Bloomington-Normal has been home to family dairies that delivered milk to customers since the mid-1800s. In 1920, McLean County boasted more than 4,000 dairy farms and 26,000 cows. Horse-drawn delivery wagons were a familiar early morning site on city streets with the well-trained horse stopping at the correct customers’ houses without direction from the delivery driver. Progress in the industry and the changing economy eventually whittled the number of independent dairies down to a few businesses, with some still active.
This collection spans roughly 170 years of dairy farming, processing, and delivery in Bloomington-Normal. Advertising plays a major role in this collection. Various dairies advertise their wholesome milk, creamy ice creams, high quality butter, and other dairy products. The evolution of milk packaging, homogenization, and distribution is also noted. Two personal recollections of dairies in McLean County are included in the collection as is information on Bloomington ice cream saloons.