In today’s column, Mr. John McDevitt, former assistant manager of the Allentown State Hospital Farm in Weaversville, recalls its sad closing:

The farm was always profitable until the final year or two. The Department of Public Welfare (DPW), under which the farm had operated, decided they no longer wanted to be in the farming business. So the “paper credit,” which the farm received for the products it produced and provided to the hospital(s), was reduced. This arbitrary reduction in prices (below market levels) made it impossible to show a profit and made it easier to justify the closing of all the DPW farms statewide.

Of course, during the very last year of operation, we again showed a healthy profit, as a result of auctioning off the registered Holstein dairy herd in April of 1981. This was the saddest day of my employment.

I will attempt to provide some information about several of the more notable employees, some of whom I have already mentioned.

James “Jim” Kilgore was the dairy herdsmen for many years, before retiring in September of 1974. He came to work at Allentown State Hospital back in 1938. At that time, the entire dairy operation was in the City of Allentown at the main hospital, finally moving to Weaversville in the early 1940s.

Prior to coming to ASH, Jim had worked as a milk tester. He was a graduate of Penn State with a degree in dairy husbandry.

Jim was probably the most atypical state employee. He saw the herdsman’s job as a 24-hour and seven-day job. He seldom took a day off.

Jim worked closely with Penn State on various research projects, the Dairy Herd Improvement Association and the Lehigh Valley Co-op. These projects included detailed record-keeping on each cow in terms of milk production, butterfat content, lactation period and feed consumption.

Other research projects included the testing of bulls. The earliest work was with the Lehigh Valley Co-op. Later, I think this became the North East Breeders Association (NEBA), then finally it was known as Sire Power.

The use of artificial insemination for dairy cattle was responsible for great strides in improving milk production. ASH participated for many years in bull testing to determine which bulls produce the most desirable characteristics in their progeny (offspring).

Incidentally, when the ASH dairy herd was moved from Allentown to Weaversville around 1940, the new facility was ultramodern, having one of the very first milking parlors. A milking parlor is, as the name implies, a room for milking - but the persons doing the milking work in a pit. Thus, the cows are at waist height, making it easier to attach and remove the milking units.

Harry Williams came to Allentown State Hospital as a dairyman I, or assistant herdsman, in 1971. Eventually, Harry took over as herdsman some time after the retirement of Jim Kilgore. Harry remained until 1980 and then transferred from the farm to a position in the garage at the hospital in Allentown, where he worked until retirement in 1999.

The farm, thanks again to Charlie Miller’s efforts, had a complete Soil Conservation Service plan in effect. This included the use of contour strips, cropland terraces and waterways. The farm also followed the best practices of the day, including soil testing, fertilizing, weed control and other agronomic practices.

Much more could be written about the history of this farm, the therapeutic benefits that hundreds of patients derived and the research contributions that it made over the years.

It was also the happiest and most fulfilling part of my career. And it was the hardest work.

As mentioned, Charlie took over the reins from Jim McKnight. Jim was the farm manager until about 1967. It is not known when he came to AHS but probably some time after World War II. Prior to Jim, Vic Houston was the farm manager.

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My next column will feature a job during the Depression.