When the Page Dairy Company closed in 1975, it was the second oldest dairy in the city. The business had operated at Wade and Knapp streets since it was founded 62 years earlier by Henry A. Page, Sr.
Arnold Page and his brother, Henry, took over after their father died in 1950. Arnold was vice president and took charge of operations. Henry was president and was in charge of sales and the business side.
The dairy by the mid-1970s was coping with increased costs, limits on what it could charge retailers for milk, and a steady drop nationwide of milk consumption. The final blow was a decision by A&P to close more than half its stores in the Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana areas served by Page.
Henry Page, Jr. died April 26, 2007 at age 91. Arnold died November 2, 2008 at age 84.
– Henry A. Page Sr. - Lake Shore Ohio (3849 downloads)
– Henry A. Page Sr. - Memoirs of Lucas County (3736 downloads)
– Henry A. Page Sr. - Progressive Men of Northern Ohio (3640 downloads)
– Henry and Marie Page Obituaries - Toledo Times and Toledo Blade (3528 downloads)
– Henry A. Page Jr. - Toledo Blade News Obituary - April 2007 (3849 downloads)
– Henry A. Page Jr. - Toledo Blade Obituary - April 2007 (3767 downloads)
– Arnold H. Page Toledo Blade News Obituary - November 2008 (3890 downloads)
– Arnold H. Page Toledo Blade Obituary - November 2008 (3782 downloads)
– Henry A. Page III Obituary - February 2009 (3839 downloads)
– Henry A Page III Services and Celebration - February 2009 (3776 downloads)
– Thomas Henry Page Obituary - 1955-2011 (743 downloads)
Share your memories of the Page Dairy:
54 Comments
Debby Page · 2009-01-09 at 3:34 pm
How well I remember taking our class trips to the dairy when we were in elementary school. We each had an ice cream sandwich at the end of the tour. Makes me crave an ice cream sandwich right now!
James A. Hart · 2009-12-12 at 8:07 pm
I was hired by Arnold in June of 1958. I had just graduated from the University of Toledo in Mechanical Engineering. I worked for the Dairy until September of 1964. I have fond memories of both Arnold and Henry. I remember Arnold as being a very talented engineer and I enjoyed working for him. We worked together on many projects, installations and general dairy operations. These projects included many packaging changes from glass to wax coated cartons to plastic coated cartons produced with Pure-Pak equipment. One particular project was the installation of a 600hp steam generating system at the Bluffton, Ohio Plant. If I can be of any help in providing additional input for the history of the dairy, please feel free to contact me.
Jim Hart
Bill Harvey (Jr) · 2009-12-23 at 3:00 pm
I was just made aware of this website from a co-worker whose daughter is dating Andy Page. She mentioned his name and I knew her daughter attended Toledo U. So I asked if Andy’s family ever operated a dairy in Toledo — not actually expecting an affirmative response — and she said that they did! My father, Bill Harvey (Sr.), was hired at the Mansfield Page Dairy plant in 1951 when he was a junior in high school and worked there until 1968 (I was a freshman in high school that year and I’m now 55!). He left there and went to barber college and cut hair until 1999 when he retired. His health isn’t the best but he’s getting along ok these days. My childhood memories of the dairy include visiting my dad at work every now and then and getting to wear the cool paper dairy hats. Also, as I recall, ours was the only house where the milk cartons in the fridge were stored upside down since Pop would bring home “leakers” that didn’t seal properly on the bottom. I remember Dad worked for a man named John Wassel (not sure of that spelling) in Mansfield and I also recall a man by the name of Ben Boales who was spoken of very highly around the house. I don’t think Dad got to interact much with Mr. Page, or at least we didn’t hear much about him. Thanks for letting me submit my comment!
Ken Zimmerman · 2010-07-30 at 5:46 pm
Very nice web site, Thanks. I do not see any photos from the Page Dairy Plant located in Bluffton, Ohio. What was the history of the plant in Bluffton, and were there any other locations?
Doreen Hostetter · 2011-01-02 at 10:38 pm
Hello, I was wondering if you knew anything about Scheffert Bros. Dairy Toledo Ohio. I was told that Page may have bought them out.
