The Nebraska History Museum recently acquired a milk pasteurizer used by the Wright family in Pawnee County, Nebraska. Dean and Opal Wright purchased the pasteurizer from the Sears, Roebuck, & Co. catalog in 1952. Their son, Merlin, had polio that year, and they believed he may have contracted it from their farm cows. This was prior to the development of the polio vaccine. Dr. Jonas Salk developed the Inactivated Polio Vaccine in 1952, and nationwide testing began in 1954.
13200-1; Source: Merlin Wright, Peru, Nebraska
1946 photo of the Wright family: Mother Opal with baby Rita, Father Dean, Darrell, Harold, and Merlin.
This advertisement from the Fall and Winter 1951-1952 Sears catalog warns costumers of the dangers and raw milk and explains how the pasteurizer works. Milk is placed in a removable bucket and placed inside the aluminum canister. After plugging it in and setting the timer, the milk is heated by a 300-watt ring-type element.
13200-1
-Laura Mooney, Museum Registrar
any idea where to find an owners manual for the pasteurizer?
Sorry, we don’t have a manual in our collection.
Thanks to the generosity of Dwight Newton, we now have a photocopy of a the operator’s instructions, diagram of parts, and guarantee card.
I am also looking for the directions for a farm master
pasturizer..might I get a copy of your copy : )
I will contact you directly by e-mail.
I have two of these that we have used for at least 10 years. I now am rewiring them, and need parts. Anyone out there with a lower heating element?
One of our readers asks: I think I either heated it too fast by putting the dial too far to the left, or I left it going too long because the milk tastes as though it is scalded. Do you have an idea why my milk seemed scalded? I only put a quart jar in it, could it be that I need to put in more milk?
trying to find operator manual for Saf Guard p-5000 pasteurizer. Can anyone please help?