Milk Bottle is Museum's Latest Addition

While Bob and Judy Bowman were sightseeing and antique shopping in Hocking County, OH a few weeks ago, they found and purchased a milk bottle at the Logan Antique Mall (see photo). It is labeled "ONE PINT LIQUID MIAMIVIEW DAIRY FRANKLIN O.” The bottle in good overall condition, but without its bottle cap. Since the FAHS apparently doesn’t have a Miamiview dairy bottle in its collection, the Bowmans are donating this bottle to the museum. 

According to a report located in the FAHS historical archives that had been compiled by Bob Croll in 2007, George L. Croll (1874-1948) founded and operated the Miamiview Dairy from 1892 until 1942 on the family farm located along the west bank of the Great Miami River immediately north of the Franklin city limits. According to the B. Croll account, George purchased some Holstein milk cows in 1892 to start his dairy. The size of his herd grew to about thirty milk cows, which were all milked by hand until 1930 when a new “modern” milking barn was built including two 30-foot silos, corked floored stalls, and a De Laval milking system that would milk 3 cows at a time. 

The Miamiview Dairy prospered for many years where customers were charged 9 cents per quart and 5 cents per pint for home delivery. However, when the dairy raised the price to 10 cents per quart, some people said milk was not worth 10 cents per quart and quit. George would let his heifers graze on the 16-acre “island” on west side of the river, which now belongs to the Miami Valley Conservancy District as part of the Miami River flood plain. For many years the Hamilton Inn, and later the Bombarger Inn, was the dairy’s largest customer. When Mrs. Bombarger closed her dining room in 1942, George Croll also decided to shut down his dairy saying: “With my largest customer gone, help almost impossible to get, tires wearing out and so on, what’s the use?”

In the August 29, 1942 issue of The Franklin Chronicle , the editor wrote, “But George Croll has the satisfaction of knowing that he did what he could. Respected by his fellow citizens, with an established record for integrity and square dealing, he starts down the sunset road.”