Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

listen live donate
listen live donate
listen live
donate
  • News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
    News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
    Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
  • Podcasts & Shows
  • Schedules
  • Events
  • Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
    Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About
  • Close Menu
Illustration By Melody Stone / Capital Public Radio
Illustration By Melody Stone / Capital Public Radio  

Roadside Distractions

 

Roadside oddities that catch our attention and then fade into our rearview mirror.

Series and Project Archive

 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • Business
  •  

Milk Drinking Competitions, Wind Storms, Flying Cars Under The Smiling Neon Cow

  •  Melody Stone 
Friday, March 4, 2016 | Sacramento, CA

20056109-7

A smiling cow jumping over a yellow crescent moon gazes down at drivers on I-80 north of Dixon. Many a traveler speeds by without a second thought - this story is for those who pause and wonder, “What is a Milk Farm? Where did that sign come from? What’s that cow’s story?”

This neon cow and her moon once shone brightly over a bustling business complex. During the Depression hungry travelers stopped to munch on 50-cent chicken dinners and gulp all-they-could-drink buttermilk for ten cents. Dixon teens participated in milk drinking competitions, hoping to see their name on the milk-drinking wall of fame.  

Milk Farm -1949

In its heyday the Milk Farm featured a restaurant, a fruit stand, overnight cottages, several gas stations, pony rides and a gift shop. This was when Larry Simmons worked as a busboy and dishwasher for the restaurant. He started working at the Milk Farm in the spring of 1950 when he was 20 years old. He says it was a cafeteria-style restaurant, serving bus loads of travelers going from San Francisco to Sacramento or on to Tahoe.

“It was as busy as it could be at peak times,” says Simmons. “As much as three of us washing dishes and two cart pushers picking ‘em up.”

Now all that’s left is the giant sign, concrete slabs and a chain link fence.

The restaurant was opened by Karl Hess and the first incarnation of the business was on old Highway 40 that ran through the town. Ardeth Riedel with the Dixon Historical Society says she remembers riding ponies at the original Milk Farm location, but she was too young to participate in any milk drinking competitions.

“Buttermilk and milk were big things,” says Riedel. “I didn’t like buttermilk. It was quite the drink for some people.”

In 1939 Hess moved the restaurant to its current spot when Highway 40 was realigned to bypass the town. The cafeteria style allowed them to serve lots of people quickly and keep prices low; which was very popular during World War II.

Milk Farm -1942

The interior of the Milk Farm restaurant in 1942. Dixon Public Library / Archive

 

Hess sold the Milk Farm to Glynn and Homer Henderson in 1949. Simmons described the Milk Farm of the ‘50s as a homey country environment with “lipsmack’n good food.” But toward the late ‘60s the quality of the food began to deteriorate, according to Simmons.

And she says, “As more restaurants got built between here and the mountains it affected the trade some.”

Business continued to decline until around 1986 when a windstorm damaged the roof of the building and flooded the basement. At this point the county discovered several code violations and shut down the Milk Farm.

Milk Farm -Blight -1991

A local newspaper article about the decline of the Milk Farm in 1991. Dixon Public Library / Archive

The property sat abandoned until the late ‘90s when it attracted the attention of engineer and entrepreneur Paul Moller.  

“I thought it was a wonderful piece of property,” says Moller, who acquired the Milk Farm in 1998. “You’ve got your own [freeway] exit and your own entrance.”

At the time he was looking for a home for his own business. He develops flying cars. Moller says the city of Dixon was cooperative at first, until there was a change of leadership. The Great Recession didn’t help his development plans.

“We lost it about ten years later after spending millions of dollars and producing environmental reports and studies,” says Moller.

Had the project gone through Moller says the Milk Farm would be the site of his skycar research facility, complete with a lake to fly the vehicles over. He says there were also plans for the Salvation Army to build a base of operations with retail spaces along the freeway.

“I was going to put in a museum. I was going to put a virtual reality center,” says Moller. “It was very heartbreaking really - not just from a monetary point of view, but from a personally satisfying project.”

When Moller defaulted on his loans the property went to the group who financed the private loan, a group now called the Milk Farm Partners. Josh Fischer is Managing Director of the financial company overseeing the partnership. He says they’ve been looking for someone to develop the land but a lot of work on infrastructure would need to take place before anything could be built.

“Ultimately the idea is this property needs to be developed into its highest and best use - that’s the subjective question,” says Fischer. “Developers aren’t taking that level of risk to develop large new projects out-of-the-ground.”

Someday the smiling cow might once again mark a bustling business center, but for now, it keeps watch over the freeway, as motorists speed by.

Milk Farm -Dixon Public Library Archive
An aerial shot of the Milk Farm restaurant. Dixon Public Library / Archive

This is the second installment of a series we're calling "Roadside Distractions." Every month we feature a sign, a building or a business that we drive by all the time and always wonder about. Last month we looked at the Drive-In in Rancho Cordova. Next month we'll be reporting on the castle off I-80 in Roseville. What do you drive by all the time and always wonder about? Put your story suggestions in the form below. 

Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

    Related Stories

  • Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

    More Than A Water Tower: The Art, History And Utility Of Alhambra Reservoir

    Friday, November 4, 2016
    The large concrete cylinders peppering the Sacramento skyline blend into the overall cityscape. But this huge, multi-purpose structure east of downtown is worth exploring. We take a peek inside, in the latest installment of “Roadside Distractions.”
  • Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

    A Riverboat That’s Not Afloat: The Old Spirit Of Sacramento

    Friday, October 7, 2016
    What’s a three-story paddle boat doing on the shore of Sacramento River near Garden Highway? We looked into the vessel’s origin as part of our “Roadside Distractions” series.
  • Johnny / Flickr

    Why Is There A Self-Cannibalizing Hot Dog Statue Perched On A Building Off Alhambra Blvd.?

    Friday, August 5, 2016
    A life-sized hotdog man hungrily licking his lips while squirting ketchup on his forehead stands atop an unmarked red and black building at the intersection of Alhambra Blvd. and T Streets. A reader asked us to investigate this roadside distraction.
  • Joanne Serrieh / Capital Public Radio

    Giant Red Roseville Sculpture Is A Rose To Some, Is Not A Rose To The Artist

    Friday, July 1, 2016
    Roseville residents will tell you the big red sculpture along north Interstate 80 is a rose. But a bit of research found otherwise. As part of the Roadside Distraction series, Capital Public Radio got the story behind the sculpture.
  • Wikimedia

    Two Coasts, Two Cities, Two Signs: The Story Behind The ‘Ocean City MD 3073’ Sign

    Friday, May 6, 2016
    A normal-looking mileage sign along the freeway in West Sacramento causes motorists to take a second glance. Placerville, South Lake Tahoe and Ocean City Maryland? What’s that all about? We tracked down the man responsible for the sign.
  • Illustration By Melody Stone / Capital Public Radio

    CapRadio Goes For A Ride With Our Roadside Distractions Series

    Thursday, April 7, 2016
    CapRadio's Digital Producer Melody Stone takes us along as she explores roadside distractions like the Milk Farm and a castle on I-80. She’s spearheading CapRadio's Roadside Distractions series.
  • Jerry Lee Jr. / Courtesy

    Behind The I-80 Castle: A Drag-Racing, Beauty School Mogul’s Dream House

    Friday, April 1, 2016
    Roseville-area commuters have often wondered what’s the story behind that castle along Interstate 80. Who lives there? What’s with all the debris on the lawn? What does it look like inside? CapRadio found the answers to some of these questions.
  • Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

    How The Financial Meltdown Saved Sacramento's Drive-In Movie... For Now

    Friday, February 5, 2016
    Rancho Cordova boasts the largest drive-in movie theater on the West Coast and rumors of this entertainment relic’s impending demise are as alive and well as the drive-in itself on a Saturday night. So is this outdoor theater on the verge of closing?

 Roadside Distractions

Melody Stone

Former Interactive Producer

After working in newspapers and doing print journalism for years, Melody transitioned into digital marketing and design. With a healthy blend of journalistic and digital media skills she builds out interactive web stories for Capradio.org.  Read Full Bio 

Sign up for ReCap and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Friday.

 

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

Thank you for signing up for the ReCap newsletter! We'll send you an email each Friday with the top stories from CapRadio.

Browse all newsletters

More Roadside Distractions Stories

Wikimedia

Two Coasts, Two Cities, Two Signs: The Story Behind The ‘Ocean City MD 3073’ Sign

May 6, 2016

Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

A Riverboat That’s Not Afloat: The Old Spirit Of Sacramento

October 7, 2016

Joanne Serrieh / Capital Public Radio

Giant Red Roseville Sculpture Is A Rose To Some, Is Not A Rose To The Artist

July 1, 2016

View All Roadside Distractions Stories  

Most Viewed

California coronavirus updates: COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed to spread of a dangerous fungus, researchers say

CalFresh emergency benefits end this month — here’s what to know

State may scale down its new home loan program designed to assist first-time homebuyers

10 new California laws that go into effect in 2023

California coronavirus updates: New COVID-19 origins point to raccoon dogs in China market

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

California coronavirus updates: COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed to spread of a dangerous fungus, researchers say

CalFresh emergency benefits end this month — here’s what to know

State may scale down its new home loan program designed to assist first-time homebuyers

10 new California laws that go into effect in 2023

California coronavirus updates: New COVID-19 origins point to raccoon dogs in China market

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    •  
      (916) 278-8900
    •  
      (877) 480-5900
    •  Contact / Feedback
    •  Submit a Tip / Story Idea
  • About

    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Stations & Coverage Map
    • Careers & Internships
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
    • Press
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile Apps
    • Smart Speakers
    • Podcasts & Shows
    • On-Air Schedules
    • Daily Playlist
    • Signal Status
  • Connect

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen Live

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2023, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.