Dairies in Sandusky

Ohio dairy farms have been providing milk and milk products to residents for many years. In the nineteenth century, milk was made primarily by local farms and delivered to homes. Lewis Neill, Jr.'s milk delivery truck is seen below behind St. Mary's Catholic Church around the turn of the twentieth century. After milking the cows, the farmer poured the milk into large containers and then transferred the milk to individual families' smaller milk containers from his delivery truck.

There are dozens of listings for dairies in the historical Sandusky City Directories, many which represented individuals who operated large dairy farms. Eventually there was enough demand and technology for milk and milk products to be mass produced. Esmond Dairy was begun by Elmer Otto in 1907, and was incorporated in 1920. After starting on Washington Street, the company moved to the 1600 block of Campbell Street by 1919. Delivery trucks operated by the Esmond Dairy improved greatly as technology advanced. Esmond Dairy continued operating in Sandusky into the 1970's.

This truck delivered Esmond Dairy products in 1915.

A red “Quality Checked” mark was a popular advertising logo used by the Esmond Dairy in this 1960 photo:

Pictured below is a promotional item given away by the Leake Dairy, which was located on Seneca Street and was owned by Vere Leake. It appears to be the cover to a sewing kit which was given to Leake Dairy customers in the 1950s or 1960s.

In 1923 the Sandusky City Directory listed these businesses in the Dairies section: August Arheit, Ralph Rodisel, Cloverleaf Dairy, Esmond Dairy, and the Windau Dairy. By 1925 Elmer Otto was manufacturing milk products and ice cream on his own, and A.C. Routh had taken over as president of the Esmond Dairy.

The Toft family had a dairy farm in Erie County since 1900. Toft's Dairy began its retail operations in 1935. In 1937 the business was on the south side of Neilson Street just east of Campbell Street. Later it moved to East Adams Street, and many Sandusky residents will recall Toft's long standing location at 2434 West Monroe Street. In 2003 Toft's Dairy built a large facility at the corner of Venice Road and Edgewater Avenue on Sandusky's west side, with both a manufacturing plant and a retail store. Toft's remains a popular destination for both local residents and tourists.

Historical Sandusky City Directories housed at the Sandusky Library provide listings of dairies and hundreds of other Sandusky businesses throughout history. Article 54 of From the Widow's Walk features an excellent article about "Horse Drawn Milk Delivery," by Helen Hansen and Virginia Steinemann. Read about early developments in the American Dairy Industry in this article from the Special Collections of the National Agricultural Library.

Elmer B. Otto, Pioneer in the Dairy Business

Elmer B. Otto, seen above in a portrait which appears in Hewson Peeke’s A Standard History of Erie County (Lewis Publishing Co., 1916), was a pioneer in the dairy industry in Erie County. He was born in 1885 to Herman and Frances (Oswald) Otto, who owned a farm in Perkins Township. Elmer began selling milk from his father’s farm with just one horse and wagon. Soon he purchased a large milk cooler and a cream separator. In 1907, he bought the former Pitt Cooke residence at what is now 515 West Washington Street. He lived with his family in the front portion of the large stone home and in the rear part of the building, he operated the dairy. 

An article in the August 16, 1958 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that a Mr. Whitney had operated a restaurant at 515 West Washington Street, and he named the house the “Esmond House,” after his son. Elmer Otto decided to call his business the Esmond Dairy, in honor of Mr. Whitney’s son.  In 1916, the business had eight delivery wagons that took milk, butter and other dairy products to customers all over the city of Sandusky.

A new building for the Esmond Dairy opened at 1610 Campbell Street in 1919.

        

A special feature article about Esmond Dairy appeared in the May 1, 1919 Sandusky Register.    

The Esmond Dairy used the Milwaukee filler and capper machine to ensure that dairy products were bottled and sealed in the most sanitary conditions. George Feick and Sons had built the modern building, which was three stories high and constructed from brick, steel and concrete. The new Esmond Dairy building and plant was considered “a model of perfection.” The public was invited to the grand opening on May 2, 1919, and Esmond ice cream was served to all visitors. 

On June 7, 1921, it was announced that Don Lightner would take over as president of the Esmond Dairy Company, with Elmer B. Otto still retaining part of his holdings in the company, and remaining on the board of directors of Esmond Dairy for a time.  Elmer Otto branched out into the cold storage business and a new dairy business known as Otto’s. A listing in the 1925 Sandusky City Directory stated that Elmer B. Otto was the proprietor and manufacturer of milk products. The main plant was located at 305-307 East Water Street, with substations on Monroe Street, the corner of Adams and Lawrence Streets, and in Venice. Otto’s products carried the name Otto’s which was always slightly angled in an upwards direction.

This Otto’s syrup bottle is now housed in the historic collections of the Follett House Museum.

          

A later popular location operated by Otto’s was at 2434 West Monroe Street, which was eventually purchased by Toft’s. Otto’s had a variety of locations throughout its many years of operation. Visit the Sandusky Library to view historic Sandusky City Directories for the  exact years and locations.

Elmer B. Otto died in 1973. His obituary in the July 20, 1973 issue of the Sandusky Register indicated that Mr. Otto had been a pioneer in the practices of pasteurization and homogenization of milk, and he was innovative in his use of paper and milk bottles for milk. Elmer B. Otto was survived by two sons, a daughter, and several grandchildren and great grandchildren. His wife had died in 1957. Elmer B. Otto was laid to rest at Oakland Cemetery. His years of innovations and good business practices were recalled by hundreds of area residents. 

When Sandusky Businesses Made Home Deliveries

Before the advent of automobiles and supermarkets, several businesses in Sandusky delivered their products to the homes of area residents. The E.C. Sprau grocery store had a horse and wagon that made deliveries, seen in the picture above, taken about 1908. A young man and child, with a horse and wagon from the Lewis Neill, Jr. Dairy were parked at the rear of St. Mary’s Church in Sandusky in 1910.

               

Employees of several local bakeries made deliveries to both homes and businesses throughout the years. Mrs. C. Frank’s bakery was first located on Tiffin Avenue, and moved to Columbus Avenue near Neil Street by 1902.

               

Below is the wagon fleet of the H and S Modern Bakery on Hancock Street in 1920.

            

Esmond Dairy started making dairy deliveries by horse drawn vehicles, but eventually the company switched to refrigerated trucks. The Esmond Dairy began in 1907, and ceased operations in the late 1970s or early 1980s.

        

In the 1930s and 1940s, both ice and coal were delivered by the City Ice & Fuel Company.

Before there were electric refrigerators, Sandusky residents ordered ice from the ice man. Customers put a card in their window, indicating how many pounds of ice they needed for the ice box. This ice card from the City Ice & Fuel Company, now in the Industry Room at the Follett House Museum, allowed customers to indicate whether they wanted 25, 50, 75, or 100 pounds of ice.

The popularity of online shopping has actually increased home delivery of consumer goods in recent years, but of course, it is a very different method of sales and delivery. Now, you don't see your sales person, and the money you spent leaves your community. Amazon, Ebay, and many other online retail sites display their products on a computer or mobile device, and with a credit card, ordering is quick and easy.