In the early years of Alpena, many people raised their own animals for meat or milk. As the town grew, there was more demand for the sale or trading of goods instead of shipping them in from down state. Richard Naylor, W.E. Rogers and John Smith were key players in the production of farm goods, especially dairy products, for the growing population of Alpena.
1866 - Richard Naylor purchased land and created the "Sunnyside Dairy Farm", just outside of Alpena (long Lake Ave). He is attributed with having the first milk wagon that delivered milk (in cream cans, dipped into milk pitchers) to residents in the city of Alpena. He grew the first bushel of potatoes for sale as well as started a hardwood delivery business to supply firewood to city residents. His wife continued to operate the dairy farm with hired labor, delivering milk to Alpena until selling the farm to Otto Gennrich in 1929.
1883 - John Smith leased the "Rock Farm" , located about 2 miles from Alpena in order to produce milk and deliver it to Alpena. About that same time, W.E. Rogers was doing the same thing on his own place known as the "Rogers Farms" which were a series of pieces of good farm land just west of Alpena. In 1888, John Smith leased the Rogers Farm in order to increase his milk production and operated both farms, selling under the "Rock Farm Dairy" name. On April 27, 1887, Rogers announced he would be selling milk in glass quart bottles for 6 cents per quart. On May 11, 1887, he partnered with Mr. Durgan and they announced they had a new "Milk Wagon" to deliver the bottled milk, making it much cleaner that those selling in 10 gallon cream cans, dipping milk into your own pitcher. The milk bottles proved to be popular with customers and sales soared, but customers also found other uses for the bottles once the milk was consumed, prompting an advertisement by Rogers to pay 5 cents to return his bottles, thus began the first "bottle deposits" for Alpena.
The quality of cattle was improving also with the importation of pure bred Holsteins to provide milk and the guernsey, brown swiss and jersey breeds to improve cream production. In June of 1886, Captain Persons from the Thunder Bay Life Saving Station boasted of their new cow who was producing 60# of milk daily, that is about 7 gallons. By 1892 the city council noted a need for milk inspections of those peddling milk to ensure the quality for Alpena residents and ordinance 49 was adopted, appointing the first milk inspector. The Detroit, Bay City & Alpena railroad began operations in 1886, allowing cream to be shipped to cream stations in Bay City to process butter & cheese. .
In 1932 there were 26 registered dairies who were buying/selling/bottling milk in Alpena County. Many had plain glass bottles, some had their own caps for advertising and some only delivered to a handful of customers. Some were as small as 2-3 milk cows, and some didn't even own a cow, they were milk peddlers.
1866 - Richard Naylor purchased land and created the "Sunnyside Dairy Farm", just outside of Alpena (long Lake Ave). He is attributed with having the first milk wagon that delivered milk (in cream cans, dipped into milk pitchers) to residents in the city of Alpena. He grew the first bushel of potatoes for sale as well as started a hardwood delivery business to supply firewood to city residents. His wife continued to operate the dairy farm with hired labor, delivering milk to Alpena until selling the farm to Otto Gennrich in 1929.
1883 - John Smith leased the "Rock Farm" , located about 2 miles from Alpena in order to produce milk and deliver it to Alpena. About that same time, W.E. Rogers was doing the same thing on his own place known as the "Rogers Farms" which were a series of pieces of good farm land just west of Alpena. In 1888, John Smith leased the Rogers Farm in order to increase his milk production and operated both farms, selling under the "Rock Farm Dairy" name. On April 27, 1887, Rogers announced he would be selling milk in glass quart bottles for 6 cents per quart. On May 11, 1887, he partnered with Mr. Durgan and they announced they had a new "Milk Wagon" to deliver the bottled milk, making it much cleaner that those selling in 10 gallon cream cans, dipping milk into your own pitcher. The milk bottles proved to be popular with customers and sales soared, but customers also found other uses for the bottles once the milk was consumed, prompting an advertisement by Rogers to pay 5 cents to return his bottles, thus began the first "bottle deposits" for Alpena.
The quality of cattle was improving also with the importation of pure bred Holsteins to provide milk and the guernsey, brown swiss and jersey breeds to improve cream production. In June of 1886, Captain Persons from the Thunder Bay Life Saving Station boasted of their new cow who was producing 60# of milk daily, that is about 7 gallons. By 1892 the city council noted a need for milk inspections of those peddling milk to ensure the quality for Alpena residents and ordinance 49 was adopted, appointing the first milk inspector. The Detroit, Bay City & Alpena railroad began operations in 1886, allowing cream to be shipped to cream stations in Bay City to process butter & cheese. .
In 1932 there were 26 registered dairies who were buying/selling/bottling milk in Alpena County. Many had plain glass bottles, some had their own caps for advertising and some only delivered to a handful of customers. Some were as small as 2-3 milk cows, and some didn't even own a cow, they were milk peddlers.
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The first milk bottle in Alpena - Posted in the Alpena Argus in 1887, delivered by the "Rock Farm" dairy.
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Sunnyside Dairy Farm is noted above in the 1903 Plat Book. Owned by Mrs. Jane Naylor who operated the farm after her husband's passing in 1889.
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