Former area resident looking for help with local dairy research

By Mark Ribble

LEAMINGTON — A former Leamington resident is researching Ontario’s dairies for a book he’s collaborating on and he’d like your help.

Stephen Wuerch, who spent much of his childhood in the Leamington area, now lives in northeastern Ontario and he has a list of local dairies in this area that he’d love to have more information on.

“Over the last 20 years, I’ve written several articles on local Windsor-Essex County dairies for different magazines, bottle clubs, papers and historical web sites,” says Wuerch. “Over the years, I’ve had a difficult time finding information on some of the smaller and older dairies in Leamington and multiple dairies in Kingsville and Wheatley — no matter how hard I try to get leads.”

Wuerch’s milk bottles from Kingsville Dairy and Robinson’s Dairy.

Wuerch’s goal is to finish off the history of all the dairies in the county over the next couple of years, while family members and former employees may still be alive.

If you’ve got a story to tell about the local dairy scene, he’d like to hear from you.

He can be reached at 705-544-0360 or through email at sewuerch@hotmail. com. You can also text that phone number.

If you have photos, bottles or caps, he’d also love to see them.

Here is a list of dairies he has discovered in his research so far.

LEAMINGTON: Jersey Dairy 1930 and 1946. (owner Miles Truax)

Phillips Jersey Dairy 1930

Kennedy Dairy 1934 – 1943 (Owner Elton C. Kennedy)

Leamington Sanitary Dairy (1945 - bought out by Silverwoods)

Dawson Dairy (H.G. Dawson) 1920-1923

Decew Dairy (James Decew) 1904.

Essery & Liddle Dairy 1925 - 1929

Liddle Dairy (H.A Liddle) 1926

Nicholson Dairy (Charles H. Nicholson) 1919

Oldham Dairy (Leonard Oldham) 1924

Wigle & Bullen Dairy 1915-1923

KINGSVILLE: Kingsville Dairy (Allen & Wigle) 1934-1950

Robinson Dairy Sherman’s Dairy Glenvale Dairy & Creamery (1925- 1946)

Golden Dairy (A.J. Golden) 1919-1923

Curtis Brothers Dairy (1925-1946)

WHEATLEY: Wheatley Dairy & Creamery 1943-?

Stevens Dairy 1911-1917

Poulter Dairy 1933-46

Downham (W.S. Downham) 1907- 1909

Brown & Crewe 1919-1925

Wuerch was featured in a 1994 story in the Leamington Post about his local dairy collection and research. He’s hoping to ‘cap’ off his vast array of knowledge with a little bit of help from area residents who may have something to share.

Three of Stephen Wuerch’s local dairy bottles, from left, Kennedy’s Dairy, Leamington Dairy and Jersey Dairy.