Washington County dairy farmers and city business leaders founded the Brenham Creamery Company in 1907 to sell butter made from the excess cream generated by area dairies. It was a smart plan designed to provide farmers with some cash and to draw shoppers into town, which was deemed good for everybody’s business. Wise as they were, the city fathers could not have foreseen that 100 years later their smart little local enterprise would make Brenham famous as home to one of the most respected premium ice-cream makers in the country. The company started making ice cream in 1911 and officially changed its name to Blue Bell Creameries in 1930, in honor of the blue bell, a Texas wildflower that flourishes during the hot months, just like people’s cravings for ice cream. For the next 40 years, Blue Bell ice cream was pretty much a regional Texas treasure. Then smart sales and distribution techniques, paired with a stylish ad campaign based on near-fanatical product loyalty, prompted serious company expansion beginning in the 1970s. Today, Blue Bell is distributed in 16 states and boasts a big share of the country’s premium ice-cream market.
To commemorate their centennial, Blue Bell has planned a yearlong traveling celebration that commences in Austin this weekend in the parking area across from the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum (1800 Congress). The “rolling birthday party” includes a customized 18-wheeler full of Blue Bell information, interactive media presentations, and memorabilia; a mobile country store stocked with anniversary merchandise; an inflatable bounce house in the shape of a half gallon of Homemade Vanilla; and plenty of free ice cream. Over the coming year, the 100 Years Tour will visit 66 cities in Blue Bell’s 16-state distribution area. There will also be a hometown birthday party this summer at the Washington County Fair in Brenham, July 19-21. In Austin, members of the local Boys & Girls Clubs will enjoy a sneak-preview party at 5:30pm on Thursday, Feb. 15. The event is open to the public from 10am to 5pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Feb. 16-18.
This article appears in February 16 • 2007.