Rhoda Adamson facts for kids

Rhoda Agatha Rindge Adamson (born April 20, 1893 – died April 2, 1962) was an important businesswoman. She helped start and run Adohr Farms and Adohr Dairy & Creamery. These became some of the biggest and most successful dairy businesses in Southern California. Rhoda was the daughter of Rhoda May Knight Rindge and Frederick Hastings Rindge. She was married to Merritt Huntley Adamson. The name "Adohr" was actually her first name, Rhoda, spelled backward!

Rhoda's Early Life and Adventures

Rhoda Agatha Rindge was born on April 20, 1893. She was the middle child of Rhoda May Knight Rindge and Frederick Hastings Rindge. Her parents had moved to California from other states. The family lived in Santa Monica and also had a large ranch in Malibu Canyon.

Rhoda grew up loving the outdoors. She enjoyed riding horses and even helped her father herd sheep on their Malibu Ranch. She also loved recreational horseback riding with her best friend, Jesse Ellen Matheson. They would ride their horses through the Santa Monica Mountains, sometimes carrying shotguns for protection against rattlesnakes. Rhoda also liked car racing and took part in annual races in Santa Monica.

Rhoda's Education

For high school, Rhoda attended a private girls' school called Casa de Rosas. She graduated in June 1910 with 28 other students. The ceremony was held at the Ebell Club in Los Angeles.

After high school, Rhoda went to Wellesley College for one year, from 1910 to 1911. She missed her home state of California too much and decided to return.

Marriage and Starting Adohr Farms

Rhoda met her future husband, Merritt Huntley Adamson, at her family's ranch. Merritt was the ranch foreman. When he was injured, Rhoda helped him recover. They got married on November 18, 1915.

A year later, Rhoda and Merritt started a small beef ranching business. However, their main focus became Adohr Stock Farms. This farm was located at 18000 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, CA. Merritt became the president of Adohr, and Rhoda was the secretary-treasurer.

Adohr Stock Farms grew into Adohr Farms and Adohr Dairy & Creamery. The dairy's main office was at 1801 S. La Cienega Boulevard. A huge sculpture of a milkmaid and a cow stood at the Adohr locations. The name "Adohr" was created by spelling Rhoda's name backward. Their advertisements, called "Adohr-able Babies," even featured their daughter, Rhoda-May, as the first "Adohr-able Baby."

Adohr Dairy: A Big Success

Adohr became one of the largest dairies in the United States. It was also known as one of the biggest certified dairies in the world. The farm had the world's largest herd of Guernsey and Holstein-Friesian cows, with 1,650 animals.

The milk from Adohr was certified by the Los Angeles County Medical Association. It often won awards at events like the California State Fair and the Pacific International Live Stock Exposition. The business did well even during the Great Depression.

Famous people helped promote Adohr products. Child star Shirley Temple named some Adohr cows. Clarence "Ducky" Nash, who was the original voice of Donald Duck, also promoted Adohr. He was an Adohr milkman who made funny voices for children on his delivery route. This led him to become "Whistling Clarence, the Adohr Bird Man." His talent impressed Walt Disney, and he later joined the Disney team.

The dairy operated 24 hours a day with 100 employees. Many more employees, called Adohr milkmen, delivered milk to people's homes. The company sold not just milk, but also buttermilk, butter, cream, ice cream, cottage cheese, and eggs.

The Tarzana farm and other land in Kern County, California, grew food for the livestock. They grew 150 acres of corn and 300 acres of alfalfa. Rhoda also managed prize-winning Saddlebred and draft horses.

Rhoda's Family and Homes

Rhoda and Merritt lived in a home in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. They had three children: Rhoda-May (born 1917), Sylvia (born 1921), and Merritt Jr. (born 1926).

In 1929, Rhoda's mother gave them 13 acres of land in Malibu. The couple then had a beautiful weekend and summer home built there. This home, called the Adamson House, was finished in 1929. The family loved it so much that they moved in full-time by 1936.

At the Adamson House, the family raised chickens, kept bees, and had many pets. These included goats, Saint Bernard dogs, a sheep named Bohunkus, and a donkey named Don Quixote. The family was friends with cowboy-humorist Will Rogers. He would ride his horse from his ranch to the Adamson House and perform rope tricks for the children.

Rhoda's mother, Rhoda May Knight Rindge, often stayed in the guest room. She had not only given them the land but also provided the beautiful tiles for the house. These tiles came from her own factory, Malibu Potteries. The Adamson House has so much of this special tile that it's sometimes called the "tile Taj Mahal."

World War II and Changes at Adohr

During World War II, the Coast Guard wanted to use the Adamson House as an outpost. The family said no, but they did let officers stay in the poolhouse and in tents on their beach. This became Coast Guard Command Post No. 5.

Like most buildings during the war, the house had to use blackout shades. These shades covered all windows to block light at night. This made it harder for enemy aircraft or submarines to see the landscape. Merritt Adamson volunteered as an air-raid warden. He rode his horse along the Malibu beach on patrol. Rhoda, like many people, preserved a lot of food by canning during the war.

In 1948, new neighborhoods started to grow around the Tarzana dairy. Merritt sold the Tarzana dairy property to builders who wanted to build homes for veterans. The dairy operations then moved to Camarillo.

A year later, in 1949, Merritt Adamson passed away. Rhoda was left to run Adohr completely. That same year, Adohr published a cookbook called Milk-Maid Recipes from Adohr. It had many recipes, from cakes to casseroles. The dairy also had a radio show called Adohr Opera of the Air. Opera singers would even audition in the living room of the Adamson House.

Rhoda's Legacy

Rhoda Adamson died in 1962. Her dairy continued under the Adohr Farms name for many years. The family sold the business in 1966. Adohr Farms was a very important dairy in its time and set high standards for others. Rhoda-May, Rhoda's oldest daughter, helped run the dairy after her mother's death.

Rhoda-May and her siblings, Sylvia and Merritt Jr., also formed the Adamson Company. This company managed the family's land. They continued to help shape the development of Malibu. For example, Merritt Jr. helped stop a plan to build a nuclear power plant in Malibu. He also sold thousands of acres of land to the state and federal governments. This land helped create the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, which protects wildlife and attracts tourists.

The Adamson House is still standing today. It is a wonderful example of the beautiful tiles made by Malibu Potteries, Rhoda's mother's business. This house shows the history of both the Rindge and Adamson families. Rhoda Adamson lived in the Adamson House until she died.

After her death, the State of California wanted to buy the property. The Adamson family sold it to the state in 1968. The state initially planned to tear down the house to make a parking lot for surfers. However, people in Malibu formed the Malibu Historical Society to save the home.

What saved the house was its unique tile. The tile was made from local clays by Malibu's first business, Malibu Potteries. The special glazes used could not be remade because the expert who created them, Rufus Keeler, had passed away.

It took about ten years for the historical society to work with the state. During this time, Pepperdine University's chancellor lived in the house. The Adamson family also donated 138 acres of their land to Pepperdine. This land became the foundation for Pepperdine's new campus in Malibu.

Finally, in 1977, the Adamson House was named California landmark No. 966. In 1985, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Rhoda's home has been open for public tours since 1982. It is also home to the Malibu Lagoon Museum. The house is still complete with the Adamson family's belongings, from Rhoda's dresses to their furniture and Adohr Farms milk bottles.

Images for kids

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  Adohr Farms in Camarillo.

See also

• Adamson House
• Rhoda May Knight Rindge
• Malibu, California
• List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California
• Malibu Potteries
• Rufus Keeler
• Frederick Hastings Rindge
• Frederick Hastings Rindge House