By Norman Nabholz
The year was 1936 and in the barns of the big dairy cattle shows there was a element of sadness as one of the most popular and talented cowmen had passed away before his time. Arthur Klussendorf would be missed by his many friends and through this sadness a group of his admirers would create an award to honor Klussendorf. The committee of three were diligent as the first winner had to exemplify the qualities that made Art so popular amongst his peers. They couldn’t have picked a better one than Olaf Kjome.
Left to Right: Olaf Kjome, Arthur Clark, Elis Knutson, Nelson McCammon, Veron Hull, Henry Thomas and Al Hay
Olaf was born in Northeast Iowa right on the border of Minnesota. In fact, in the small town in which he was born, Bee, one half was in Iowa and half in Minnesota. Olaf’s father was a horseman and veterinarian and passed away when Olaf was a mere 16 years of age. Olaf attended Winona Teacher’s school and became a teacher at a small country school near his hometown of Spring Grove, Minnesota. Olaf was hired as a herdsman for Boulder Bridge farm, Excelsor, Minnesota, even though he had little to no experience with high profile cattle. Boulder Bridge saw something in the young fellow and he assumed the job that would lead him into being one of thee, if not thee most popular dairy cattlemen ever. Olaf would talk about the knowledge that he had gained from his acquaintance with a gentleman on the show circuit, one Art Klussendorf who was the master dairy cattle showman of his time.
Boulder Bridge was the premier Guernsey farm of it’s day as well as one of the Premier Belgian horse farms which was something in those years as horsepower was prized and show strings of draft horses were a status symbol for the wealthy. Kjome had a chance to meet and mingle with the best, which had to be something for a young man of southern Minnesota who could see the nation from coast to coast in a box car filled with great Guernsey cattle.
The train would leave Excelsor and travel to shows in Dallas, Springfield, Mass., Memphis, and nearly every state fair in between. According to Olaf’s son Dave, his dad had traveled through 44 states via boxcar. Along the way championship banners, trophies and ribbons at the very top shows were garnered by the trunk load, to be displayed at the famous Boulder Bridge Farms. National Champion bulls included Langwater Waldorf in 1931, Wyebrook Matchless in 1936, Valleywood Valiant Hero in 1940 and Argilla Beacon in 1947. Female Champions were Moose Valley Minuet, 1935, Hornblends Beauty Raider, 1936 and Pride of Pine View 1938.
The cattle and horses would travel in style in separate box cars but several times to the same shows. The decorations, blankets and tack were first class and befitting the champions that they were used for. The cost had to be tremendous but the rewards of having such strings of high quality livestock must have been a source of great pride for the wealthy owners. Can you imagine two show herds traveling throughout the country for a three to five month period? Bull calves and stud colts sold on the circuit helped to defray some of the cost of the venture. Boulder Bridge would sell both breeds at the best sales in the country and would most generally top each auction they were involved in.
Boulder Bridge was owned by the Dayton family of Dayton’s Department stores.
Note: now a large part of Target corp. The farms totaled over 1,000 acres in Hennepin and Carver Counties in Minnesota. The farms were home to Hereford cattle and prized Duroc, Hampshire and Chester White hogs as well as Shropshire and Hampshire sheep in addition to a very large poultry operation of leghorns and Barred Reds.
The farm took it’s name from a bridge constructed on the shores of Lake Minnetonka. The bridge logo was used on all advertising for the farm and cattle. The farm could be documented as “Lifestyles of the rich and famous” for both man and beast. The Belgians were housed in an immaculate stable fit for royalty with 10 box stalls and 20 tie stalls for the show winning giants. The barn also housed the Tennessee Walking horses which were used for the Saturday morning bridal path ride for the Dayton family when weather would permit. The riding horses were saddled and ready at the appointed time for the family and the ride would encircle the beautiful farmstead.
The Guernseys like the Belgians were treated like the queens and kings that they were as well. The main dairy barn contained four box stalls, twenty tie stalls and forty stanchions for the young cows and cows not on official test. This barn was milked two times a day by bucket milker. Then there was the “test cow” barn which had around twenty box stalls and twenty five tie stalls. The test cows were milked three times a day by hand. The test cow milker, Ted Halvorson, was assisted by two or three assistants to milk, feed, and keep both cattle and facilities immaculate and ready for inspection twenty four seven, six days a week. There was no business except for chores done on Sunday which was reserved as the Sabbath for the employees.
