Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-09-05
First Cream Separator
in United States Was
Operated in I0UG
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Tfmes-Republican.
Cedar Falls. Sept. 4.--The saie re-
Gently OF the l00-acre farm OF tho
Jeppe slifsgaard estate at Fredsyiila.
nine miles southwest Of here. has re-
called to many the fact that on this
farm was Installed and operated the
first centrifugal cream separator In
America. and that Jeppe slifsgaard
was the man who brought this sepa-
rator from Denmark to the United
States in 1854 and started the dairying
and creamery industry on q commercial
scale In this country.
But It was Nels II. Blom, brother Of
Mrs, George Thygesen. OF this city,
then a young Danish buttermaker. now
with a creamery supply house at Cedar
Rapidly who was really responsible for
the inception of one OF the greatest
dairylng centers OF America In Black
Hawk county. Slifsgaard had emf
grated to America from Denmark sew
eral years before and had returned 10
his native land for visit In 1852,
when he became acquainted with young
Blom. Slusgaard was man of some
means and Blom was ambitious. Blom
called to Safeguards attention the CEN
trifuSal cream separator, then new
invention being manufactured by Bur-
meister 4 Vain in Copenhagen, and
suggested they could reap con5idera bic
finarciel benefit by taking one to
America and operating 1t. Slifsgaard
acted upon Blom's advice and got
Bom to accompany him to America.
set up the machine and operate tho
creamery which he forthwith launched
on his farm, naming 1t Fredsville. by
which the community has since been
known.
1t was not until the following year
that firm In Philadelphia got the
Burmeister g. Vain patent and Inn
proved on Il, turning out much smaller
and more convenient machines. How
ever, for several years the only cream
separator In all Iowa was this one at
Fredsville. and It excited great curl
osity. People came for many miles to
see 1t In operation. 1t was one OF the
big sights of this part Of Iowa. But
this first centrifugal separator in Iowa
was quite cumbersome and unwieldy
affair when compared to the cream
separators OF today. It weighed about
ten times as much as the present. day
separator.
Later Jeppe Slifsgaard and his son.
7. Slifsgaard, now resident OF Dixie
Iowa, established creameries at Con-
rad and Dairyville and operated the
three of them successfully for many
years In fact, all OF them are In oper-
alton today. manufacturing many tons
of butter usually to ship to the New
York market. Jeppe Slifsgaard died
some two or three years ago. loved
and respected by the entire commu-
nifty. He was widely known for his
hospitality, particularly In the pioneer
days. when hundreds OF young Danish
immigrants were given a home and
employment by him 70 give them q
start In the new country. He always
kept open house for all. and Fredsvilf5
Is today the center of the hig9est
Danish farming community in America.
1t Is said.
Jeppe Safeguards action In intro-
ducing the centrifugal cream separator
into America was only one Of many
inventions taken up and made popular,
by him. He was always q man OF keen
foresight and rare business Judgment.
1t was said of him that he was the
man who introduced tile into Dem
mark, where he was q prosperous
farmer before coming to America. He
imported a lot OF tile from Germany,
where tile had only a short time pre-
vious been invented, and laid them on
his farm. His neighbors laughed at
him for Sinking his money In tho
ground" as they said, but later came
10 realize the value Of tile. and did
likewise.