Hello Bob and All,

I think I can shed some light on this one for you Bob.  I have a good
friend (Jim) who is the grandson (on his mother's side) of the founder.
His mother did not want anything to do with the bee business, so she
moved to New Jersey once she became an adult.  Here job, while growing
up, had been to grade and package comb honey.  Jim worked for his
grandfather during his summers off from school, and was exposed to all
the different aspects of the operation.  I arranged for him to speak at
our association and relay the history of his family.  I have often asked
him to write it all down.  I think it would make a very interesting
article in one of the journals.  I will try and give a brief
account/history here.

Around the turn of the last century, as a youth, Mr. Bradshaw tended a
few colonies.  He bought his first one around the age of 12 or 13 and
carted it to his New Jersey home on his bicycle.  He tended these for a
few years and upon becoming an adult decided to go to California to seek
his fortune.  On his way there was a brief stop in Salt Lake City.  When
he stepped off the train and looked around at the mountains, he decided
it was too beautiful a place to leave.  He landed a job stringing wire
for either the phone or power company.  One day he was working on a pole
and noticed a beehive in the yard below.  He stopped for a while just to
watch.  The owner came over and they had a conversation that lead to him
being invited back for dinner that evening.  They hit it off so well
that he was offered the opportunity to start an operation in Idaho.  A
few days later he was on a train going north with a few hundred
colonies.  This was the beginnings of what was to become one of the
largest honey producing operations in the western United States.
Eventually it took the name 3 Bears Honey.  They were one of the first
companies to produce creamed honey using the Dyce Method.  They may have
even bought the patent on the process, but don't quote me on that.  The
business flourished for over 50 years.  During the 1950s the business
was split up among the sons and eventually most was sold to Sioux City
who still produces creamed honey and markets it in the West under the 3
Bear name.

When Jim tells the story, he relates many personal memories and also
some of the firsts in the company's history.  He tells of a time when
business was much simpler and there was never need for a contract.
Business deals were sealed with a handshake. Early on bees were
transported by trains and horse drawn wagons.  The horses would have to
be blindfolded before taking them into the bee yard, "the second time".
They also tried to use a live bear for an advertising campaign.

Mr. Bradshaw was the first to bring diesel powered trucks to the Rocky
Mountains.  The companies first two trucks were purchased, at a
discount, under the agreement that one of the trucks would be loaded
with and would deliver truck parts to the newly opened dealership in the
Denver area.  He sent one employee to Detroit to pick up the two trucks.
While there the employee was to hire another driver to bring the
vehicles back.  This was during the Depression.  He had many applicants
and ended up hiring someone and then loading his family, and all their
possessions, then moving the entire lot back to Idaho. The man stayed on
as a permanent employee for many years.

Jim also shows a picture of a  highway overpass in western Idaho.  This
bridge was over the only highway to California, and determined the
number of colonies a truck could carry because of clearance.  They would
load the bees one row higher than the clearance and upon arriving at the
overpass they would unload, by hand, the top row and carry them to the
other side and then reload for before continuing the trip.

One other story relates a time when a truck carrying a load of bees blew
a tire in a small eastern Oregon town.  This was during WWII and tires
were being rationed.  Before the garage could sell a new tire the
inspector had to approve the sale.  Being that it was very late at night
the inspector wanted to wait until morning.  The driver told the local
police chief at the scene that if the sun came up and this truck was not
on the move "the town would never be the same".  The sheriff escorted
the inspector to the garage, and then escorted the truck out of town.

The senior Mr. Bradshaw lived and celebrated his 100th birthday. He
passed away just a few years ago.  Listening to Jim tell the tale of a
"family run bee business" in the first half of the 20th century was a
great example of the spirit to succeed.

Bob, if you wish to contact me off list I will give you Jim's contact
information.  I am sure he would like to know there is still some of the
product still around.

   Ron

Ron Bogansky
Kutztown, (eastern) PA, USA




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