In the mid-19th century, German settlers spread west in Illinois and made their homes in the Stephenson County community of Freeport, arriving with their affinity for German food, specifically pretzels. Pretzels became so popular in the bakeries of Freeport at that time, and over the ensuing history of the town, that Freeport would go on in 2003 to officially become “Pretzel City, USA.” However, on a warm spring day, the city’s link to another popular snack brought us to Freeport: ice cream.

Union Dairy Farms has been a part of Freeport since the dawn of the 20th century. It was founded at a time when Stephenson County had the largest number of creameries in the state.

“Union Dairy is a small ice cream shop that’s been part of the Freeport community since 1914,” said Union Dairy Farms General Manager Holly Snyder. “I think we’re a staple in the community. And (we are) just trying to keep the tradition of coming to an ice cream shop and getting your favorite flavor and your favorite malt.”

Step inside, and it is as if you have traveled back in time. Union Dairy (as the place is known conversationally) is more than an ice cream shop. It is a time capsule featuring the glorious past of Freeport, which is the largest city between Rockford, Illinois and Dubuque, Iowa. Look around, and there is Union Dairy memorabilia everywhere, including the original sign board featuring all their ice cream flavors.

“Union Dairy is kinda like a museum,” said Holly with a smile as her gaze turned to a piece of dated furniture where many of the historic keepsakes are stored for Union Dairy Farms. “We try to keep as much originality as possible (ranging) from the stainless steel islands to the spinning bar stools. Grandparents remember spinning on the bar stools themselves. So, when they bring
their kids here, they get to do that as well.”

“We have grandparents bring their grandkids here because they got ice cream here as a kid,” reminisced Holly. “So, you know, you keep that alive and you still keep some of the old, bringing it into the new.”

Over a century of sweet memories

Union Dairy Farms arrived on the scene in 1914, strictly as a dairy processor. They would churn out milk for home deliveries in the area and for local schools.

“The dairy farmers would bring their milk here to be processed and then delivered to homes, schools, and grocery stores,” stated Holly. “Union Dairy Farms was a staple of the community back even then.”

The business evolved in the 1930s when Union Dairy started serving up ice cream. It introduced countertops and began collecting the memorabilia that now decorates the shop. Then, several decades ago, Union Dairy shuttered its ice cream production and sold many of its recipes to company in Wisconsin. Another ice cream manufacturer called Cedar Crest then purchased the recipes from the Wisconsin company and continues to produce some of the ice cream flavors originally made by Union Dairy.

Holly’s family took ownership of Union Dairy Farms about 30 years ago.

“My grandfather owned the building,” explained Holly. “Then an opportunity came for them to take it over, and it just seemed like an opportunity to jump on.”

Holly’s own history with the ice cream shop goes back to her childhood.

“When I first started, I was 12, (and) a single scoop, which is actually a double scoop, was a dollar,” Holly recalled. “We chose a dollar, because we wanted kids to be able to come in and not have to worry about change so they could still get a single scoop. Now, a single scoop is $4.96 with tax, twenty-seven years later.”

Holly believes that what keeps customers coming back is a sense of tradition and a desire to preserve wonderful memories.

“I think people like tradition. I think people like to hold on to memories,” Holly said with a warm smile. “When you can create that in a space like this, it just brings people back and they want to keep coming back. They want to relive those memories. Whether it was me, when I was 12 years old and now almost 40. I get to bring my kids here. So, I think it’s tradition and creating those family things that people are going to remember.”

Today, the shop continues to delight families, offering 51 different flavors.

“Orange pudding is one of the most popular flavors,” added Holly. “It was an original flavor created by Union Dairy back in the day. Superman is a favorite with kids because of its bright colors. And then there’s Pirate’s Bounty – a very caramel ice cream with Oreo cookies and M&M pieces that everybody loves.”

Holly’s personal favorites have evolved over time. “My favorite flavor then was Elephant Tracks – it’s still a good staple. Now, I’d probably say mint chip.”

Tradition meets innovation

Running the community’s historic ice cream shop comes with unique challenges according to Holly.

“It’s difficult to have an old-time feel and keep up with the new times. We have a lot of people that don’t want to see changes made. But in order to survive, we have to make changes.”

The magic of Union Dairy lies in its ability to evoke nostalgia. “I think ice cream brings people back to a simpler time when they were kids,” said Holly. “Ice cream is a treat. You get to have it after school or after a big test or something special. It just takes people back to their childhood.”

Family remains at the heart of the business. Holly’s mother continues to play a crucial role behind the scenes.

“She’s not involved in the day-to-day scooping,” Holly explained with a smile. “She’s still involved with the bookwork. She keeps our spending under control and tells me when we’re not making enough money.” Holly says her father is also closely aligned with the business. He chips in, she noted, by helping to fix things when needed.

Union Dairy follows a seasonal rhythm. It closes in the winter for a few months and reopens in the Spring.

“I would say March 1st is a holiday in Freeport,” Holly noted with pride. “When Union Dairy opens, it means spring is just around the corner, and everybody can get the ice cream they’ve been craving since October.”

The shop has adapted to changing times. If you’re hungry for a bite before a double scoop, Union Dairy satisfies even the heartiest of appetites. Customers can get a wide variety of burgers or a Chicago hot dog made to order.

“Food used to be really popular,” Holly recalled. “There were many businesses downtown, so there was a need for lunch. It’s slowed down now because many businesses have gone overseas or moved out of state. But we still get a decent lunch crowd, and we have our regulars.”

During local events like Cruise Night, which is like a local car show, Union Dairy becomes a community centerpiece.

“We’ll have a line out the door almost all the way down the block,” Holly said. “We just know we’ve got to take the next customer and not focus on the line.”

Alive and well in Illinois

Holly says she understands that to remain in business she has to change how Union Dairy operates day to day. Her costs for food have risen over the years as has the state’s minimum wage.

“Next year, we have to pay $15 an hour, and it’s hard to survive with that. With the cost of food going up as well, we had to change how we order,” explained Holly about what she has to do to keep the doors open at Union Dairy.

Holly also found she had to make tough choices about the people who work the counter at Union Dairy.

“Everybody used to sit down, and we’d have people come to you, but now we have more of an order at the counter, and we’ll bring items to you. So it just feels a little less personable or homey,” explained Holly about the changes she’s had to make. “Why did we do it? Because we needed to cut staff. We needed to save on payroll.”

“I can’t charge Chicago prices in Freeport,” added Holly “Our market out here is about a third of what Chicago is. When you have to raise prices to stay afloat people aren’t the happiest. There’s only so much you can charge for an ice cream cone. Otherwise, people are going to stop coming. And we don’t want that.”

Despite the challenges, commitment to community keeps the lights on at Union Dairy.

“When you want to throw in the towel or when something breaks and you get frustrated, you remember that people are expecting you to be open,” Holly explained. “They want to bring their kids and grandkids here. You don’t want to let them down. You don’t want to be closed. You don’t want to let a little kid walk away without an ice cream cone.”

“I love retail because when you come in to get ice cream, you leave with a smile. Rarely has anyone ever come in and been mad at the ice cream,” Holly noted with a warm laugh.