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For
several years, dairy farmers in Orange County had been shipping
butter out of Newburgh for sale in New York City. With the advent of
the Railroad, farmers started shipping their butter by rail at
shorter intervals. Thaddeus Selleck, Chester's first Station Agent,
proposed the shipment of milk directly to the city. In 1842, Selleck,
with Philo Gregory, the only farmer to respond to Mr. Selleck's
proposal, organized the shipment of 240 quarts of milk by the Erie
Railroad. This consisted of 41 miles from Chester to Piermont and
then 21 miles by boat to New York City. Other farmers soon realized
it was more profitable to ship milk than butter. In 1843, 4,000,000
quarts of milk were being shipped over the Erie, and Orange County
milk was in demand in New York City. In 1853 the Orange County Milk
Association was distributing 7000 quarts daily. Farming interests in
Orange County were revolutionized, and a new and nationwide industry
was introduced into the American landscape.
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