Blue Bell Creameries
Brenham, Washington County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In August 1907, the Brenham Creamery Company formed to purchase excess dairy products from farmers and produce butter local sales. In 1911, the creamery began making ice cream, producing a maximum of two gallons each day. E.F. Kruse, who managed the creamery from 1919 to 1951, changed the company's name to Blue Bell Creameries in 1930. During the company's early years, management set the tone for careful business practices and respect for tradition. Under the Kruse family's leadership, business expanded into markets outside of Brenham. Blue Bell has become one of the nation's most successful ice cream brands with a focus on its "country" origins, quality ingredients and friendly service. (2007)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
What began in 1907 as a farmers' cooperative buying up surplus cream in the Texas countryside turned, almost by accident, into an ice cream empire. The Brenham Creamery Company churned out just two gallons of ice cream a day in 1911, but under E.F. Kruse's steady hand it was renamed Blue Bell in 1930 and built a reputation on small-town patience and quality. From this Washington County town it grew into one of the most beloved ice cream brands in America.
Why it matters
Blue Bell's rise from a local butter co-op to a national name is a classic American story of a regional business built on tradition, patience, and pride of place.
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Related people
- · E.F. Kruse
Themes & tags
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