History of the Milk Can in the Woods Revealed — What was the Oneonta Dairy Company?

Yesterday, I told you about an antique item I found in the woods behind SUNY Oneonta on the College Camp Trails. The mysterious "ODC" logo baffled me, even though I was mostly certain that the item itself was the top of a milk can.

But what was the ODC? You came out in force with e-mails and Facebook comments, speculating about the item's history and helping us learn more about it.

It was Martin's comment that first led me on the path to what I believe is the correct answer. ODC stands for Oneonta Dairy Company, which was a big player in the area in the early-to-mid 1900s.

The Oneonta Dairy Company was located where Alfresco's Italian Bistro is today, at 26 Main St. The company was formed when the Oneonta Milk Co. became incorporated in 1912.

Oneonta Dairy Co. was at the cutting edge of dairy production at that time, with facilities for hand washing bottles and milk cans, pasteurization, and hand bottling. It also used block ice to keep milk fresh. It even used its own milkman service to deliver milk to the homes of its customers by horse-drawn wagons.

The company existed until 1943 when it was purchased by R.B. Simonson and became South Side Dairy. Simonson's grandson, Mark, is the current Oneonta Historian.

The milk can I found, presuming it is from the Oneonta Dairy Company, dates  back to between 1912-1943. How it got to it's current resting place is unknown, although the College Camp used to be a working farm.

A milk can of this particular size could weigh up to 80 pounds when filled. Whoever lugged it to the middle of the woods about half a mile above SUNY Oneonta surely worked up a sweat getting it there!