NORWOOD HISTORICAL SOCIETY
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Norwood's Dairies

The dates given are years for which a source document can be verified, however, the actual years of the businesses' operations may be longer.

According to the 1880 Census, each of the following was said to be a "dairyman." The list is for western Columbia Township, which included Norwood. Starting at the present northern boundary of Norwood and traveling south ... (note: just to the north, and probably in Pleasant Ridge, were A. F. French, 30; R. Meys?, 48, and Christ? Stofer, 39)
  • William Turnau, 35
  • Charles Shafer, 45
  • William Cordes, 37
  • William Wesloh, 22
  • Bruggemann, 33
  • Wm. Maschmeyer, 43
  • Henry Bigway (Borgway?), 35
  • Barney Rolling, 38
  • Richard Stover, 42
  • William Wiehe, 32
The latter few may have been south of Norwood in Idlewild (Evanston). Henry Feldman, 49, was listed as a "dealer in cattle."

In the 1882 "Report of the Treasury Cattle Commission on the lung plague of cattle, or contagious pleuro-pneumonia", published by the United States Dept. of the Treasury Cattle Commission, two Norwood dairy farmers, Louis Graber and Henry Weghorst, were recorded, with another, H. Stagge, in Oakley, who may have moved to Norwood later (possibly with Stagge, Bruggeman & Goosman – see listing below). Stagge had 74 cows, Graber 54 and Weghorst 50. In describing his business, Stagge said he milked the cows as long as they would give milk, and then fattened and sold the cows to the butcher. All three dairies were determined to be free of the disease.

In 1896, there were ten dairies listed in Bettinger's Norwood Directory. The reason for so many dairies at that time in Norwood, and in many other suburbs surrounding Cincinnati, can be traced back to Cincinnati pollution. By at least 1887, some Cincinnati citizens were complaining that the milk from cattle on dairies within Cincinnati's borders was contaminated. They argued that only milk from the suburbs should be allowed. One of the suburban dairies mentioned was S. Gunther, of Norwood. His dairy, which supplied The Cincinnati Hospital, was "reported as all right to the Board of Public Affairs." Ironically, within a few years, pressure from residential development and, soon afterwards, the rapid growth of industry in Norwood, relegated Norwood's dairies to the history books.

Some of the 1896 "dairies" were listed in the main part of the directory, at their respective addresses, as something other than dairies. e.g. drygoods stores. Did this mean they had a cow or two in their back yards, that they only processed and bottled milk, or that they sold milk produced by others?

Note: Years given are verified dates the dairy was in business, not necessarily the only years of operation.



  • Mrs. D. Brinkman - [dairy; drygoods and notions store] nw corner Mills av. and Allison st. (1896)
  • Herman Budde - Duck Creek Road (1902, 1903)
  • Fred Coldewey - 5310 Carthage Avenue (1909, 1911)
  • August Coldewey - 5130 Warren Avenue. The August Coldewey Dairy was not listed in the 1915-16 directory. Since the Norwood Dairy had the same address, it may indicate that it was simply a name change that occurred as the 1913-14 publication was compiled. A 1917 newspaper advertisement describes the Norwood Dairy at 5130 Warren Avenue with August Coldewey, Prop.
  • Henry Dinkelmann - Edwards Road, which was also the same address for his residence with wife Christianna; later, this dairy may have been the William G. Funk Dairy and then the Hyde Park Dairy. (1902)
  • William G. Funke - west side Edwards Road, between Madison Road and Edmondson Road (3755 Edwards Road) (note: a later Sanborn map shows the Hyde Park Dairy at 3755 Edwards Road) (1909, 1911, 1913, 1917, 1924)
  • Mrs. Lizzie Graber - Ross road, 1st house west of Carthage av.; perhaps Lizzie was the widow of Louis Graber mentioned in the 1882 report. (1896)
  • F. Guenther Dairy Company - Duck Creek road, East Norwood; "dry feed dairy No. 206" (1896)
  • The Hyde Park Dairy Co. - 3755 Edwards Road (note: previously the location of the Funke Dairy) (1930, 1932)
  • Louis Kaesemeyer, a.k.a Kaesemeyer & Sons Co. - ne corner Carthage and Dale Avenue (5612 Carthage Avenue) (1913, 1917, 1924, 1930, 1932)
  • H. J. Keller - [dairy; dry goods, notions store and barber shop] n s Mills avenue, 1st house east of Carter st. (1896)
  • Wm. Mesloh - west side Carthage, 2nd house north of Main av. (1896)
  • Charles L. Miller - nw corner Lester Road and Highland Ave. (1909, 1911, 1913)
  • Bernard Niehoff - Duck Creek and Edmondson Roads (1909, 1911, 1913, 1917)
  • Norwood Dairy - 5130 Warren Avenue; a 1917 newspaper ad. has the Norwood Dairy's proprietor as August Coldewey; note: The business may have been named the August Coldeway Dairy prior to 1914 or 1915. Norwood Dairy may have been acquired by The Townsend-West Dairy, between 1917 and 1924. (1913, 1917)
  • Sherman Richards - Morton Avenue, between Floral Avenue and Hazel Avenue (1909)
  • John Riorden - east side of Allison, 2nd house north of Hopkins av. (1896)
  • H. Roling - Sherman, 5th house west of McNeill av. (1896)
  • Casper Schlae - [dairy; dry goods stores] w cor. Main and Sherman av. (1896)
  • Carl Schmutte - 4148 Webster Avenue (1909)
  • Chas. Schmutte - 4148 Webster Avenue (1911)
  • Fred. Schmutte - 4148 Webster Avenue (1913, 1917)
  • Schrenk Bros. - 4148 Webster Avenue (1924)
  • H. P. Smith & Son - [dairy; dry goods, notions and school supplies store] s w cor. Main and Maple av., opposite Central School. (1896)
  • Stagge, Bruggeman & Goosman - Carthage, 2nd house north of Feldman av. (1896)
  • The Townsend-West Dairy - 5130 (5128) Warren Avenue (Phone: Ridge 3849); Norwood Branch, August Coldewey, Manager (note: The Townsend-West Dairy may have bought out the Norwood Dairy sometime between 1917 and 1924.) (1924, 1930, 1932)


On Thursday, August 20, 1953, Boerger's Dairy Farms store opened at 2031 Worth Avenue, at Rolston. For that Thursday-Saturday, special prices were offered as part of the opening celebration.



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