The Iowana Farms Milk Company

The City of Riverdale website states that in 1912, Iowana Diary Farms was established by Col. G. W. French in what is today the Town of Riverdale. French’s herd of Holstein cattle became one of the largest and most outstanding in the United States. After the death of Col. French, Glenn Moore took over part of the operation as Iowana Milk Farm, and G. Decker French operated the other part of the operation as Iowana Holstein Farm.

The French family sold Iowana to Bowman Dairy Co. of Chicago in 1955. In 1966 Dean Foods of Chicago purchased Bowman Dairies. Shortly thereafter the courts ordered Dean Foods to divest their interest in Bowman. Bowman was purchased 1969 by Dextra Holding Corp., of Miami, Florida. In March 1973 Dextra filed for bankruptcy and sold the Bowman company back to Dean Foods.

In October, 1973, Bowman Dairy announced that Iowana Farms would be going out of business that same month. It was estimated at the time that Iowana was delivering to somewhere between 8,000 and 9,000 homes in the Quad-Cities. It was no longer profitable to operate a small plant due to rising cost of operation.

1973 was a time of rapid rising inflation. The cost of milk had risen from 38 cents per gallon in 1945 up to 78 cents that year. The previous two months had given the greatest increases in the past 22 years. Iowana employed between 75 and 80 people and shut its doors on October 19th, 1973. Some of the employees joined other local dairies. Others retired with their company and Teamsters Union pension. Some of the delivery routes were picked up by Downing's All Star Dairy, a Rock Island, Illinois company. Others were assimilated in other local dairies' routes.

Iowana was a major part of the Quad Cities Community. Not only were they a primary deliverer of milk products to the area, they were also a major advertising sponsor. Their classic commercials will live forever in the minds and hearts of everyone in the area and in particular children. Iowana's spokesperson was the beautiful Princess Iowana. Princess Iowana was played through the years by several different local actresses. She appeared on Iowana commercials both in print and over the airwaves.

Along with Princess Iowana, the heartbeat of the advertisements revolved around the Iowana auctions. These auctions provided children with a chance to cut Iowana wampum from Iowana packaging and save the trinkets and cash them in for prizes during the auctions that were held by Iowana.

The following picture is of WOC Sportscaster Ed Zack broadcasting live from one of the auctions most likely at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds. Even in this abbreviated picture one can get a sense of the chaos involved with they kids as they were bidding for the prizes such as the bike shown next to the table. Special thanks to Ed Zack from his own personal collection and to legendary WOC engineer Jon Book for the scan.

Next is a picture from the collection of Milt Boyd who played Grandpa Happy. Here he is Trader Milt on the Iowana Auction, Saturday mornings on WHBF-TV 4 along with Princess Iowana. Special thanks to Tim Hollis author of "Hi There Boys and Girls!"

Almost all of us from that era were full time staff members of the station with other varied responsibilities as well as the kid shows. My other assignments at various times were: Direct and produce a cooking show, a helpful hints arts and craft show, all the musical shows such as a country western trio, a classical piano show, a big band show weekly and sometimes the news show. On camera, I hosted a half hour farm show at noon and did the weather on the nightly news. I also hosted the Iowanna Pow Wow, as Trader Milt, with the beautiful Princess Iowanna as my co-star.

Another co-star of that show was a chimpanzee in an Indian costume who would bound throught the audience as we opened the show, jump up into my arms and give me a big kiss. The only draw back was that invariably he chose that moment to fill his diaper. Believe me, there is no worse odor in the world than chimp doo-doo under the hot studio lights! - Milt Boyd

(courtesy of Tim Hollis)

 
Don Wooten wrote in the Moline Daily Dispatch/Rock Island Argus;

"The Iowana show was sponsor driven. It was a Saturday morning program during which kids in the studio audience bid for articles using emblems ("Iowampum") taken from cartoons of Iowana products.

Milt was the auctioneer and the beautiful Kay Duvejonck served as the dairy's living symbol, princess Iowana. The program affored her an opportunity to do more than TV pitches. She showed up everywhere the dairy ran commercials or promotions, including Channel 6."

02/25/2008 ... Well, I for one, near the end of the Iowana shows in the 1960's, won a Voit basketball on stage at the Capitol Theatre in Davenport. However, it didn't stay inflated like it should have.

I was even on stage. One of the kids was too scared to go on stage, so I went instead and got the ball!

- Legendary WOC Engineer Jon Book

Picture of an Iowana deliverer filling his truck with gasoline. Copyright Bettendorf: Iowa's Exciting City and used here only for reference.

Princess Iowana made special appearances across the Davenport and Bettendorf Iowa, Moline and Rock Island, Illinois Quad City area. She not only appeared with Trader Milt on the Iowana program she also appeared on The Grandpa Happy Show, Captain Ernie's Showboat and WOC's The Circle 6 Ranch.

Iowana located at 1416 State Street. The following pictures are from the 1950s Bettendorf High School Yearbook.

If you have any memories, pictures or film of Iowana Dairy, Princess Iowana or anything related to Iowana please click here to email me!

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