Ernie McFadden · 2011-03-18 at 9:59 pm
My Dad, Mack, shown on the upper far right photo in front of his new truck, delivered milk for the dairy for over 25 years. He loved his job but could never understand why Mr. Page would not allow back doors on his delivery trucks.
During the summers of 1946, 1947 and 1948, although it was frowned upon but never actually brought up with my Dad, as sixth grader I worked with my Dad for 25 cents a day plus lunch and breakfast the first year and got a raise of 25 cents a day for each of the next two summers. Not the best wages for a 12+ hour day but it had some other perks besides a quart or two of chocolate milk each day. In the mornings, while waiting to load our milk for the day, I usually went over and helped load the ice cream trucks and always got a couple of ice cream bars for my efforts.
Two things, among many others, have stuck with me all these years: One, my relationship with my father, developed by working with him there, was, and remained, stronger than any other father/son relationship I’ve ever known. Two, I learned what it meant to work hard with the primary goal of providing for your family.
admin · 2011-03-22 at 11:37 am
Thank you for your post! We love hearing from former employees and those with memories of the dairy.
russ · 2011-08-27 at 10:56 am
found an old metal milk jug about 2 ft tall it has willard route 14.. with numbers on it I take it it’s the model number or serial number.. also G Ray on it any idea if it’s woth something???
carroll mccune · 2011-11-15 at 2:26 pm
I’m searching for my long deceased grandfather, Darwin George Cordrey who was working for the Page Dairy in Whitehouse OH in 1918 when my mother was born. When Darwin’s wife Bessie became ill in 1926, he took her to a sanatarium in Tuscon AZ, but she died in 1927. Darwin returned to Toledo and went back to work for the Page Dairy in Toledo as a delivery truck driver. This is the last of what is known about him. His two daughters Nora and Mary Cordrey were raised by their maternal grandparents on the Bidwell farm in Whitehouse. Do you keep personnel records going back that far (1920’s and 30″s)? If so, is there a way to access them to find out his discharge date and last address?
John S.Zak · 2012-01-07 at 3:49 pm
My dad was Stanley F. Zak. Dad work at Page Dairy 36 years until closing in 1975. He delivered house to house often placing the milk directly in the customers refrigerator with their permission. doors were often left unlocked. He delivered to our home at 3443 Maher Street. Running to the truck he would take an ice pick and chop off a chunk of ice to eat like a popsicle. Blocks of ice were the only way to keep milk cold on truck back then. Loved the 1/2 pints of white or chocolate whole milk. Remember the smell of ammonia and sometime sour milk in the dairy. I’d watch as he checked out in the office the end of the plant. Parked his truck a block down and across the street. Best memories were the Volmer’s Park Page Dairy picnics near the Maumee River. One person and two person burlap bag races. Two person wheel barrel races were fun also. Best of all was the Page Dairy ice cream truck. My dad loved the people and his work at the dairy. Lester Corb was one of his best friends. Toward the end he drove semi and deliver to the A&P. I have three Page Dairy milk bottles in his memory. He passed away August 26, 2003 in Pinellas Park. Florida.
Charles M. Riggs Jr · 2012-10-12 at 10:45 pm
My dad Charles A. Riggs worked for Page Dairy from 1952 to 1966 at the Page raw milk receiving plant had in Angola, IN. I don’t know the dates but believe this plant started as a receiving plant for milk cans (Grade B) from the many local farms. The mile was dump from the large milk cans into chilling tanks then pumped into tanker trucks and hauled to Toledo for making ice cream.
There was never manufacturing in Angola but later years a addition cooler/storage room/office was added to the building for retailing ice cream and milk to area stores only. There was no home delivery. The fresh retail products got to Angola from Toledo with 2 or 3 jumbo tractor-trailer trucks each day, I recall five milk routes and two ice cream routes based in Angola. It was a major operation and had to upset the little local dairies.
My father started as route driver and later years become a product salesman calling on retail stores/markets. During his deilivery years Page allowed him bring me along for the work day, I was about 13 years of age, it was great experiences, walking into rear of retail stores with him and riding all day in a large truck. Page only allowed this for a couple years.
My father attended sales meetigs in Toledo, knew Henry and Arnold well, and enjoyed the company.
admin · 2012-10-13 at 12:47 pm
Thanks for the memories!
