Before news “crusade,” milk was killing babies

About this episode

The episode discusses the dangerous practices of dairy farmers in early 1900s Portland that led to high infant mortality rates due to contaminated milk.

State regulators didn't care, so neither did some dairy farmers, who left dead cows to rot among their dairy herds and brought milk to market in the same cans they used to slop the hogs; Portland led the nation in baby deaths as a result. (Portland, Multnomah and Columbia county; 1900s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/1208b-bad-milk-was-killing-babies-in-portland.html)

Topics covered

• milk safety
• public health
• dairy farming
• historical events
• Portland history

Keywords

• milk
• Portland
• baby deaths
• dairy farmers
• public health
• 1900s
• regulation

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Portland, Multnomah, Columbia county

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