1902 COLDWATER MILKMAN

By: David McDonald – This image was taken in the 1902 timeframe. Charlie Sanford, milkman, stands next to his milk wagon on a very muddy East Chicago Street. Charlie was a resident of Girard.  Note the sign over the entrance door to the wagon, “Clean Milk”. The milk business was owned by John Neal, an industrious entrepreneur who moved to Coldwater from New York State in 1884.

We know that the picture was taken on the southeast corner of Hudson and East Chicago Streets, because the former Lewis Art Gallery and Henry Lewis Home are behind him in the photo. At the time of the photo the former art gallery would be the Masonic Temple, before they added the large porch and changed the façade. As of 1902, the former Henry Lewis home still possessed the large wrap-around porch and yard enclosure fence