2018.018.145 [Crate]

This is a rectangular wooden milk crate that was once owned by Daisy Dairy Inc. and acquired by the Cedar Falls Historical Society on April 17, 1980. The item is of unknown manufacture date. The Daisy Dairy company operated out of Cedar Falls, Iowa during the mid-to-late 20th century. This milk crate was acquired in one of the company's closing auctions. Milk crates of this shape, size, and construction were common during the middle of the 1900s, during which time they became fairly standardized. Milk delivery as a business began to suffer financially when electric refrigeration technology and dairy production techniques became more efficient. During the first half of the 20th century, rural communities relied on local dairy farms and creameries to produce products like milk, cheese, and cream. As industrialization took hold, however, it became easier for the average person to buy milk from a grocery store. Without the reliance on local sources of milk production, the dairy delivery business shriveled throughout much of the United States. Milk delivery crates and bottles are now considered by many to be antique pieces of 20th century business history. This content can be used with the following standards: SS 4.25: Technological Change SS-Econ.9-12.24: Iowa Economy Impact Upon Milk crates are symbolic of the dairy delivery industry, which, as a whole, has mostly died out in the United States due to the improvement of technology and changes in the rural economic landscape. This item can be used to demonstrate to students how something so seemingly commonplace as milk delivery can provide a snapshot into how technology and the U.S. economy evolved over time, as well as how those changes impacted the everyday lives of average Americans. For any use other than instructional resources, please check with the organization that owns this item for any copyright restrictions.