Shirley Lowrey · 2012-11-01 at 1:49 pm
My uncle worked at the Page Milk Company in Coffeyville, Ks. At Christmas my aunt, his wife, made Pecan candy. My mother had the recipe, but she is gone now. I wanted to make that candy last Christmas but never could find the recipe. It was made with Page buttermilkand took two cups of pecans and of course sugar, but I don’t remember what other ingredients. Does anyone have rhe recipe? Thank you. Shirley Lowrey
admin · 2012-11-02 at 12:01 pm
I have a few of the old Page Dairy cookbooks that were handed out to customers, and I did not find the Pecan candy recipe. I hope someone can find it for you! It sounds wonderful!!
Janice Broussard Coari · 2013-05-15 at 11:52 am
Thank you for all the great photos and interesting data on the Dairy.
My Great Great Uncle, Joseph Onezime Broussard, born in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, was working as a Laborer at the dairy on 5 June 1917 when he was drafted for Army service in World War 1 . He was sent to serve in France and he was killed in action on 18 September 1918. He is buried in the World War 1 Cemetery, in Thiaucourt, France.
I haven’t a clue as to how he got from Louisiana to Toledo, Ohio ! I do not know of any amily connections to Ohio, so this is a puzzle !
Janice Broussard Coari · 2013-05-15 at 11:56 am
Reply To Shirley LOWERY : The candy you are describing is PECAN PRALINES !
Look up the recipe for PECAN PRALINES on the internet. I am from New Orleans, Louisiana, and they are very popular and world – known. Thousand are sold in the French Quarter New Orleans shops and sent around the world They are delicious !!
By the way, brown sugar is used, and never heard of buttermilk in the recipe !
admin · 2013-05-15 at 3:40 pm
I am not sure about the Toledo Dairy. Did your great-great-uncle have any connection to Dixon, Illinois? Henry Page came from Dixon to work in the dairy business in Toledo, initially at the Ohio Dairy, which later became known as the Page Dairy.
Thanks for your interest!
DeeDee Fuleky · 2013-06-20 at 7:17 pm
My dad, Rocky Percival worked for Page Dairy in the late ’50’s, early ’60’s. a friend from high school just gave me one of the oval signs with “Page”written in red on it from when they tore down the dairy. I used to love to go to the dairy to visit dad at work. I still keep in touch with Pam Tadlock, whose dad, Hugh worked there as well. Great friends and great memories.
admin · 2013-06-21 at 8:16 am
Thanks for the memories!
Janet T · 2013-06-29 at 4:41 pm
I live in Lake County, Ohio. Went to a garage sale this morning and was given a Page dairy milk crate to carry my goods in. It’s white with red lettering and reads, “Buy milk by Page”. Just thought it was interesting as I grew up in this area and never knew Page dairy was in Toledo, Ohio. That milk crate was a bonus find this morning, as I will be keeping it for display 🙂
Thank you for the history of the Page Dairy!
admin · 2013-06-29 at 5:52 pm
That is a bonus! Enjoy!! 🙂
Vicki Sturm Whitworth · 2013-10-14 at 4:42 pm
My Great Great Uncle Floyd Arthur McLain worked for the Page Milk Company in Coffeyville, Ks in 1918 and was also drafted. I may have that Pecan candy recipe that Shirley Lowery mentions above. If so I will share it. I love the information and history of the Page Company. So many wonderful memories I can tell. It is a shame so many wonderful companies like Page are now gone, however we all still have the memories. Vicki Whitworth
admin · 2013-10-15 at 5:58 am
Thank you so much for sharing! If you have the recipe, please share, and we will be forward it to Shirley.
Paul Heyl · 2013-11-17 at 6:16 pm
Purchased a 15 1/2 gallon Blue Valley milk can. The brass tag on the lid is marked B. & O. 15 2 Belleville WVA The Page Dairy Co Mansfield OH 11800. The brass tag on the states When empty return to J.S. Foggin. Belleville, W. VA. 18338 B. & O. 15 1/2. Compliments of Fairmount-Columbus, Ohio. I would appreciate any information you might have about this cans history. Thank You!!
