The "Egg House"

The Yorkville Egg and Poultry House could be stifling on any hot summer day. There was no air conditioning in the main room or storage rooms or the office. This was the situation in any summer of the 1970s and 1980s. The business with its nondescript building was one block east of 47 at Van Emmons and Heustis and could easily be missed. The days of the farmers having chickens and selling eggs were coming to a close. Yet, the Egg Place, as it was locally called, still had a thriving business in live chickens and occasionally ducks or geese or even rabbits. The old hens housed in cages also produced enough eggs to sell. The old hens were cheap and recent migrants to the area were eager to buy the live chickens which were definitely fresh. Alverda and Ed Kilts kept “an eye” on these customers because occasionally they put an extra chicken or two into their bags without paying. The chickens were unceremoniously tossed into old chicken feed bags amid much squawking.

Ed and Alverda were ready for business six days a week from 8 to 6 or 7, were always “up” and were always ready to meet customers and friends. Young children were very welcomed and particularly enjoyed a visit to the Egg Place because there was always a cookie and maybe candy. Plus for the children, it was fun to see the newest animals. If a chicken whose coloring or attitude captured the interest of a child, Ed would remove that chicken. Then he would semi-hypnotize the chicken by stroking its head and neck and the child could then pet it. It was like visiting a mini petting zoo. The Kilts also enjoyed good conversation with customers and friends who provided the latest news in Yorkville. Alverda, in particular, loved to hear about the activities of the local schools and how her young friends were doing in school.

With pleasant times, there was also work time. The chickens and other animals had to be fed and watered and the eggs had to be collected. With so many chickens in multilevel cages and some freely roaming the main room, there was a lot of chicken manure. The high temperatures and humidity of summer made for a pungent odor in the main room. In such a setting, Ed and Alverda, who were already in their 60s, would scrape and then shovel the manure into empty chicken feed bags. They called the manure “bonanza”, and readily gave it to anyone who wanted to fertilize a garden and who would carry it away. The work in such conditions did not bother them; it was just as much a part of their life as was entertaining young visitors.

Their kindness to everyone who entered the Egg Place was also extended to a homeless woman whom they befriended. The woman lived in the environment of the Egg Place for many months with only a hot plate on which to cook. Her personal hygiene was taken care of in the toilet with a small basin and cold water. But, the Kilts treated her the same as they treated everyone. The woman might be homeless but she was still a human being and one of God’s children.

Knowing how Ed and Alverda Kilts treated and enjoyed people in their business, even on hot summer days, gives insight as to why they established The Kilts Foundation.

A Visit In The 1970's As Seen By The Eyes Of A Child

For a young girl in the early 1970s, visiting the Yorkville Egg and Poultry house was a weekly and happy occurrence. Sometimes the young girl would make the weekly visit with her mother and sister and sometimes the two sisters were allowed to go by themselves. Such trips were not usual for many people in Yorkville. But for this young girl those trips would have major significant some 40 years later: her son would be a four year recipient of a Kilts Foundation scholarship.

It was a short walk for the girls to the “Egg House” as it was called. Just a few blocks to walk East, then cross Bridge Street (no signal lights and little traffic then) over to the corner of Heustis and Van Emmons. There on the corner was an unassuming, one story building which housed the Kilts’ business. Nearing the building, there might be the sound of chickens cackling. At this time, some farmers still raised chickens and when the hens got to old to regularly produce eggs, they we sold to the Kilts. The Kilts in turn sold them to locals or sold them to the Campbell Soup Company. Another clue that the girls were close was the smell of chicken manure …particularly strong in the warmer months.

Upon entering the Egg Place, they would be in the small, cluttered office; the remainder of the building was for the animals and storage. Alverda Kilts would greet them with a big smile, asked how they were and usually offer them a cookie or some candy. If school was in session, Alverda always wanted to know how school was going and might share her own memories of country school and Yorkville High School. If the mother of the young girls was with them, there might be some local gossip of the day. But although Alverda know everything that was happening in Yorkville, she was never judgmental or critical in relaying the latest gossip; it was just the news of the day.

Now the girls would enter the large, all purpose room with the various chickens, usually Leghorn old hens who still might be laying a few eggs, maybe some ducks or geese or even some rabbits. Most of the animals were in pens but some were running free, particularly the pets. And then there was the guard dog, a Belgian Malinois, who was a great guard dog at night but not during the day when he was just too friendly particularly with kids. And then Ed Kilts would greet them in his jovial way and, of course, asked how they were doing. He also might show them their latest animals…maybe a Chilean hen who laid blue eggs or a Polish Crested rooster.

Then eggs, very fresh of course, were gathered and candled. The girl always remembered Alverda holding an egg by the larger end and slowly rotating it in front of a the candler. The candler was basically a small hole in a board with a very bright light behind it. The candling would insured a fresh egg with a fresh-looking air sac and no unwanted items such as blood.

With a happy ‘good-bye’, the girls would leave with their dozen or maybe Baker’s dozen of eggs. Alverda and Ed Kilts would continue their work which had started at about 8 AM and would end about six PM (six days a week). Their strong work ethic, frugal ways with their money, love of kids and the importance they placed on education, would all contribute to the establishment of the Kilts Foundation in 1988. Little did the young girl know that someday, her son would benefit from the Yorkville Egg and Poultry House and Ed and Alverda Kilts.