| Description |
SHIPPING AVAILABLE > Measuring 10 x 20" overall, this reverse-painted glass menu board sign is retained in a silver patina metal frame, designed for wall mounting in an ice cream shop or similar setting. The sign advertises DIXIE MAID PURE SWEET CREAM ICE CREAM A WHOLESOME FOOD, promoting the Dixie Maid Ice Cream Company of DeRidder, Louisiana.
The bold yellow background is accented with green borders, creating individual sections for listing menu items and prices, though these sections remain blank. The lettering at the top, EAT DIXIE MAID, is prominently displayed in a script-style font, with PURE SWEET CREAM and ICE CREAM below in bold block lettering. The lower portion includes A WHOLESOME FOOD in red lettering, emphasizing quality and nutrition, along with the company name and location, DIXIE MAID ICE CREAM CO. DeRidder, LA.
The Dixie-Maid Ice Cream Company was part of a broad trend in the United States of regional dairy and ice cream companies catering to local tastes. Many of these companies grew during the early to mid-20th century, offering products that became staples in their communities. During the World War II era, ice cream was particularly popular among both civilians and servicemen, serving as a comforting treat amidst the uncertainties of the time. Dixie-Maid’s branding highlights the wholesome and natural ingredients used, a quality that would have resonated with customers looking for simple, quality products.
CONDITION REPORT > Notable condition issues include paint loss and patina consistent with age, materials and display, and later storage over the years.
HISTORY ~ DIXIE MAID ICE CREAM COMPANY & DeRIDDER, LOUISIANA
The Kern family has been associated with DeRidder since 1916. Kade Bardin, company owner and Hunters father, said his uncle, Clebert Cyprien C.C. Kern bought the bottling business just before World War I. The franchise in DeRidder had been started by the Christian brothers and the original plant operated on East First at a nearby, but different location. Leonce Cyprian L.C. Kern, Kades grandfather, came to DeRidder after World War I to help his brother with the new business. The Kerns came from the Donaldsonville/Napoleonville area, but the family ultimately originates from Alsace-Lorraine and were French-speaking. Together, in 1926, brothers C.C. and L.C. founded Dixie Maid Ice Cream, an addition to their successful soda bottling business. In July 1927, C.C. Kern was struck by a car and injured. He died a few days later in the hospital of pneumonia at age 43. At that time, L.C. Kern and C.C.s widow, Leocadie Naquin Kern, took over the business. The building that is being restored for the current vending business was constructed in 1936. Many locals remember watching through the large glass window in the front as soda was bottled. In 1980, the family sold the bottling part of the business, and Dixie Maid continued until the 2010s. In 1981, Kade and wife, Sunshine, started Bardin Vending Service at 134 East First Street in DeRidder.
DeRidder was named for Ella de Ridder, the sister-in-law of a Dutch railroad financier. Her family originally came from the small town of Geldermalsen in the Netherlands where she was one of thirteen children. She ran away from home at an early age and was presumed dead by her family who only recently discovered that she had traveled to the United States. The town was named for her by her brother-in-law who brought the first railroad to Southwest Louisiana.
Prior to that, the little town was known as Schoval. The Dutch-financed train line to DeRidder came in 1902. It was the Pittsburgh & Gulf Railroad. It was later called the Kansas City Southern.
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