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The Dairies of Catoctin
Denny Black
Pouring fresh, chilled milk from
a disposable container that was
conveniently purchased at a grocery
store is something that all of us take
for granted these days. Few people
remain who remember the time when
small local dairies delivered bottled
milk to our doorstep. This is a short
article about the dairies that once
served our Catoctin community—
The Dairies of Catoctin—and my
interest in collecting and preserving
the artifacts that remain from those
local dairies.
By the early 1900s, door-to-
door milk delivery was established
in American cities and most small
towns. The milk route and the milk
man who delivered the product in
glass bottles became a part of our
American culture. The businesses,
usually farmers, would bottle their
milk and deliver it to customers
within their local communities.
Through a constant cycle, the milk
man would deliver fresh milk to a
customer and return the “empties”
to the dairy for cleaning and reuse
the next delivery day. Local dairies
prided themselves on the quality of
their milk, and their glass bottles and
paper caps usually included the name
of the dairy. Many times, their local
advertisements included a slogan.
For example, one of our local dairies
advertised that “Careful Mothers Use
Our Milk – It’s Safer.” Another local
dairy advertised its product as “Pure
fresh milk and cream, electrically
pasteurized and refrigerated, at your
door each morning.” As advances
in refrigeration allowed for the
transportation of mass-produced
milk for convenient stocking in
grocery stores, the local dairy and its
milk man became a historic footnote
by the early 1960s.
My interest in collecting artifacts
pertaining to our local dairies started
about twenty years ago, when my
www.TheCatoctinBanner.com The Catoctin Banner Newspaper October 2017 Page 43
friend, Larry Hauver, took me to used a generic glass bottle with an mission is to maintain the Thurmont
my first antique bottle show. I had advertising cap, while another (Castle Center for Agricultural History.
no idea at the time that there was Farms Dairy) used a primitive wax The purpose of the Center is to
such a thing. But there I was, one cone container. The only artifact that serve as a repository of materials
early winter weekend morning, I have been able to locate to date for that reveal the rich agricultural
standing on the gym floor of a one local dairy (Munshour’s Jersey heritage of Frederick County and our
northern Baltimore college among Farm Dairy) is an advertisement surrounding area. Erin and I quickly
endless rows of milk bottles. I was placed in a Thurmont baseball team agreed that a perfect solution would
mesmerized by the sight—as far as scorecard from the 1940s. Then, be to permanently display my milk
you could see—of a wonder-world there was a local dairy (Homarway bottle collection in the main reading
of beautiful glass objects of every Dairy) that created its name by room of our library, to complement
color in the rainbow. There were combining those of the three local the Center. With further guidance
milk bottles of all types and sizes Thurmont families (Hobbs, Martin, from Mary Mannix, Frederick
from nearly every state. After a and Weybright), who partnered County Public Libraries, The Dairies
short time there, I quickly learned in that business. As with every of Catoctin collection is now on
about the different kinds of milk collection, there is a story behind permanent display at our Thurmont
bottles, including embossed (letters finding each item. Regional Library for everyone to
molded in the glass), pyro-glazed The Dairies of Catoctin collection enjoy.
(letters painted on the glass), generic has been greatly enhanced by the Please stop by to see the
(no letters on the glass), and the generosity of Russell Moser and the collection, enjoy the beauty of the
wax cone (a primitive waxed paper late Kenneth “Doc” Simmers, who artifacts, and learn about the nearly
container in the shape of a miniature contributed rare artifacts from their forgotten local dairies that served our
megaphone). I also learned that grandfathers’ dairies, not to mention Catoctin community. It is a unique
dairies used a combination of bottle the many local milk bottles and part of our local history, captured
sizes, including the half-gallon, quart, related artifacts that Larry Hauver in glass. As with any collection, it is
pint, half-pint, and the much sought- located for me. never complete.
after “gill” (quarter-pint). It was at As many collectors do at some If you have any information
that bottle show that I became aware point in their lives, I recently or artifacts that would expand
of a small group of local dairies that became concerned about what will our knowledge of The Dairies of
distributed milk door-to-door over happen to my milk bottle collection Catoctin, we would be grateful if you
the years in and around Emmitsburg in years to come. I turned to my would contact us. I can be reached at
and Thurmont. friend Erin Dingle, administrator 301-271-4297 or dennisblack1@msn.
To date, I have acquired artifacts of the Thurmont Regional Library/ com. Erin can be reached at 301-600-
and information pertaining to the Emmitsburg Branch Library, for 7212 or edingle@frederickcountymd.
following nine local dairies that suggestions. Part of our local library’s gov.
provided daily delivery of fresh
milk and milk products to homes Note: An extensive collection of antique milk bottles and related artifacts
and businesses in our Catoctin from dairies that served our local community many years ago—The Dairies
community: Emmitsburg — of Catoctin—is now on permanent display at the Thurmont Regional Library.
Bollinger’s Dairy, Castle Farms Dairy, Denny Black and Erin Dingle, administrator of the Thurmont Regional Library/
Harvey E. Miller – Fairview Farm Emmitsburg Branch Library, will be available at the Thurmont Regional Library
Dairy; Thurmont — Bollinger’s on Sunday, November 5, 2017, from 2:00-4:00 p.m., to provide interested persons
Dairy, Gall & Smith Dairy, Emory with an introduction to this historic collection. Special refreshments will be served.
L. Moser Dairy, Harry S. Simmers
Locust Grove Dairy, Homarway
Dairy, Munshour’s Jersey Dairy.
The history of our local dairies
has yet to be written. The artifacts
displayed in The Dairies of Catoctin
collection include milk bottles of
every type and size. One local dairy
(Gall & Smith Dairy) used both
embossed and pyro-glazed glass
bottles over the years. Another
(Emory L. Moser Dairy) only
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