Arthur Dwight Hyde was born at Pipestone, Minnesota in 1902. The family later moved to Illinois, where Hyde grew up. In 1928 he went to work in Minneapolis for General Mills, resigning in 1961 as an executive vice president. From 1961 to 1968 he was president of A. O. Smith Harvestore Products, Inc., a firm that manufactures metal silos.
In 1930 Hyde inherited a 440-acre farm south of Wilder and east of Heron Lake in Jackson County, Minnesota, which had been in his family since 1905. This property, which came to be known as Wilder Farms, was being farmed by tenants and managed by professionals in Minneapolis. In 1937 Hyde (with his business associate Eleanor C. Romhild) assumed management of the farm himself from his office in Minneapolis.
Wilder Farms was a cash grain operation until 1949 or 1950, when cattle feeding was begun. In 1952 Hyde formed Feeders, Inc., and the Wilder Farms properties were transferred to this corporate entity. The farm eventually grew to comprise more than 1500 acres and became a showcase for Harvestore brand silos. Around 1970 Hyde moved to Wilder Farms, building a new home for himself on the shores of Timber Lake.
In addition to Wilder Farms (its major subsidiary), the Feeders corporate umbrella also included several other subsidiary and related companies: Feeders of S. D., Inc.; ETOH Incorporated; and Daramac, Inc.
From the guide to the Corporate records., 1883-1990 (bulk 1937-1980)., (Minnesota Historical Society)
