2013 Golden Valley Hall of Fame Inductee Was City's Constable

The city of Golden Valley is inducting four citizens to the Golden Valley Hall of Fame, which honors those who have been affiliated with Golden Valley, made contributions to the community and become renown. The induction ceremony is 9 to 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 17, at Brookview Community Center.

Christopher Ewald was just 16 years old and fairly new to America when he bought the milk route that marked the beginning of Ewald Bros. Dairy, a business that was to serve Golden Valley and the surrounding area for nearly 100 years. 

In 1884 Chris, his mother, and four siblings left Denmark for America, where his mother felt sure there would be opportunities. Chris was 14 and unable to speak English. Being the eldest of the boys, he secured a job on a milk delivery route in Minneapolis to help provide for his family. Two years later he purchased the route and began delivering milk with his younger brother John. At the time, the Ewalds herded their cattle around Lake Hiawatha and what is now known as the Hiawatha Golf Course. 

Chris and his family moved to the McNair farm in 1911 and leased 700 acres that included most of North Minneapolis. In 1920, Chris and his four sons Ray, Dewey, Don, and Bob built their first creamery at 2919 Golden Valley Road. Chris was also appointed constable of Golden Valley, helping maintain law in order within the city. 

The Ewald brothers continued to grow their business by promoting high service and quality, never merging with other dairies to expand. Competing with more than 200 other local creameries, the Ewald family delivered milk to one out of three customers taking home delivery. At their peak, they produced more than 50,000 gallons of milk per day. 

In his later years, Chris enjoyed sitting atop Golden Valley Road near Xerxes Avenue to watch his drivers return from the routes in a thriving business he had built from a single wagon and horse. He died in 1938, leaving the future of the business in the hands of his four sons. Golden Valley thanks Christopher Ewald for benefitting.

Golden Valley’s Hall of Fame program was developed in 2011 by a group of citizens known as Bridge Builders as part of the community’s 125th Anniversary celebration. With support from the City’s Envision Connection Project Board of Directors, it recently became an annual community event.

(Information provided by the city of Golden Valley.)

Correction made: The wrong time for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony was mistakenly posted in this story on Golden Valley Patch. We apologize for the error.