Salisbury DairiesWhen we go to the store today we take for granted that one of the staples they will always have is milk. There have been many changes in the last 100 years in the manner we acquire milk. Now it is homogenized, pasteurized and even ultra-pasteurized, the latter having a longer shelf life. There is whole milk, 2%, 1% and low fat. Anything less than whole milk seems like water to me, but that’s just my opinion.
There were no listed dairies in Salisbury before 1900 and only three by 1907. They were the Oak Lawn Dairy Co. which was owned by a Mr. Case and a Mr. Baysinger, Byrd’s Homestead Dairy, Harvey Morris, proprietor, and Grant Sexton whose home place became the Children’s Home out on old Ocean City Road (pictured in the postcard above). There is no mention of any dairy in either the 1916 or 1921 City Directories but in 1934 there were two listings under “dairy products”. They were the Purity Creamery on S. Division St and Southern Dairies, Fred Battle, mgr., which advertised they served the Salisbury-Ocean City area with both milk and ice cream. The 1940 Directory gives additional information on Purity Creamery in that H.A. Torry was the manager. Fred Battle still ran the Southern Dairies milk and ice cream operation. Two new dairies emerged at this time – City Dairy (Koontz), which carried a more extensive line to include chocolate milk, buttermilk, cottage cheese, sour cream, eggs, along with pasteurized milk and cream, and the Homestead Dairy out on Quantico Rd. (now Nanticoke Rd.) which advertised Golden Guernsey Milk.
For the milk bottle collector, there are no fewer than 25 different local bottles to collect. The rarest ones are Cedarhurst, Hickory Ridge, Archie Humphreys, Lakeview, Maple Shade, Pleasant View, Riverview, A. E. Shockley, Springfield and Sunnyside. Each of these in top shape could bring upwards of $200 so keep a lookout. The bottles of Koontz, City Dairy and Homestead are readily available and make a nice collectible. Some of the other dairies were Brown, Cherry Hill, Eastside, Fairview, Hillside, Maple Leaf, Peninsula Ice Cream Company, Herman Pryor, J. L. Smith, Purity Creamery, Sunayr and Walnut Lane.
Milk bottles come in all sizes from quarts right on down to a gill, which is about a serving in a cup of coffee or tea. Years ago, restaurants would serve coffee or tea with cubes of sugar in a bowl and a gill of milk or cream alongside.
How many remember home delivery when your mom would leave the empties out front with a note in one of the bottles with her order? I vividly remember my mom having to scrape the cream off the top to get to the milk. I always thought that was disgusting and carefully avoided any little piece of the cream. Now I crave sour cream on a nice baked potato. Maybe it’s not the same, or maybe my taste buds have changed over time. In any event, home delivery is a thing of the past. Those were the days.
There were no listed dairies in Salisbury before 1900 and only three by 1907. They were the Oak Lawn Dairy Co. which was owned by a Mr. Case and a Mr. Baysinger, Byrd’s Homestead Dairy, Harvey Morris, proprietor, and Grant Sexton whose home place became the Children’s Home out on old Ocean City Road (pictured in the postcard above). There is no mention of any dairy in either the 1916 or 1921 City Directories but in 1934 there were two listings under “dairy products”. They were the Purity Creamery on S. Division St and Southern Dairies, Fred Battle, mgr., which advertised they served the Salisbury-Ocean City area with both milk and ice cream. The 1940 Directory gives additional information on Purity Creamery in that H.A. Torry was the manager. Fred Battle still ran the Southern Dairies milk and ice cream operation. Two new dairies emerged at this time – City Dairy (Koontz), which carried a more extensive line to include chocolate milk, buttermilk, cottage cheese, sour cream, eggs, along with pasteurized milk and cream, and the Homestead Dairy out on Quantico Rd. (now Nanticoke Rd.) which advertised Golden Guernsey Milk.
For the milk bottle collector, there are no fewer than 25 different local bottles to collect. The rarest ones are Cedarhurst, Hickory Ridge, Archie Humphreys, Lakeview, Maple Shade, Pleasant View, Riverview, A. E. Shockley, Springfield and Sunnyside. Each of these in top shape could bring upwards of $200 so keep a lookout. The bottles of Koontz, City Dairy and Homestead are readily available and make a nice collectible. Some of the other dairies were Brown, Cherry Hill, Eastside, Fairview, Hillside, Maple Leaf, Peninsula Ice Cream Company, Herman Pryor, J. L. Smith, Purity Creamery, Sunayr and Walnut Lane.
Milk bottles come in all sizes from quarts right on down to a gill, which is about a serving in a cup of coffee or tea. Years ago, restaurants would serve coffee or tea with cubes of sugar in a bowl and a gill of milk or cream alongside.
How many remember home delivery when your mom would leave the empties out front with a note in one of the bottles with her order? I vividly remember my mom having to scrape the cream off the top to get to the milk. I always thought that was disgusting and carefully avoided any little piece of the cream. Now I crave sour cream on a nice baked potato. Maybe it’s not the same, or maybe my taste buds have changed over time. In any event, home delivery is a thing of the past. Those were the days.
George, any info on a Stevens Dairy? I think I found my quart bottle in Accomac or Worchester county.
ReplyDeleteI remember and those WERE the days!
ReplyDeleteThanks, George. Always a good read and a good memory.
Stevens Dairy operated in Pocomoke
ReplyDeleteCity; I think it was owned by Hartley Stevens or some of his family. Hartley Hall, the local nursing home, is named in his honor.
Gee thanks for the memories George,I had for awhile forgot how old I was...LOL
ReplyDeleteTo Orsonwells:
ReplyDeleteStevens Dairy was in Pocomoke. Their quart bottle is fairly common and will sell in the $10-20 range depending on condition. I hope this helps you.
That house in the postcard is actually still standing too,behind the Lutheran Church on Old OC RD,has a private owner.There is actually a small family cemetary in the backyard and I think one of Salisburys early mayors lived in it at one time many yrs ago.Great article!!!
ReplyDelete