By Michael Bushnell

This black and white, promotional postcard was produced for the Staley Milling Company of North Kansas City, Mo. Staley Milling Plant No. 1 was located at 1717 Armour Road in North Kansas City, just east of the present Armour Road exit ramp off of northbound I-35.

The description on the back of the postcard reads: “Romeo and Aureo are identical twin pigs. They have traveled all over the country and are well educated. Among their many accomplishments, they can climb stairs, slide down ramps and love to eat Staley Pig Mama out of bowls on a table, often begging trainer Fulton Shaw for more. Not so fortunate is their cousin Sorreo, who through no fault of his own does not possess the strong body or beautiful fur coat of hair his cousins do, for he was not fed Staley Pig Mama pellets. Romeo and Aureo are the original Staley twins, looking forward to the day when they will be on pasture, nibbling at Staley Twins supplement for their vitamins, minerals and protein.”

John Horace Staley was born in 1883 in Greene County, Mo. By 1900, Staley was married, living with his wife and two children in Carthage, Mo., managing the McDaniel Mill. In 1924, the family migrated to Kansas City, residing in an apartment in the 200 block of West Armour Boulevard.

By 1935 the Staleys had moved to a home at 2305 Eire in North Kansas City and J.H.

joined his son Tom in the formation of Staley Milling Company, with their primary elevator located at 1717 Armour Road.

In 1957, Staley Milling was sued in the US Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit by Staley Manufacturing Company of Decatur, Ill., for trademark and unfair competition due to the similarity of their product lines, as well as in their brand. Staley Manufacturing, makers of starches and sweeteners for human consumption, sought to keep Staley Milling, manufacturers of livestock food additives, from using the name Staley and the round disc represented in their brand, as it was allegedly confusing to consumers and users of the Staley Manufacturing Company’s products. Staley Manufacturing prevailed in that suit.

Staley Milling Company was absorbed by ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) in the 1970’s, and its Plant No. 1 elevators were razed in 2015 in order to make way for new development on the old mill site.

J.H. Staley, owner of the company, resided in a modest Colonial Revival home at 2305 Erie in North Kansas City until his death on August 31, 1959. He is interred in Forest Hill Cemetery in Kansas City, Mo.