Michele Gore · 2014-03-26 at 8:01 am
My Grandmother – Marie Page (born 1890), and her brother Joseph Page (dob ?) were family. I am not sure of the connection. Marie married John Shulters (born 1880) and had a farm on Mulberry. My father Tom (born 1923) still owns this property. Any family information would be greatly appreciated!
admin · 2014-03-27 at 10:33 am
Thanks for your inquiry. I do not believe our families are related. Our Marie was born Marie Angela Hyde (Heide) in 1888, in Pemberville, OH. Henry Arnold Page was born in Chippenham, England in 1879, and came to Toledo in the early 1900s. Henry had three brothers Rowland, Carl and Percy, none of whom lived in the Toledo area. If you can find other connections, feel free to share!! Thanks!
Jack Curie · 2014-05-07 at 8:11 am
When I was born, my parents owned a diary bar (Peg and Jim’s) at the corner of Nicholas and Spencer. It was a thriving business in 1946. They captured the high school crowd from Libbey and were the place to go. They didn’t feel that the store was the right environment to bring up a child. Henry Sr. was courting my father to come and work for the dairy. They sold the business and my dad started out as a salesman riding the trucks with the drivers. He eventually became sales manager and was director of marketing when he died in 1965 (Gehrig’s Disease).
Whenever we vacationed I would not drink the milk if it weren’t Page’s milk. I think my parents lied to me and all the milk from here to NY became Page’s. From Jack Curie
admin · 2014-05-07 at 11:23 am
What a great story! Thanks for sharing!
We are also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pagedairy/timeline
Amy Ambil · 2014-08-04 at 8:23 am
My family was give a milk can that has a metal tag on it that has
“Creque Truck
L Harriwoldt
Ottawa Lake
The Page Dairy Co.
Toledo, ohio
2257”
Can you please give me some information about this?
Thanks so much.
admin · 2014-08-05 at 11:00 am
The ID tags were used by the dairy to identify the can for inventory purposes and most of the cans in the early 1900s were used to carry the milk and cream from the farms to the dairy as refrigerated tanker trucks did not exist until the 40s. Some of the cans were specific to a dairy farm, and I believe that is what you have. I hope that helps!
Doug Smith · 2014-11-06 at 1:43 pm
What ever happened to one of the drivers, Rosey Polling. I remember what a nice man he was. One of his children, I believe went on to be a radio news commentator on CBS radio. His name was Doug Polling
admin · 2014-11-07 at 2:19 pm
We posted your comment on the Page Dairy Facebook page. Hopefully we will get some response!
Dan Elliott Sr · 2015-02-28 at 12:21 pm
My father and my grandfather both worked at page dairy in Mansfield for many years I remember going to the dairy when I was young
admin · 2015-03-04 at 7:41 am
Thank you for your memories!!
jim hutchinson · 2015-07-21 at 10:34 am
In Dec 1973 I was a traveling musician and met Karen-Marie and some of her college friends in Columbus, OH. A few months later while performing in Toledo Karen brought her parents and brother to see our group at the Holiday Inn. Her parents invited me into their home a couple of times for dinner and I’ve never forgotten how kind and generous they were to, at that time, just some crazy keyboard player. More recently I’ve gotten to know a gentleman whose first job out of college was as a controller with A&P. In talking over lunch the other day he brought up his time with A&P and the closure and how it affected various vendors – and he mentioned Page Dairy. And that shocked my memory, caused me to do a google search, etc. So, Karen’s parents were wonderful people, obviously, and she was a precious young lady. Hi to her! It’s good to see that the Page info is still available! Back then, after meeting all, we actually used a reference to the Dairy in our 50’s rock n’ roll show. And since we traveled extensively for some time, the Page Dairy name was heard 6 times a week all over the country and Canada, etc.
admin · 2015-07-21 at 1:24 pm
Thank you for your memories. We will pass the message on to Karen.
JACKIE RUCKMAN · 2015-09-05 at 6:30 pm
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYONE OUT THERE HAS ANY INFORMATION ON THE SCHEFFERT BROS DAIRY MY GRANDFATHER WAS ERNEST AND I CANNOT FIND ANYTHING ON THE DAIRY.
admin · 2015-09-08 at 2:54 pm
I’m sorry, I do not know about the Scheffert Brother’s Dairy. I will place your question on our Facebook page and see if anyone else knows.
