3-1/2″ high. Across the top is written “This glass to be filled even full” 1858 . On the front is an eagle with Gail Borden written above the eagle and Eagle written on bottom left , Brand on bottom right of eagle. On the bottom of glass is New York Condensed Milk Co. Since it became New York Condensed Milk Co. in 1858. In 1899 it became Borden Condensed Milk Co. In 1919 it became Borden Co. telling me this glass was made between 1858 and 1899. Can you tell me the value of this glass?
did borden milk company ever go to elgin illinois
I remember going to the Borden dairy on a field trip as a child and getting an ice cream bar at the end of the tour in Elgin, Illinois .
I throughly enjoyed this article, I was born and raised in Walden New York(lived there for 24 years) and my sister and her family still live in Wallkill New York. I’ve ridden past the Bordens farm hundreds of times and now smile as I now know the history of this company. I’ve been in retail for 40 years and work in a supermarket(here in Florida) in the cheese dept.This week Bordens cheese is on sale,and I’m certain I’ll be sharing this story with a few of my customers ? thanks again for all this history behind this company , although the name Elise never was mentioned I would love to know about her as my Grandmother’s name was Elise and can remember her saying ” Why did they have to name a cow after me” She was born in 1905,do you know when Elise the cow received her name?
I have gone to the State Fair of Texas every year since I was in my 30’s and one of the highlights was seeing and getting to pet Elsie and her calf Beauregard in the Food & Fiber building and getting a pint of milk from the Borden store. It’s sad to go there now since Borden was bought out by Smuckers and they have not continued that memorable tradition.
MY FATHER WORK FOR BORDENS DAIRY FOR 51 YEARS IN BEAUMONT TEXAS. I ALSO HAD 5 UNCLES WHO WORKED ON MILK ROUTES AS MY FATHER DID. I’M 61 YEARS OLD NOW AND HAVE BEEN ON A ROUTE AS A INDEPENDENT DISTRIBUTOR FOR 45 YEARS. I MET MY WIFE OF 36 YEARS THROUGH BORDEN HER FATHER WAS A ENGINEER FOR BORDENS. IT HAS BEEN A GREAT COMPANY TO WORK FOR. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PROUD OF THEM
Born in Norwich, CT? Wasn’t he born in Norwich, NY?
Yep. He was born in Norwich, NY. NOT Connecticut…
Thank you! I don’t know how that escaped my attention for so many years.
I have acquired a hard-backed recipe book called “Borden’s’ Prize Recipe Album” (Borden’s Cooperative Housewives Recipes). It’s very old. Does anyone know about when this was published? It says it is made up of prize-winning recipes from the contests conducted by the Borden Company. 36 pages.
Barbara,
I am glad you enjoyed the article. I believe it is ca.1925?
Sincerely,
AJ
How cool is this! I’m working on the Burdine (Borden/Burden) genealogy side of my family and just discovered that Gail Borden is my cousin! Thanks for the great article and pictures!
Thanks A. J. Schenkman, for your article on this very popular topic! For those interested in Borden’s Milk, please check out the Hudson River Valley Heritage site at http://www.hrvh.org
Search for Borden’s milk and you will find a number of regional receipts for milk, a film clip of the former Borden’s Milk factory fire, post cards with various views of the factory. The Southeast Museum in Brewster, NY also has exhibit material about Borden’s Milk that Executive Director Amy Campanaro was too modest to mention in her earlier post!
Bordens would later purchase the Arkwright cotton mill just east of New Berlin in Pittsfield, NY, which due to the influx of workers from Hoboken, NJ took on that name, and a farm further north on Rt 80, both on the Edmeston branch of the O&WRR. Two natives of Morris, NY would also have a small role in the dairy industry, advertising legend Draper Daniels who along with the “Marlboro Man” and “Jolly green Giant” is credited with creating “Elsie’s Twins” for some campaign. The other being Henry S. Matteson, whose early essays on butter, cheese and milk ended up in a appointment to run the NY state dairy department. But when Bordens began buying out small creameries and cheese factories around WW1 and reducing milk prices, farmers were able to reopen or establish new cooperative cheese factories as an alternative, the Morris cheese factory closing by 1919, and the building used for cold storage by the Linn Tractor Co. and later torn down c. 1977.
Hi Rennie, I am Patty Matteson of High Falls. My grandfather was Benjamin Howard Matteson who was born on a farm in Morris NY. He had several sisters, Delight, Faye and Emma Matteson who all became teachers in that area. He moved to teach at the New Paltz Normal School in approx. 1915. Emma eventually retired in Cooperstown. Wish I could find out more about Henry S. Matteson. Thank you for mentioning him. Wouldn’t be surprised if the S. is for Steere as that has been a middle name handed down on this side.
I grew up in Wallkill lived next to Fairite. Didnt the Bordens fund the school there too? Attended that school til my senior year in 69/70. Great little town to grow up in. Thanks JB!
