In 1896 dairy farmers Dennis and Mary Miller produced ice cream for the first time on this site using a hand-crank freezer. Their 111-acre farm grew into a business with 14 farms, 1,300 acres, 500 Holstein cows, and modern equipment. In 1936 Miller built his own power plant in Smithville, which supplied 40 neighboring farms and houses as well as the factory. During the 1960s, 22 Miller stores and 200 independent dealers in Michigan and Indiana carried the brand. Miller’s offered novelty flavors such as dill pickle, and its menu reflected the times, including a 1969 Man-on-the-Moon menu with a Sea of Tranquility Float and an Apollo 11 Sundae. The Eaton Rapids Area Historical Society acquired the property in 1992.