McColl’s Dairy: Their Legacy, Buildings and a Milk Dump.

Filmed on location. 

McColl's Dairy is a name which was once synonymous with northern California and dominated local supermarkets and discount grocery stores within the region as their dairy products became a household name. Its legacy began with former Senator John Benjamin McColl, a native of Canada, who established this company in Redding, Shasta County, California, as a confectionary stand on Market Street in 1923. McColl later brought on his friend John Joseph Fitzpatrick, a native of California, as a partner in ownership. Very little remains of this company today which had been in operation until 1996, for about seventy-one years. Early documentation fails to cover the early history behind this rising dairy company, only mentioning it in parts, but you can get the correct history here and see the growth this company strived for throughout northern California. You may even remember buying their products. I do. So come with me to dive into the legacy, buildings, and a milk dump which was formerly owned and operated by McColl's Dairy Products Company on their former almost vacant lot on Angelo Avenue. Featuring local historians David Lilly and Andy Wallner. Check out the video at the following link for its in-depth history, please, like, share comment, and subscribe for more media and productions from Exploring Shasta County History.

RESOURCES:

1900 U.S. Census

1910 U.S. Census

1920 U.S. Census

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 27, 1922

The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 16, 1922

The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 22, 1923

The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 21, 1923

Confectionery Sold to John B. M'Coll - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 28, 1923

Candy Store Sold - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 28, 1923

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 29, 1923

Confectionery Sold to John B. M'Coll - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 2, 1923

Eaton's Confectionery - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 2, 1923

Rotary Club Formed in Redding, Carter Leader - The Shasta Sun newspaper of Redding, April 11, 1924 McColl charter member 

J.B. M'Coll Home - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, December 13, 1924

Expanding Summer Service at Ice Cream Headquarters - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 7, 1925

$4,000 Improvements Are Contemplated by J.B. M'Coll - The Shasta Sun newspaper of Redding, May 1, 1925

Rotarians Hear How To Make Ice Cream - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 21, 1925

Midnight Flood in Eaton Buikding Gave Scare to 3 Tenants - The Shasta Sun newspaper of Redding, June 19, 1925

Soft Drink Permit - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 9, 1925

Modern Front For Eaton and McColl Stores - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 22, 1925  

Contract Let For Fronts In Eaton Building - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 14, 1925

Takes Short Course on Ice Cream Making - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 6, 1926

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 21, 1926

M'Colls Now Sells Fine Pastry Line - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 17, 1926

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 26, 1926

Fancy Ice Cream - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 17, 1927 Elmer Shogren

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 8, 1927

John McColl Heads Local Rotary Club - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 14, 1927

McColl Carries Arm in a Sling On Account of Jaw - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 3, 1927

John B. McColl Is New Master of Lodge - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, December 5, 1927

Portable Ice Cream Parlor - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 15, 1928

The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 7, 1929

J.W. Welch Purchases Local Confectionery - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 29, 1929

The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, November 5, 1929

1930 U.S. Census

At the McColl's - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 24, 1931

Election of McColl Vital to People of Shasta and Trinity - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 22, 1932

McColl's Election - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 31, 1932

McColl Chosen Senator - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 31, 1932

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 1, 1932

People Should Appreciate Great Work Done by McColl - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 27, 1933

Senator M'Coll Is Given Ovation - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 28, 1933

Long Illness of Mrs. McColl Is Ended Saturday Night in Death - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 27, 1935

State Mourns Passing of Mrs. John B. M'Coll - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 30, 1935

Body of Mrs. M'Coll Interred in Sacramento - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 31, 1935

Many Attend Last Rites Held for Mrs. John B. M'Coll - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 31, 1935

M'Coll to M'Coll - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 6, 1935

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 14, 1935

State Senator on Honeymoon - The Oakland Tribune newspaper of Oakland, August 31, 1936

Senator McColl of Shasta Weds Yolo Girl in Nevada - The Sacramento Bee newspaper of Sacramento, August 31, 1936

Romance in Legislature Ends in Marriage of Miss Beth Pleasants, State Senator John B. McColl - The Woodland Daily Democrat newspaper of Woodland, August 31, 1936

Senator M'Coll Marries Miss Beth Pleasants - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, September 3, 1936

Ice Cream Has Been Taken Out of the Luxury Classification and is Recognized as a Most Valuable Food - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 28, 1939

