A half-century ago, William and Nellia Hogg found a flavorful way to expand Peaceful Meadows, a thriving family farm founded in 1920 on Route 18 in Whitman.
In 1962, the family established Peaceful Meadows Ice Cream, said Christopher Wicks, their grandson and company spokesman.
The ice cream stand became a mecca for residents and out-of-towners alike to relax with a home-made ice cream cone or sundae on a summer day, gazing at the green meadows nearby.
The 60-acre property is home to a dairy processing plant, dairy store and manufacturing operation that produces over 20 flavors of ice cream.
“Our goal is just to keep putting out a quality product and keeping on chugging along. Maybe 50 years from now, we will still be going,” said Wicks, who works from the cool confines of an 18th century farmhouse on the property.
After William and Nellia Hogg founded Peaceful Meadows, the first barns were built around 1929.
“Milk, cream and other dairy products were produced and processed on the farm and delivered by horse and wagon to customers’ homes,” Wicks said.
Fire caused extensive damage to the barns in 1934, but the cows were not harmed. The barns were rebuilt and modernized with automatic milking machines. The company expanded home delivery to area towns when refrigerated milk trucks were added.
Then, in 1970, another fire destroyed all the barns and 28 cows perished.
“The support of the community, friends and neighbors made it possible to rebuild,” Wicks said.
The Whitman ice cream stand continued to flourish and more Peaceful Meadows stores opened – in Middleboro in 1977, Plymouth in 1981. Wicks and his wife Judith own and operate the Middleboro store.
In summer, customers stand in line to be served cool treats at Peaceful Meadows Ice Cream, which plans to mark its half century in Whitman with a celebration still to be determined.
“I would say ice cream is our forte,” Wicks said.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Peaceful Meadows in Whitman celebrates 50 years of selling ice cream