Borden Dairy Co. files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

By Connor Linskey
Posted 1/15/20

Borden Dairy Co., a Dallas-based company with deep roots in the Wallkill Valley, announced on Jan. 5 that it had voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

In the filing, Borden …

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Borden Dairy Co. files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

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Borden Dairy Co., a Dallas-based company with deep roots in the Wallkill Valley, announced on Jan. 5 that it had voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

In the filing, Borden listed estimated debts and liabilities in a range from $100 million to $500 million. According to a news release, the Dallas-based company plans to pursue a financial restructuring to reduce its debt load and position the milk processor and distributor for long term success.

Milk Products, LLC licenses the Borden name and Elsie the Cow trademark from Borden Inc.’s successor company Hexion Specialty Chemicals. The president of Borden Inc. once operated a farm in the hamlet of Wallkill.

Gail Borden, Jr. founded Borden Inc. in 1857 in Connecticut as “Gail Borden, Jr., and Company”. He invented and patented condensed milk, which did not spoil as quickly as liquid milk. The federal government paid him millions to provide condensed milk to the Union Army during the Civil War and it later became popular across the U.S. John G. Borden, Gail’s youngest son, took over the family business when his father died.

During his time as president of the company, John G. Borden established the Borden Home Farm in the Hamlet of Wallkill. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the farm was an enormous operation. After buying the homestead and its 261 acres, John G. Borden began to purchase farms around his new home, amassing more than 1,700 acres of land. The huge farm comprised most of the hamlet of Wallkill, stretching south to Lake Osiris and east to the top of Kings Hill, near the Town of Newburgh border.

Records from 1889 show the farm included 246 beef cattle, 250 hogs, 600 sheep, 400 poultry, 77 milking cows, 50 young heifers and bulls, 650 apple trees, 110 acres of corn and it produced 200 bushels of rye and 1,000 bushels of oats. The farm had dozens of barns, cottages for workers as well as 40 miles of roads and a network of walking paths were also built. To sustain business, the farm was operated by a massive workforce. Records show that housing was required for at least 88 workers.

“He was very kind to his workers,” said Harold Van Aken, a trustee for the Historical Society of Shawangunk and Gardiner. “He treated his workers very fairly.”

John G. Borden built the only piece of his family’s business enterprise in the Hamlet of Wallkill in 1884. Borden’s New York Condensed Milk Company built its largest condensory along Route 208. It was built to process the milk of cows in Ulster and Orange counties. In its heyday, it employed dozens of workers. Today, the structure sits in ruins after fire and neglect.

After John died in October 1891, his wife Ellen managed the Home Farm. In 1904, John’s youngest daughter Marion took over the farm. By 1906, she had built a mansion alongside the original homestead that included 26 rooms and eight bathrooms.

Marion brought several innovations to the hamlet of Wallkill. In 1908, she brought electricity to the hamlet for the first time by building a steam-powered electric station at the Home Farm. She also introduced telephone service to Wallkill.

She was also a member of the local school board and hosted meetings at her mansion. In 1919, she donated land for the construction of a modern high school to be named after her father. The building currently houses John G. Borden Middle School.

“She was definitely very generous,” Van Aken said. “She was deep into girl scouts.”

When she died in 1930, Marion left 26 acres of her farm to the Ulster County Girl Scouts. That camp is currently known as Camp Wendy and still exists today on St. Elmo Road. She also donated land for a boys camp that is known today as Camp Robbins. In her will, Marion left $25,000 for the construction of a library and $5,000 to be held in trust for the library’s benefit.

After Marion’s death in 1930, the Home Farm was bequeathed to the Masonic Order. The Masons had little interest in the farm and quickly sold most of the land. Marion’s mansion is currently owned by the School of Practical Philosophy, which hosts lectures and retreats there. The majority of the buildings from the Borden Home Farm were either torn down or destroyed by fire. The Hamlet of Wallkill has benefited greatly from the Borden family’s contributions throughout the years.

“When he [John G. Borden] first got here, he owned almost all of Wallkill,” Van Aken said. “He layed out [almost] all the streets.”

During his time as president of Borden Inc., John G. Borden built many of the roads in the hamlet of Wallkill, installed sewer and drainage lines and provided the materials and plans for his employees to build their own homes in Wallkill.