These are various vintage ice cream containers from The Waterloo Milk Company, 1950’s. These paper ice cream cartons are considered some of the most rare types of vintage collectibles for dairy items. Most of those paper items were thrown away after the product was used making them difficult to find and are sought after by collectors.
The Waterloo Milk Company was a dairy based in Waterloo, Illinois in Monroe County from 1897 – 1969. The dairy was originally known as the Fountain Farmer’s Creamery Company. The company changed their name in 1908 to the M & O Milk Company because the dairy was only located a few yards from the Mobile & Ohio Railroad tracks. However, when the company started condensing milk in 1918 the name changed to the Waterloo Condensed Milk Company. Finally, in 1925 the business changed their name to The Waterloo Milk Company, Inc. after it incorporated. The dairy manufactured whole white milk, chocolate milk, whipping cream, orange juice, grape juice, ice cream, sherbet, cottage cheese and butter. The company was very prosperous for many years. In 1955, it was one of the largest businesses in Waterloo with sales over one million dollars per year. The company went out of business in 1969 when the competition from larger regional brands started to significantly take their market share.
