J.D. Earle (1879–1956) would have fit in well in today’s Asheville. He opened a mill and feed company in Asheville in 1905, which became the Earle-Chesterfield Mill Company located in the river district on West Haywood Street near the Smith Bridge. To Earle’s pride, the mill “was entirely an Asheville institution in its ownership and in the employment of its force.” All expansions of the mill, including the construction of a large structure built back in Depression-era 1932, made use of Asheville material and labor.

In the hard times of the Depression, Earle encouraged Western North Carolina farmers to grow wheat and to bring the harvest to the mill as a cash crop. The plant produced all types of livestock feed as well as a bread flour. Earle-Chesterfield Mill products were shipped all over the Southeast, with “Asheville” stamped on every bag.

Because of food shortages during World War II, people were forced to substitute chicken rather than beef. According to Earle, that’s when eating chicken was popularized. Earle added a hatchery to his business and produced eggs for table consumption, as well as laying hens, broiler hens, and pullets.

If J.D. Earle were to return to Asheville today though, he would discover his mill had been razed by fire along with the Asheville Cotton Mill in 1995. But he would probably rejoice at seeing the local entrepreneurs, artists, shops, parks, and restaurants highlighting locally produced food, all thriving along the river. And he would most certainly smile upon seeing his Earle-Chesterfield Mill Co. “Hatchery” freshly painted and carefully maintained as part of the French Broad River renaissance.

For information, contact the NC Special Collections Desk at 828.250.4740 or write nc.reference@buncombecounty.org.