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Dairy farming goes way back in Brooklin You've heard of the 100-mile diet. Now imagine eating cheese and butter made from milk produced by cows raised at farms surrounding the village of Brooklin. This was fairly typical in the early 20th century in Brooklin. With so many farmers who specialized in raising dairy cattle in Brooklin, it's no wonder that off-shoot industries, such as cheese factories and creameries, were staples among Brooklin's thriving businesses. This month, we'll focus on the Patterson's Jersey Milk Dairy, also known as the Brooklin Creamery. Founded in 1908 by Ernest Patterson, the Brooklin Creamery was located at 58 Winchester Rd. E. and served as the main depot for dairy farmers in Brooklin and the surrounding districts. The dairy was sold to Citizens Dairy of Belleville in the mid 1920s only to be struck by lightning and destroyed by fire in 1929. The Oshawa Daily Times reported on Aug. 12, 1929 that the creamery was one of Brooklin's largest industries and the loss, although fully covered by insurance, was estimated at $15,000 -- a devastating blow for the industry. Employees of the site reported that before anyone was aware the building was on fire, "flames had broken out with such intensity that the frame building was soon a mass of fire," and all the machinery and equipment, including 2,000 pounds of butter, were ruined. Mr. Patterson, eager to rebuild, then repurchased the land, erected a sturdier brick building, and started Patterson's Jersey Milk Dairy. With little competition, his business flourished and he opened a second operation, Whitby Dairy, on Dundas Street West in Whitby. Patterson's was the first dairy to operate a delivery truck bringing butter, milk and cream to the residents of Brooklin, Whitby and local retailers. By the time of the Second World War, Patterson's was operated by Mr. Patterson's son Arthur and, finding it too difficult to secure employees during wartime and compete with the other dairies that opened in Whitby, the Pattersons decided to quit the dairy industry in 1942. The Whitby location was purchased by John Roblin, manager of the original creamery and eventual Ontario County registrar (1950-1970), and the Brooklin location was renovated into a house for Mr. Patterson's widow, Edna. Next month we'll take a closer look at the story of the Brooklin Cheese Factory. Sarah Ferencz is the archivist at the Whitby Public Library. Contact her at archives@whitbylibrary.on.ca durhamregion.com The Citizen July 19, 2013 3 Sarah Ferencz Whitby Public Library