My father worked for Borden’s in Evans Mills New York for 25 years until they closed the plant in 1957. We lived in a Borden owned house next to the plant. My grandparents lived in the other Borden owned house across the road from ours. The former owner of that manufacturing site was Beaumert.
My grandfather, Robert Colvin, was the superintendent of Bordens Creamery in Washingtonville NY for many years (ending in the 1940s). A few years ago, I donated many professional photos of the creamery (including interior photos of workers and the equipment they used) to the Moffat Library in Washingtonville.
Bordens in Sacramento, California sold the best lemon custard ice cream I have ever eaten in my 80 years. Bordens left Sacramento decades ago. Sad.
I’m surprised no one asked why they ruined Borden’s chocolate milk, which, to me was the most perfect drink, ever? They took out malt and made it too “kiddish”.
My Grandfather or Opa, Julius Schroer worked at Borden for probably 40 years as a foreman until he retired and lived in Ridgewood Queens with my grandma Oma Martha Schroer probably anywhere from the 1920’s or 30’s until the 1960’s or 70’s. Would anybody have an idea where exactly Borden was located in Queens or NYC at the time and would anybody have some collections of historical photos from that time of the workers?
Maybe of Julius Schroer my grandfather who worked for Borden 40 years??? I would LOVE to see Any!!!!
I’m working on a book with someone who is descended from the African American family mentioned in the article. I would be very interested in learning more about the “anonymous source.”
Lets not forget the Borden’s condensed milk plant in Wassaic, Dutchess County, New York. I believe they condensed milk for the NYC market and the Civil War soldiers
I too have this memory of growing up in Hyde Park, NY. Elsie and Borden milk were ever-present. I believe our milk was delivered from the Wassaic plant. Borden milk was a school lunch staple throughout the 1930s and ’40s.
“Chris”– Along the HVRT are display signs about local history, and one includes a mention of the Borden milk Wassaic, Dutchess County, NY connection.
http://hvrt.org/wassaic-to-amenia-station/
Peter, I believe you are right! They say that Borden’s condensed milk won the Civil War….
Sincerely,
AJ
I was told that Elsie the cow came originally from a farm located in the Town of Schodack, Rensselaer County, N.Y. I know the location of that farm, on Route 150 between East Schodack and U.S. Route 20 (Schodack Center).
Hello Paul:
I am not really sure. Are you the Paul Huey that helped create the NYS Historic Trust’s book on Washington’s Headquarters Newburgh?
Sincerely,
AJ
Fantastic article, thank you so much, very historical & informative.
Who owns Borden Farm now? When I moved to Wallkill on 2005 many homes had signs “ Save Borden Farm “ , does anyone know the history of this?
The land is still here and it’s beautiful!
A few people own what was known as the Borden Farm. Yes, there was a push to develop the land. I believe a fire house will be going up on what was part of the land across from the Middle School.
Sincerely,
AJ
My Grand father was Grounds keeper for the Estate I was from Wallkill NY
Good Evening:
I have heard that name and it appears in some of the research I have done. I would love to know more about it. So much of this information is being lost!
Sincerely,
AJ
In the early 1900s, my great grandfather William James Rogers became the first president of Borden Milk who was not a member of the Borden family. I believe he may have become the president soon after Marion was the president. After reading the awesome article about the early history of Borden Milk, I was saddened that it stopped short of describing its history in the early 1900s when my great grandfather was president.
Good Evening:
I am sorry. Some of my research continues and I hope to include your grandfather in the future. I hope that some of his papers or time working for Borden is saved. I would love to reach out to you to find out if he knew Marion or what his impressions were of the Bordens.
Most Sincerely,
AJ
I have discovered some interesting newspaper articles over the years pertaining to my great grandfather’s experience with Borden Milk Company. Just today I read one entitled “Dinner to Borden’s Retiring President”. Under the title a caption says “Many Complimentary Things Said About William James Rogers”.
I found the article by googling the search terms “William James Rogers NY Borden Milk”.
Hi – enjoyed your article!
I’m writing an article about Borden’s Pond Preserve in Chatham/Ghent, NY. There is a photo of “Borden’s Country Bottled Milk Station No.30” (painted on the side of a building) in Chatham/Ghent, NY from 1910. I’ve been told that the company cut ice from the (now gone) pond in the winter to chill the milk on the way down the Hudson Valley by train. Do you know anything about this station?
Was milk produced and bottled there? Or anything about cutting ice from the pond?
Thanks!
Hello Leslie,
Thank you for your comments. I honestly don’t know. I am sorry.
Sincerely,
AJ
Hi, I enjoyed the article. An early Borden’s plant existed in Millerton, New York until it was closed in the 1930s. I’ve started researching this for a local display. The plant and a large ice house appear on an 1898 fire insurance map. It was the New York Condensed Milk Company then. By a 1910 map it had become the Borden’s Condensed Milk Company.