Miller Dairy Farm No. 1

In 1896 dairy farmers Dennis and Mary Miller produced ice cream for the first time on this site, using a hand-crank freezer. The 111-acre farm grew into a business with 14 farms, 1,300 acres, 500 Holstein cows, and modern equipment. In 1936 Miller built his own power plant in Smithville, which supplied 40 neighboring farms and houses as well as the factory. During the 1960s 22 Miller stores and 200 independent dealers in Michigan and Indiana carried the brand. Miller’s offered novelty flavors, like dill pickle. Its menu reflected the times. A 1969 Man-on-the-Moon menu featured a Sea of Tranquility Float and an Apollo 11 Sundae. The Eaton Rapids Area Historical Society acquired the property in 1992.