Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Sweet as a Norman Rockwell illustration, the large hand-painted photograph shows a young Hoosier dairy farmer and his son right before milking time. Wide timbers stretch across the ceiling of the old barn; the floor is painted white. The boy, sporting a checkered cap with earmuffs, watches as his father tests a Jersey for mastitis.
The picture was taken Jan. 31, 1950, commissioned by Litchfield Creamery in Warsaw. The man is Dorris Harrold and his son, Richard. This photograph and one showing Harrold's tramp sheds with five grade cows was distributed with an article about his mastitis-free herd. The brochure detailed practices to avoid mastitis.
At the time the Harrolds were presented a 24-by-18-inch black-and-white copy. Richard has it now, along with the cap he wore as a 2-1/2 year old.
The colored image was on display in the Purdue University building at the Indiana State Fairgrounds for years as part of an agriculture education exhibit. The family visited the state fairgrounds on an annual basis, always visiting the portrait.
Then it disappeared.
The big photograph was gone for decades only to resurface 10 years ago in the state fairgrounds' Pioneer building.
Richard's wife, Vickie, spotted it first, hanging in a dark corner behind, of all things, a manure spreader. The Harrolds asked for permission to cross the exhibit rope and take a closer look. They were told they couldn't have it.
At the time Jill Sommers (now Harker), Richard's niece, was attending Purdue University as a freshman. She contacted Mauri Williamson, a PU professor and the Pioneer Building director. Jill must have been persuasive because the large photograph was delivered to her by Williamson and she took it home to her grandparents.
All three sizes of the photograph - as brochure art, the black and white photograph and the large hand-colored image - made their way to the Kosciusko County 4-H & Community Fair Monday as part of an American Heritage exhibit by Richard's son and Dorris' grandson, Jason. The display was awarded a blue ribbon.
