Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 14 : Fall 2012 | Page 14

Milk Bottles
By Ted Blanchard

Milk bottles. They were a common household
item for many years. The delicious “County” dairy
products were delivered to most homes up until the
late 1950’s. They were delivered by horse and wagon
and later by motorized vehicles. Milk was used from
the bottles; bottles were cleaned and left outside for
the “milkman” who swapped empty ones for full ones.
If a customer wanted more or less than replacements
called for, a note in the empty bottle sufficed.

I can blame my sudden interest in milk bottles
on my brother-in-law. He showed me his milk bottle
caps one day. It seems he had collected them for years.
All had the name of a dairy or dairy farmer and perhaps
a logo; cow or barn. When I expressed an interest, he
gave them to me.

Memory does not serve as to where my first
milk bottle came from or who gave me the name of
Bob Carlow, a collector of milk bottles. A very helpful
gentleman, he got me to enroll in “The National
Association of Milk Bottle Collectors.” It was a
monthly publication, and once a year a catalog listing
members and their collection desires was sent. These
members were listed by states.

Being an avid reader, I read all the names.
Several stood out, but one from San Antonio, Texas,
interested me as he was listed as being interested in
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FALL 2012

Aroostook County milk bottles. I wrote to him. This
correspondence lasted for several years until he died.
We also spoke on the telephone a few times. His
enthusiasm for collecting was catching. “Watch out,”
he declared, “collecting can be very contagious!”

Over the years we traded a few bottles as
duplicates became available. He told me his first bottle
came from Fort Kent. J. D. Eagles was embossed on
the quart bottle. I hunted for one for years. One never
divulged its hiding place to me. When Richard died
I tried to buy his collection, but his widow elected to
keep it.

Over the years I met many collectors and
went to a couple of state meetings in Fairfield, Maine.
Couples brought food and a good time was had. Milk
bottles were bought, sold and traded.

Let us note here the types of milk bottles.
Perhaps not complete but as far as the old memory
will allow, ¼ of a pint, gill, ½ pint, 1 pint, 1 quart and
gallon are normal sizes. Any or all can be embossed or
imprinted in the glass. Pyro glaze (pyro for short) are
pictures painted and fired into the glass. Bottles can
be round or square. There are cream tops which kept
cream separate on top (before milk was pasteurized). A
few dairies had war slogans on their bottles. My only
knowledge of an Aroostook County slogan was one