Hawk Dairies
2415 East 11th Street
Built: 1948
GPS
N 36 08.859
W 95 57.442
The Hawk Dairies is an excellent example of post-World War II Modernist architecture as applied to a dairy processing plant. Constructed in 1947-1948 by Tulsa contractor Jack Owen Stegall, the building was designed by Kansas City, Missouri, architect Gerad W. Wolf. The construction of the building dramatically boosted the production capabilities of Hawk Dairies, allowing it to expand its product lines, trade territory and the number of farmers from whom it purchased milk. In addition to processing milk using the latest production means, the company incorporated a retail outlet for their product in the new building.
There were a total of nine dairy plants in operation in Tulsa in the late 1940s.
Hawk Dairies was purchasing milk from as many as 600 area dairy farmers in 1947.
The completion of the new building was expected to double that and possibly
reach as high as 1,500 farmers. A substantial number of Oklahoma farmers
directly benefited from the Tulsa plant. In terms of cash, Hawk Dairies was
expending about $100,000 each month for milk prior to completion of the 1948
building. This was anticipated to rise to a quarter of a million dollars per
month after the new building was brought on-line. The company covered an eleven
state trade territory — Hawk Dairies’ milk products were shipped in quantity to
Dallas, Galveston and Houston, Texas.
the short description was prepared by the Tulsa Preservation Commission
