Platte Lake resident and local historian Jerry Heiman told us the interesting story of Max Marshall and the family business he built as Benzie's Turkey King.
Max started the turkey business in 1926 with 11 birds. He initially raised 150 turkeys, most of which he lost to predators. He soon adopted the Minnesota confinement method, fencing the birds.
By 1929 the business was going pretty well and Max brought his brothers back, setting up business at the top of Marshall Road. They learned about incubators and portable roosts and fencing. Predation by foxes was a tremendous problem, and they hired men to camp out with the turkeys at night.
The Maxwells' business became known as Maplewood Turkey Company. The Maxwells learned about breeding turkeys for their breasts. Originally bronze, white turkeys became more popular.
At their peak the Maxwells raised about 20,000 turkeys a year. When processed the turkeys were rushed to the train station in Beulah, then sent by train to Thompsonville for distribution to hotel chains and the like. Turkeys were also sent to celebrities like the Michigan governor and President Roosevelt.
In June of 1950 Jim Marshall became the president of Maplewood, and the company built a new processing plant where the Gold Star B&B is now located. They were able to process 600 birds a day, but the plant closed in 1956. Jerry's PowerPoint presentation is available here.
Turkeys at the heyday of the Marshall turkey business:
