Manufacturer: Mayer China
User: Keeley's Ice Cream
Date of platter: pre-1930s

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Notes: A September 1895 story in Utah's Deseret News was written as a bit of a puff piece for Keeley's Ice Cream, which was founded by A. C. Keeley, who had begun in the "confectionery business here five years ago, and has built up a most liberal and influential patronage. His store is at 266 south Main street. It is 25×100 feet in area, and neatly arranged and appointed throughout. The fore part is used as the store room, where all kinds of candies, confections, breads, cakes, etc., are carried. Here is also a large and handsome soda fountain, and Mr. Keeley's soda water is celebrated as well as his cream."

Keeley died in April 1922, but his widow and business partners continued running the business. By 1923 (see ad above), Keeley's "Best By Test" ice cream was well-established, with some 100 pharmacies and groceries carrying the brand in addition to the main store.

In the mid-1940s, Keeley's had continued to grow and gave up the use of its apostrophe in its menu (shown above) that included both Keeleys (without apostrophe) with BEST BY TEST in a swash and also Keeley (without apostrophe) but with INCORPORATED in the swash. The menu also shows that it had opened seven restaurant, candy, and fountain stores with four in Salt Lake City, one in Ogden, and two in Provo.

Salt Lake City's two newspapers ran stories in their Sept. 16, 1960, issues about the sale of Keeley's to three businessmen, owners of Mountain States Service Co. Both stories gave a run-down of Keeley's history, its properties that were changing hands as well as the management plans by the new owners.

The Mayer China platter has the Keeley's logo at the top of the border, placed between a thick line near the edge and a thinner line on the verge, with the company's script logo with an expansive swash containing its "BEST BY TEST" slogan. Keywords: Keeleys Keeley's

Sources:
Deseret News, Sept. 10, 1895 – story about Keeley's
Deseret News, Sept. 10, 1895 – early ad for Keeley's
Deseret News, June 20, 1923 – ad showing Best by Test logo
Salt Lake Tribune, Sept. 16, 1960 – sale of Keeley's
Deseret News, Sept. 16, 1960 – sale of Keeley's
Lehi Historical Society and Archives Facebook Group – photo of ghost sign: "One of Lehi's most iconic signs is the Keeley's Ice Cream sign, painted on the side of the building that was the drug store."

For more info:
Keeley's Palace of Sweets (unrelated), by Maddock Pottery

Contributor:
Carol Cardon: creamer photo
Susan Phillips: author