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Cheboygan, MI

MI Milkman
Mackinaw City Dairy  - Mackinaw
Originally owned by Risk & Bernice Pierce, started in 1913 on the site of what is now Fort Michillimackinac.  As the town grew, they moved west onto land next to the McGulpin estate in 1927.  A lightning fire destroyed the new barn and they were not able to move to the new farm until 1929. Bob Pierce drove milk truck and his brother Carl worked in the dairy.  Owned by Risk Pierce & Son's.   They merged with Hillcrest Dairy (Albert & Gertrude Ball) in 1948, then sold the business to Curtis Dairy out of Boyne City in 1951.
Milk in round 1/2 Pt., Pt. & Qt. bottles - embossed
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Mackinaw City Dairy​ -  Albert James Ball, the owner of the Hillcrest Dairy in Levering, sold milk in Mackinaw, in competition with the Mackinaw City Dairy owned by Risk Pierce.  Finally in 1948, they entered a joint venture before selling out to Curtis Dairy of Boyne City in 1951.
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Carson Bros. Dairy - 1940's Mackinaw City. Originally owned by the "Carson Brothers". David Carson owned the farm and partnered with his brother George (the investor) to being peddling milk in Mackinaw. March 26, 1946 Mr. & Mrs. Crawford from Ann Arbor enrolled their son, Jack, in Mackinaw City high school when they  purchased the Carson Dairy farm from the Carson Brothers.  Mr. Crawford did not deliver milk in bottles but did continue the farm.
Milk in 1/2 Pt bottles - red pyro & also earlier they had clear bottles with a blue cap
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Cheboygan Dairy - 
Milk in round 1/2 Pt. & square Qt. bottles - red pyro
 Evergreen Farm - Cheboygan
​Milk in round 1/2 Pt. bottles - embossed
Freeman Dairy - Cheboygan  - an affiliate of the Freeman Dairy of Flint, the opened a new bottling plant on 6-1-22 with Arthur Bolton as mgr.  Paul Duby became the mgr. When Mr. Bolton went to headquarters in Flint in 1923.  Their first butter production was on 5-14-24 and they were still purchasing cream and delivering milk in 1927.
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Golden River Ranch - 1946-50's
owned by Lewis Darragh Crusoe.  Originally purchasing the property in 1936, originally located about 2 miles South of Cheboygan off M-33, he later grew the farm to 3200 acres on the East Side of Mullet Lake in Aloha Twsp.   He worked for General Motors for years, but upon retiring in 1945, he became a gentleman farmer raising several crops and various livestock as well as a supreme Herford ranch.  He returned to work for Ford in 1946, turning the farm over to his son, Jim who developed the farm into a dairy, selling milk locally as well as to the Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw in 10 gallon cans.  He was the first farm in the area to homogenize their milk.  They even made their own butter for a few years.  Elmer & Katherine Kulow were early dairy employees and Fred White was their first milkman.  Later they purchased milk from Milo Horrocks Jersey herd in Onaway to meet local demands.  Mr. Ray McMullen is the herd manager in 6-21-45 and was working closely with the local 4-H programs to promote dairy farming
Mr. Ray McMullen became a 4-H agent in Bad Axe, leaving his position as herd manager on 7-15-45.   

Milk in square 1/2 Pt. & Qt. bottles - green pyro
Hillcrest Dairy - Levering   1940-1948,  Owned by Albert & Gertrude Ball, started in 1940.  Bought into partnership with the Pierce Dairy in 1948 with Carl Pierce (changed name to Mackinaw City Dairy). Sold the Mackinaw City Dairy in 1951 to Curtis Dairy of Boyne City.  Delivery truck was a 1938 chevy, often, to meet demand, they bought milk from Wings, Lightfoots, and the Inverness dairy. They bought cheese from Ernie Schantz in Comins (the Fairview Creamery) to sell to customers.  Started to pasteurize in 1948, selling 1/2 pt plain bottles to schools.  Harry Ball is a son who picked up milk from farms for the dairy, also delivering milk to the Onaway Cheese Factory for LeRoy Moser in 1957-60.