Thanks for your interest!
admin · 2015-09-08 at 4:34 pm
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19681016&id=vDwxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ogEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7437%2C6068958&hl=en Here is a link to Albert Scheffert’s obituary.
Natalie Pallitta · 2015-10-26 at 9:16 pm
My father was James Van Order. He came to Toledo Ohio around 1968 and worked through the Dairymens League in the milk testing area at Page Dairy. I remember going to work with him and counting milk cultures in the lab. To this day, if I close my eyes, I can smell the distinct smell of that lab! Wonderful memories. Dad collected many items from Page over the years. This Spring we attended an auction and bought two old signs with the Page logo. He was so happy to have them. He loved Page so much. My dad passed on August 11, 2015.
admin · 2015-10-27 at 5:59 am
What a special memory that you shared with your father. Thank you for sharing with us!
Jen Margerum · 2016-02-06 at 1:08 am
My grandfather worked for Page Dairy Co. at Wade & Knapp in Toledo in the early 1940s. His name was Walter O. Brown. I noticed in the pictures, you have a picture of an Employee Loyalty Oath Nov. 1942. The first signature at the bottom was my grandfathers! I was just so excited to see this! I didn’t know this side of my family at all and I have just started discovering things about him. I recognized his signature right away! Thanks for this website, and thanks for letting me share!
admin · 2016-02-06 at 8:13 am
How cool that you found your grandfather’s signature! Can you imagine today, signing a loyalty oath for your employer? We have heard many stories over the years about the kind and generous employer the Page Dairy was, and it is nice to hear another one. And it is especially nice that the stories are shared over the generations and continue to remind the Toledo area of its past. Thank you for sharing your story!
pam · 2016-08-03 at 5:55 pm
my aunt, June Wech worked at the plant in Merrill Wisonsin, till its closure. Lot of nice memories
admin · 2016-08-03 at 6:21 pm
It is always nice to hear that people have such good memories of the dairies. So many people worked for them, and it sounds like an era where people were loyal to their employer for many years. Be sure to check out our Facebook page, too! @pagedairy Thanks for sharing!
Cory M Buck · 2016-11-03 at 7:08 pm
After the buiding was abandoned .back in the 80’s. My dad use to drive me and my buddys down to the page dairy in his truck.to play tag in the building we experienced alot of different things in there. Lol there we’re illegal aliens in a dark room hiding out. There we’re guys shooting dope.lots of bums. And criminals in there .it really was no place for kids but we usually had ten of us. And a local band from the neighborhood Damien. Made a video there it was called every dog has it’s day.couple of us did get hurt in there in dark rooms hitting our heads on things.. Lots of good memories …
admin · 2016-11-03 at 8:30 pm
Thank you for sharing!
Kay M Asmus · 2017-07-04 at 3:08 pm
My husband had an old milk can from his dad’s farm. I was sanding it with the idea of turning it into a patio side table and under all the rust on the lid was the name Page’s in script. The farm was in Wood County near Tontogany, OH
admin · 2017-07-05 at 12:06 pm
Thank you for sharing! We have several milk cans that were made into lamps, and also use them for outdoor decorations on the patio and front porch, some holding plants. Who knew how versatile they would be? 🙂
Tim Noethen · 2017-11-20 at 4:45 pm
Can you help me get a message to Jackie Ruckman? My grandfather was one of the Scheffert brothers. You can give her my email address. Thanks
Fred McKie · 2023-12-07 at 4:47 pm
Hi I am looking for info on a Page’s Milk carton that had a baseball card of Mickey Mantle on it. Any info/help appreciated. Thanks so much!
admin · 2023-12-07 at 7:38 pm
Thank you for your question. I don’t know of any such milk carton, but I posed your question on our Facebook page. I will see what responses we get. Maybe someone knows! 🙂
Larry · 2024-01-02 at 10:46 am
I have a heavy drill press that has the tag “The page Dairy 210” thar I am going to sell. If you have any interest. I can send pictures if you send a phone number
admin · 2024-01-02 at 12:23 pm
I can post your comment on the Page Dairy Facebook page to see if there is any interest. Thanks for your note!