People
Manuel Azevedo
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In the 1930s, orphans from the Benevolent Home were invited to the American Dairy Ranch at Christmas. They met Santa Claus, received gifts, and drank lots of healthy milk. This portion is part of a longer promotional film for the American Dairy Company that was shown in movie theaters. The music was added later. |
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Though Tyler Beach used the hill as a dairy in the 19th century, it didn’t become known as “Dairy Hill” until the early 20th century, when Manuel Azevedo purchased the land and made it the dairy farm of the American Dairy Company.
Manuel Theodore Azevedo was born in Portugal on October 15, 1870. Like so many of his generation, he made his way to the United States as a teenager, arriving in Boston in 1887. From there, he moved west, eventually settling in San Mateo, California and finding work as a hired hand on a dairy. But Azevedo had the talent and drive for much better things. Within two years he began leasing land in San Mateo County to run his own dairy operation. During the early 1900s, he operated a dairy in Stanislaus County.
In 1916, Manuel Azevedo entered into business with his countryman Manuel Lewis, taking over the American Dairy delivery service in San José. They kept the name and incorporated as the American Dairy Company. Under Azevedo’s management, the company prospered; in 1929 the dairy was distributing 2,750 gallons of milk daily. Azevedo also steadily added to his landholdings around Dairy Hill, until he owned some 600 acres. The property was bounded by Stone Avenue (now Curtner Avenue) to the north, Oak Hill Cemetery and Monterey Road to the east, the Almaden Road to the west and Hillsdale Avenue to the south.
Azevedo was a well-known and well-respected businessman, involved in Portuguese community groups and the Chamber of Commerce. He continually promoted the health benefits of his milk and dairy products.