Milk was sold in round Qt. embossed bottles
Inverness Dairy - started about 1893, at 1631 Woiderski Road, originally with Gottlieb Woiderski. Began selling milk in bottles about 1919. Then in 1925 Proprietor was Wm. G. Woiderski, later turning it over to his son, Bill.  and finally to Bill's children, Dave might be the last connection to the dairy.  They bought out the LaHaie Dairy in 1946 as well as several other dairies over the years.  Bottled their own milk until 2009, & still delivered milk in Bottles & wax cartons until 2012
Milk in round 1/2 Pt., Pt. & Qt. as well as square Qt. - embossed
Kirsch Dairy - Jim Gothard's family may have been associated with the dairy.  Herbert Kirsch was farming in Cheboygan in 1944.  Limited records have been found
Milk in round 1/2 Pt., Pt. & Qt. bottles - embossed
LaHaie Dairy  - 1896 - 1946  - Owned by Francis Xavier LaHaie and Saloma M. LaHaie, Sold to Inverness due to health issues 1946..   Milk was delivered on a daily basis in the early years, most in cream cans and ladled out to milk pitchers,  They cut ice from Mullett lake to supply their ice house and pack the milk wagon for deliveries.  At the peak of the LaHaie dairy, they served about 100 customers in the Cheboygan area.  Delivery often amounted to an average of 120 quarts of milk and about 40 1/2 pints of cream.  
Started bottling milk around 1925 with a horse and carriage.
Averaged about 19 hand milked cows each year.
Milk in round 1/2 Pt., Pt. & Qt. bottles - embossed
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Merritt's Dairy - Cheboygan
Milk in round 1/2 Pt & Qt. embossed  bottles &  round Qt. red pyro
O.L. Pilon Dairy   - Cheboygan  Bottle dates from 1920's.  Oliver Pilon was know to be a farmer in 1910.  Also in 1910-1916 Felix Pilon was noted as a dairy farmer.
Milk in round Qt. bottles - embossed
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Reimann's Dairy - Cheboygan.    May, 1919, Edward and Pauline (Wanke) Reimann purchased 120 acres in Inverness Township, Cheboygan County. They raised hay and operated Reimann’s Dairy, delivering milk with a horse and milk wagon. In 1937, Edward and Pauline’s son, Harold and Jeannette (Wheelock) Reimann, purchased an additional 140 acres, increasing the farm to 310 acres. In 1953, Edward and Pauline sold their farm to son Harold and Jeannette (Wheelock) Reimann, who continued dairy farming and raising grains, corn and hay with the help of their sons Ted and Richard.  In 1995, Edward and Pauline’s grandson, Richard and Lois (Trudo) Reimann bought the farm. They discontinued the dairy business and continue to raise small grains and hay today.  Known to have 1/2 Pt black pyro bottles
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Topinabee Dairy - Topinabee - The family name associated with this dairy was Burgtorf, a short lived dairy bottling operation with a decorative bottle from 1950's.  May have been in dairy business for years before a group of farmers decided to market their own milk bottles?
Milk in Round Qt. bottles - green pyro
Wilson's Dairy - Carp Lake
​Milk in round Qt. bottles - embossed
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Wing's Dairy  -  around 1900 - 1950"s   End of Main Street near the County Garage.  Originally owned by Ira Wing, then by Elmer Wing,  --  Warren & Cub were delivery men.    May 12, 1904  The O.M. Clark driving team was sold to the Wing dairy who used them on the plow in the field, then attempted to use them on the milk delivery wagon.  On Tuesday however, they indulged in another runaway with the milk wagon in tow.  Ira Wing bought out the milk route run by Frank Wilds on  July 7, 1905.  This is the 3rd dairy route that he has purchased since beginning his business.  February 14, 1908, Mr. Wing had to plow out the roads to town and could not deliver several hundred quarts of milk to customers, therefore he committed to making butter of the milk.  This was the first time in years he has been able to make butter for himself. 
Milk in round 1/2 Pt., Pt., & Qt. bottles - embossed as well as round  1/2 Pt. & Qt. bottles - blue pyro
Wolverine Creamery Co. - about 1890 to 1926.  Owned and operated locally by area farmers, making butter & cheese.
June 21, 1924 – the Wolverine creamery was officially owned by Gaylord Creamery with Mr. Bob McGinn having charge of the plant.  Gaylord was planning to open the Wolverine building to purchase cream this summer.  Maurice Dore is a local cream buyer who will work with Mr. McGinn, the cream will be shipped to Gaylord creamery.
July 29, 1926 - Assets of the Creamery were sold at Auction, at this time the assets were owned by the Gaylord Creamery, including all butter making supplies.
​Milk in round 1/2 Pt. & Qt. bottles - embossed
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