Off the Milk Train

After W.B. Owen bought the Nickel Plate Garage, he diversified his business to include a milk-hauling route. This is interesting only in that it allowed some local farmers to bypass the usual means of hauling milk — the railroad — and perhaps it marks the beginning of a trend. (It's also notable that W.B. went to the farms to fetch the milk, rather than the farmers bringing it to him.) W.B. hauled the milk by truck to Murphis Bros., milk dealers in Gary. He started out handling about 36 cans a day, and his earliest customers included John Gruel.

When his route was several weeks old and seemed to be going well, W.B. bought a Maxwell truck especially to haul milk. (He also sold these trucks through his garage.) The big Maxwell truck would allow W.B. to expand his route to 50 cans a day.


(Click on image to enlarge)


Sources:
♦ Advertisement. Hobart Gazette 15 Mar. 1918.
♦ "Local and Personal." Hobart News 21 Feb. 1918.
♦ "Starts Milk Hauling Route." Hobart Gazette 4 Jan. 1918.