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Show United States Department of the Interior National ParK Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 Erekson Artillo Dairy Farmhouse Name of Property OMB No. 1024-0018 Salt Lake County, Utah County and State Although the 1920 census doest- rillt provide addresses, it appears that a Dutch family was renting the house and working the dairy farm. German Struiksma (1888-1959), a dairyman, and his wife, Wibbina Jansje Grundmann Struiksma (1894-1983), immigrated to Utah from Holland in 1912 and 1905 respectively. They were married in Salt Lake City in 1914 and moved to Murray in 1918 or 1919. The Struiksma family was listed with three small children on the 1920 census, which was taken in January. The family eventually moved to San Diego in the late 1920s. On April 8, 1920, Hyrum J. and Bodell C. Jensen sold the property to John B. and Marguerite O. Erekson. John Benbow Erekson was born on September 25, 1874, the oldest son of Jonas and Isabella Erekson, and a half brother to Norman W. Erekson. As a young man, he worked as a grocer and started a fish hatchery business with his brother, William Benbow Erekson (1879-1947). The hatchery was located on the family property on Vine Street. On June 22, 1904, John married Marguerite Oberlander. Marguerite Elizabeth Oberlander was born in Muscatine, Iowa, on February 13, 1880. When she was about ten years-old, her father, John Oberlander (18401927) moved his family to Murray when he became the supervisor of the Germania smelter. John and Marguerite had three sons: Reid Benbow (born 1905), Arthur Beau (born 1906), and John Arion (born 1911). John B. Erekson gave up his holdings in the fish hatchery and family farm to his brother. He and Marguerite moved their family to the dairy farm in 1920. On the 1930 census, John was listed as a dairy farmer, Reid was an actor in a theatre company, Arthur was a high school teacher, and J. Arion was a student. Marguerite's mother, Isabella Reid Oberlander (1849-1948) was living with them. In addition to raising a family, Marguerite was an excellent seamstress who donated her time to make funeral clothing for her neighbors and baby clothing for the Cottonwood Maternity Hospital. Marguerite Oberlander Erekson died unexpectedly on October 8, 1943. Isabella Oberlander died five years later at the age of 98. All three of the Erekson boys worked on the dairy farm and were college-educated. Reid became an engineer and Arthur earned degrees in education and dairy science. Arthur introduced pure-bred Guernsey dairy cows to the family farm in the 1930s. He later earned a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin and became an expert on cheese production with the Borden Company. Also in the 1930s, the Erekson family had some success raising mink on the farm. The youngest son, Arion, graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in drama and speech in 1933, and later did graduate work at the University of Minnesota in Bacteriology. He met his wife, Helen Elizabeth Patch, in Minneapolis. They were married in 1941. After serving in World War II, Arion returned to Utah to run the dairy with his father. John Erekson promised Arion that if he managed the farm for twenty years, he would get the deed. One of the goals of the 1963 remodeling was to give John B. Erekson a suite of rooms on the main floor. John Benbow Erekson died at home on November 12, 1965, at the age of 91. Arion and Helen Erekson raised eight children in the family farmhouse. The family did most of the work, although high school boys from the neighborhood were hired to help with the milking. The only long-term employee was Wayne Bowden who commuted from Midvale to manage the farm. After World War II, the dairy began using the name Artillo Guernsey Dairy or Erekson Artillo Dairy. During this time, another branch of the extended family operated a large dairy at 5900 South and 900 East, which was known simple as the Erekson Dairy. According to family tradition, the name "Artillo" was a combination of Arthur and the "hill" where the farmhouse was located. Section 8 page 12 |