1940 U.S. Census

M'Coll's Ice Cream Company Opens New Plant to Visitors - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 2, 1941

Firm Started in Backroom 8 Years Ago - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 2, 1941

S.E. Ayers Sells North Star Dairy to Redding Firm - The Red Bluff Tehama County Daily News newspaper of Red Bluff, March 17, 1942

Building Will Be Erected in South Redding - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 15, 1946

Legal Notice - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 3, 1947

Legal Notice - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 5, 1947

Sue Over Equipment - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, November 11, 1948

1950 U.S. Census

McColl’s New Plant Will Pasteurize 900 Gallons of Milk in One Hour - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 15, 1951

Fire Damages New McColl’s Building - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 22, 1951

McColl’s Opens New Plant Here Tomorrow - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 12, 1951  pic

McColl’s Employ 44 to 50 Employees In New Plant - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 12, 1951 pic  

McColl’s Drivers Are Independent Dealers - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 12, 1951 pic 

Ice Cream Is Scientifically Made at McColl’s - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 12, 1951

McColl’s Makes 3 Types - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 12, 1951

The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, December 5, 1951 pic of Fitz

McColl’s Dividing Dairy Interests From Real Estate - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 24, 1952

Ice Cream Firms Win Fair Medals - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 7, 1953

McColl’s Operations Blends Dairy Science and Economics - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 26, 1954

McCall’s Expands Plant at Redding - The Oroville Mercury Register newspaper of Oroville, September 28, 1955

McColl’s Employees Attend Davis Course - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 25, 1956

McColl's Buys Crescent Milk Company Here - The Oroville Mercury Register newspaper of Oroville, February 15, 1956

McColl's Dairy Company Buys Out Crescent Milk Co. - The Gridley Herald newspaper of Gridley, February 17, 1956

Concentrated Milk Put On Market By McColl’s - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 21, 1957

Dairy Founder Traces Start of McColl’s - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 26, 1958

Legal Notice - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 23, 1959

McColl's Farm Enters National Holstein Group - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 20, 1959

McColl's Sues Five Big Dairies - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 8, 1960

Shasta County Farmers Sell, Clip, Plant, and Wean for Winter - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, November 9, 1960

The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 23, 1962 pics

The Corning Daily Observer newspaper of Corning, January 24, 1962

The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 27, 1964

The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 22, 1965 pics

The Enterprise Record newspaper of Chico, March 22, 1965 pics

McColl's Dairy Purchases Pepsi-Cola Bottling Plant - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 27, 1966

McColl's Charges Milk Law Unfair - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 22, 1969

Moo's Week - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 14, 1971

McColl’s Negotiates to Buy Wentz - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, December 15, 1971

Redding's 'local cow' is being nudged - Written by Gale Hayes, The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, November 10, 1972

History of McColl's 1933-1973 - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 8, 1973

The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, November 29, 1980

Fitzpatrick: Milking the most from life - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 10, 1981

The Enterprise-Record newspaper of Chico - March 15, 1983 pics and history

McColl's Plans Half-Century Celebration - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 27, 1983

The Milkman Still Cometh - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 2, 1985 pics

McColl's Dairy to Change Hands - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 31, 1985

Sale of McColl's Dairy Nearly Complete - The Enterprise Record newspaper of Chico, June 8, 1985

Fumes Hurt Five in Redding - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 9, 1986

McColl’s Orders Its Ice Cream Pulled Off Shelves - The Enterprise-Record newspaper of Chico, July 9, 1987

Crystal Plans Don’t Affect Redding Site - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 1, 1988

McColl’s Dairy Will Shut Down - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 4, 1993

McColl's Dairy in Redding Closing Its Doors - The Enterprise-Record newspaper of Chico, June 5, 1993

Officials React with Gloom to News of Impending McColl’s Closure - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 5, 1993

Fitzpatrick's 60-Year Success Story - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 26, 1993

Crystal Dairy Begins Layoffs in Capital - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 23, 1996

Businessman Fitzpatrick Dies At 87 - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 5, 1997

McColl’s Dairy to be leveled - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 4, 2007

Perhaps Demise Coming Too Soon for McColl's Dairy Building written by Marc Beauchamp - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 9, 2007

John Fitzpatrick - RIP and the Legacy of McColl's Dairy in Redding - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 11, 2016

Ever Ready to give back - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 12, 2016