Visionary Businessmen The Borden Plant Property Starkville, Mississippi By: Margaret McMullen Oktibbeha County Leadership Forum May 3, 2007

Visionary Leader in his time Gail Borden, Jr. Gail Borden, Jr., creator of the first commercial process of condensing milk, was born in Norwich, New York he was a federal surveyor in Amite County Mississippi His commitment to Mississippi was due to his married his wife Penelope Mercer of Amite County Mississippi he moved to Texas where he raised Jersey livestock His process of condensing milk was US patented He founded his first plant, The New York Condensed Milk Co. later renamed Borden Inc. in 1968

It is an oddly shaped copper kettle officially designated as a "vacuum pan." It sits in the Agricultural Hall at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, a relic of the one great inventor. The man Gail Borden, Jr. The memorable invention was condensed milk, created through the invention of the vacuum pan. By the late 1860s condensed milk had changed the dairy business from a haphazard farmer-to-consumer operation into a major industry. Condensed milk made Borden rich, respected and famous.

City of Starkville

One of the area’s strongest promoters leaders to start the dairy industry in Oktibbeha County was Colonel W. B. Montgomery Col. Montgomery had imported an exceptional herd of jersey cattle from Texas, which revolutionized the agricultural base in Oktibbeha County. It became the backbone of the local economy. In 1923, Dr. H. R. Ryder, came to Starkville and talked to the Chamber of Commerce about building a dairy condenser in Oktibbeha County. Visionary Leaders of the City Starkville

Starkville Plant Opening The Borden plant opened on March 12, 1926 with a two day city wide celebration that featured parades and visitors from state dignitaries.. The Borden Plant was the largest milk condenser in the south and the only plant of its kind south of the Mason-Dixon Line for five decades. The Starkville Borden Plant economically revived the city almost overnight with new agriculture and industrial developments faster than any other North Mississippi town.

Celebrating the Opening of the Borden Plant

THE BORDEN MILK PLANT

The Ingredients that Changed Dessert Condensed milk: milk reduced by evaporation, with sugar added. 1 can (14oz) = 1 quart whole milk plus 7oz of sugar. Starkville's Borden plant was unique in that it was the only facility in the country to produce the company's line of canned sweetened condensed milk.

Marketing the Product Borden’s trademark Elsie the Jersey Cow Became the Borden’s advertising trademark at the Worlds Fair in 1939 in New York

Decision to Close the Borden Plant  As the area saw the agricultural and industrial change in the 1970s; the Borden plant began trucking milk from out of state and the remaining Mississippi dairy farms suffered.  The Starkville Eagle Plant operated only 6 month out of the year due to the inability to acquire Class IV milk needed to produce condensed milk.  In July 2005, the Eagle Family Food Company made the decision to close the Starkville Plant, citing a lack of milk supply in the region and moved the production to El Paso, TX.  From the Borden Steam Whistle summoned the employee and signal the start and stop time of the work day and could be heard all over Starkville over fifty years.  Future production was shifted to the Company's manufacturing plant in El Paso, Texas.

Visionary leader for the Borden Site Johnny Arnold –Tag Development Tag Investments, based in Baton Rouge, La., recently bought the property Johnny Arnold, a member of Tag Investments, noting Tag plans to maintain much of the existing," architectural integrity of the area”. “The whole ‘new urbanism' is what they are projecting. Tag Development Site acres

Borden Crossing Development Southrail Railroad Eagle Way Arnold Alley Borden Way Jackson Street Montgomery Street Lampkin Street Hogan Street

Borden Crossing TAG is developing nearly 2 whole city blocks on the Borden Crossing. The development will feature 32 patio homes, 40 loft units, 174 parking spaces and 28,600 square feet of retail property. It will include property from East Lampkin Street, South Montgomery, Hogan Street and South Jackson Street.

The Transformation of the Borden Site