The farm had a heated calf barn and a four stall bull barn for the mature herd sires. Milk from the farm was pasteurized and bottled at the plant located on the farm. Farm workers received what milk they wanted and the rest was moved in half pint bottles to the Dayton Tea room on the seventh story of the department store. All employees who worked in the milking barns were required to wear all white caps, shirts and trousers which were laundered professionally and returned to the farm. On the farm was a three story boarding house for the single help. Three meals were provided Monday through Saturday by the two on site cooks. Besides the labor for the livestock, the farm employed gardeners and landscape people on a seasonal basis and a full time night watchman for the farm and surrounding buildings and homes.
The Daytons had two residences, a winter home in Minneapolis and a summer residence on the main farm. The main residence and surrounding lawns hosted many social gatherings during the summer months. On work days the Daytons were chauffeured into downtown Minneapolis to their department store. The store offered clothing and household goods for working class people and was a seven story mainstay in the Twin Cities long before the shopping centers, Wal-Mart or Target made their way into Americana.
Les Wilson was the farm manager and did the majority of buying and selling for the farm as well as traveling to the shows and sales representing the farm. Between Les and Olaf, I doubt there was a show that one or both of these gentlemen did not judge. Les would be responsible for gathering the staff to operate such a farm both at home and on the road. Les was also a great livestock man and had to have a keen eye for all species. One side note: I had the opportunity to meet Les while showing our herd at the Steele County Fair in Owatonna Minnesota where Les was the dairy superintendent after his retirement from Boulder Bridge and a stint as a classifier for the Guernsey breed. I found Les to be quite a gentleman and always willing to share his stories of the good old days at Boulder Bridge.
Boulder Bridge was dispersed in October of 1950 in the closing chapter of one of the greatest agricultural endeavors of modern times. The high price for the day was $8,000 for Boulder Bridge Lucero. ($71,264 in 2009 dollars)
The cow Douglaston Lady Lucy at 15 years old was made available to the Kjome’s for their new home with one provision. She was to be buried after her demise which came a year after arriving at her new home. The burial was done with spade and shovel. No skid loaders in those days.
As for Olaf Kjome, after Boulder Bridge, he would start his own great herd of Guernseys in his hometown of Spring Grove, Minnesota and for twenty three years (Boulder Bridge lasted twenty six years ) he and his family developed Valleyland Guernseys which was dispersed in 1969 for a record average for the year of $ 910 on 73 head ($5,380 in 2009 dollars). In the short span of twenty three years starting from near scratch the farm accumulated no less than eight gold star breeder awards for type and production done mostly with family labor, hard work, honesty and a strong moral and ethical backing. 
As previously stated Olaf was always in demand for his judging skills and made many a trips judging shows from County Fairs throughout the Mid-West to the biggest and best Guernsey National shows wherever they were. If Olaf judged a show once, he would nearly always judge it again and again. With Olaf judging you were always treated to a fair shake and a great eye and it didn’t matter who was leading the animal. As a youngster I sure couldn’t appreciate the fact that I was in the presence of the first winner of a prestigious award winner when Mr. Kjome would judge our cattle at our county fair or the All Iowa. I knew my dad and Uncle had the utmost respect for his judging and his integrity as did everybody Olaf would come in contact with. The committee that selected the first Klussendorf winner did their homework and they received an A+ for their efforts.
I want to thank Dave Kjome for his help with writing this article. Dave was blessed with his dad’s ability to judge cattle, as well as his dad’s integrity and ethics. Dave graduated from Iowa State University, a masters degree from Michigan State and went on to a great career as a Guernsey Mid-West representative then on to Tri-State Breeders where, along with Marlowe Nelson, made up one of the great bull buying teams of all times. After Tri-State Dave went on to be the dean of extension people in his home state of Minnesota and again like his father is one of the most popular judges of his time judging everything from county fairs to state shows and fairs and national shows throughout the U.S. and overseas as well.
Both Olaf and Dave had a special connect with a willingness to pass on cow knowledge as well as common sense to the younger generation. Priorities of family, faith and hard work were passed on from generation to generation which puts them in a class unique in the business. Proud to have known them.