Farms and dairies were numerous east of Columbus in the 1920’s. I remember that a number of prominent Bexley businessmen owned and operated dairies to serve the Bexley community with home delivery of “Natures Most Nearly Perfect Food”.

For most of the 20th century, milk delivery vehicles, first horse drawn wagons, then trucks, were a familiar sight on Bexley streets.

Home refrigerators were small and milk was delivered as much as six or seven times a week. The “milkman” was a family friend who often had keys to the house.

At one time, there were more than 42 dairy processing plants in Central Ohio. Today there are none.

The owners of numerous dairies were also Bexley residents. They included the names of Connell, T. Kline Hamilton, Herrel, Harry C. Moores, Pailet, Stanley Ross, Schaff, Stanley H. Smith and Hiram T. Wilcox.

In 1953, the old Hotzman Piano Stool factory (Main Street near Alum Creek Bridge) became the home of Harmony Farms dairy plant and later, Diamond Harmony Foods Co. A Kroger store now occupies the site.

From an interview with Mike Herrel

Originally published in Historical Herald, November 2017

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