Today we will continue to remember Northampton Sanitary Dairy, which was located on Washington Avenue in Northampton. The dairy was founded by Mr. John Simcoe in 1925.

This writer worked for an Allen Township farmer, Mr. William Smith, during my high school years. I can still see the lines of trucks on Washington Avenue waiting to deliver their milk in heavy steel cans.

The dairy had many loyal milkmen who delivered milk to our front doors. My uncle, Lou Pany, was one of these drivers - always on time and never missing a customer. Another milkman was Joe Gasper who served customers for 49 years. That’s a lot of milk!

The milkmen started their days 3 a.m. At one time they worked seven days a week. Mr. Gasper’s starting wage was $35 a week with no overtime. There were snowstorms and heavy rain, but, through persistence, the milk was delivered.

My neighbor Florence Jurasits’s brother Joe, at 10 years of age, worked on a dairy truck during the summer, helping to deliver the milk.

“Joe was paid 25 cents, 50 cents if he was lucky,” Florence recalled.

When you were given 50 cents, it was like heaven. Joe would work 3-11 a.m. He would later serve in the U.S. Air Force.

“We resided a short distance from the dairy; it was a neighborhood institution,” Florence added. “We would walk there for milk and sour cream, and a real treat was their chocolate milk. Mr. Simmons was the dairy manager, who lived in our neighborhood, and always served us with a smile.”

Recently, I received a letter from Cindy Beck Deppe. Cindy was a former fine student of this writer at Northampton High School. The name may be familiar to some of our readers. Cindy’s family owns a Lehigh Valley landmark, Becky’s Drive-In Theater.

Cindy remembers when Mr. Gasper delivered milk and orange drink to the drive-in during the 1950s and 60s.

“Joe was a kind, friendly and caring to everyone he knew,” Cindy said. “We always looked forward to seeing him deliver milk to us. He became a great friend to our parents. He visited my mother during her last years.”

Joe narrated the movie my father had taken of Northampton Sanitary Dairy in 1950, which was transferred into a DVD,” Cindy added. “When the dairy closed, he became a distributor for Freeman’s Dairy in Allentown.”

Mr. Clinton Simmons was the manager of Northampton Sanitary Dairy for many years. Starting as a bookkeeper, he learned the entire operation of the dairy. He worked long weeks at the dairy. On Saturdays, he would deliver milk, fruit punch, orangeade, grape drinks, pineapple drinks and chocolate milk to families, churches and company picnics throughout the area.

Mr. Simmons managed the dairy after the passing of Mr. Simcoe until it sadly closed in 1961.

In 1961, this writer was teaching but still helping on the William Smith farm in Weaversville, Allen Township. What was the fate of all the farmers who had their milk delivered to Northampton Sanitary Dairy since 1925?

I attended a meeting with Mr. Smith and a group of hardworking farmers - all good men. I remember a few names, including Musselman, Young, Cesanek, Fogel, Trinkle, Flory and many others.

Would they have the resources to continue the operation? Unfortunately, the endeavor failed for these local farmers.

Mr. Simmons, the last dairy manager, did everything possible to save the dairy. Many farmers became members of Lehigh Valley Cooperative Farmers. This group constructed a beautiful dairy.

Mr. Simmons was hired to work in the office. Many farmers joined the cooperative, but the small farmers sold their cows and continued to farm. There were many empty barns.

As many of our readers know, Lehigh Valley Dairy was sold and dairy operations ceased. The destruction ball demolished the once prosperous dairy operation, and now it will be just a faded memory.

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See you again in two weeks!