Caldwell County MO Archives History .....THE MILK BUSINESS IN HAMILTON FIFTY OR SIXTY YEARS AGO 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Karen Walker khw4@yahoo.com September 4, 2008, 12:59 pm

THE MILK BUSINESS IN HAMILTON FIFTY OR SIXTY YEARS AGO
	Narrator:  Mrs. Joe Conley, 78

     Some fifty or sixty years ago, the milk business was quite different from 
that of today.  In the 70s, almost everyone had a cow, or if you did not, your 
neighbor did, so the children went after the milk with a pail or bucket, 
according to the way you talked.  No accurate measurement was made in this 
neighborly milk sale.  Often a contracted quart was nearer a half gallon than 
a quart.  No one would have thought of buying a pint.  Milk sold at four cents 
in summer and five in the winter.
     In the early eighties milk-wagons were running and William Evans has the 
credit of establishing the first dairy in Hamilton.
     His equipment is especially interesting in these modern days of sanitary 
ideas.  He had a covered wagon in which he carried two large covered milk-
wagons.  There was a large milk ladle holding a quart with a long handle which 
he dipped down into the cans.  The customer stood outside with his vessel.  
The wagon made two trips a day and Mr. Evans or his boy rang a school bell 
before approaching each customer's home.  The customer hurried out the front 
door, vessel in hand.  He rang three times, and if no one came, he drove away 
and the customer did without milk.  
     Often times, the bank whereon the customer stood was slippery or icy, and 
more than once someone has slipped down under the milk wagon.  Of course, all 
sorts of dust and germs got into the milk as it was opened on the roadside or 
as it was carried into the house, but no one worried and liked their milk just 
as well.
     Evans was followed by Wade McClelland, son of J.W. north of town.  
McClelland committed suicide after much illness and already his milk business 
had been sold to a man named Yoakum.
     All these milkmen had the old time methods, indeed they probably went on 
till late in the 90s.  Allen Jones and his milk-boy Adolpus Fittered still 
rang the bell and peddled in big cans, at that time.
     It was about that time, that milk in bottles began to be sold and door 
delivery, minus the bell.  At first, some customers were against the bottles, 
but now no one would want to go back to the old way of buying milk.  The 
narrator added that the Milk-wagon horse got onto his job in the early days, 
and used to start on his route, when he heard his driver shove the milk lid 
down on the big cans.


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