"Quality That Speaks For Itself" - Pt. II

By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member

April 25, 2026

Milk jars from Miller-Bros, one of the dairies that Hoffman used to work for. Photograph by Dylan Bowman.

Lactose Intolerance Ahead

The life of a milkman would seem to be like that of a postman: very busy and exhausting, but simple in execution. While this may or may not be true, it is certain that it is not always for the faint of heart, as there are not only tiring days and milk that must be kept cold, but also dangers that arise along the way.

In this concluding part of our thanking our local milkmen (and honestly, milkmen everywhere from the past), we will briefly explore a few incredible moments from the stories of Eugene Hoffman's time in the dairy delivery service and how milkmen from the numerous companies could at times cheat death and defy the odds.

Long Days...and a Dangerous Night

As previously stated in part one, the life of a milkman in the mid-1900s was a long one; usually upwards of 14-16 hours. Waking up at 2AM and on the road until after dark most days is sure to make a working man weary, and that's exactly what happened to Gene one night in the late 1960s/early 1970s (the exact date could not be recalled).

After finishing his route one day, Gene was heading over a mountain in the west Williamsport area, which was under construction on one side at the time. It had grown dark, and it was "getting hard to stay awake," as he recalled. As he came over the top of the mountain and began to descend on the other side, he fell asleep at the wheel.

"The Lord had to be with me," Hoffman declared, "because when I came around the end of the mountain, that's the last thing I remembered until I opened my eyes near the bottom. Everything was bumper to bumper running down, and I swerved last minute to avoid a collision with the cars and construction. When I swerved, I was so close to the large pile of dirt the construction workers had in the roadway that it clipped my headlight and side mirror and the glass that shattered from that landed on top of my head through the open door. I was awake after that!"

The near-death experience stayed with Hoffman for the rest of his life and he remained convinced of the Lord's guiding hand on the wheel of his milk truck that night. I would certainly agree with his belief. Additionally, it showed me a new side to the milk-running business; how the long hours could take a toll and the great care that had to be taken in being safe on the roads.

A 1972 advertising photograph for Rothermel’s Dairy, Minersville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Photograph procured from the 1972 Yearbook, the Cardinal, of the Pine Grove High School, via Lykens Valley: History & Geneology.

Milk, Lunchmeat, and Guns

Danger comes in many forms, but one I never thought I would hear is the witnessing of an armed robbery while on the job.

Hoffman's (and my own) family member, Todd "Donnie" Bowman, who also worked for Speece's Dairy, was on his own route one night delivering around 3AM in Dauphin. Where the Hornung's True Value Hardware now sits, there used to be a grocery store called "Robinson's" directly next to a gun shop, conjoined in a plaza fashion. Unbeknownst to Bowman, the police had gotten a tip that a robbery of the gun shop was aimed to take place that night/early morning. Bowman, who was waiting to deliver dairy products to the grocery when they opened, sat in the parking lot and waited.

As he waited, he noticed men moving back and forth from another vehicle nearby to Robinson's. Bowman pondered the situation, thinking that another delivery was being made; "Why were there men delivering deli so early in the morning while it was still dark?" he thought. Eventually, he decided to confront the mysterious men, but before he could do so, gunshots rang out.

As it would be found out shortly thereafter, the men were, in fact, the criminals that had been tipped about and the police had been near the scene of the crime, watching, just as Bowman had. The crooks had already broken into the deli and had been attempting to break through the wall of the deli leading into the adjoining gun shop. Fortunately, the police had stepped in before the criminals' plan came together, but shots were exchanged and one of the criminals was hit in the process. To this day, Bowman and Hoffman aren't sure if he died.

Two advertisements for Miller Brother's Dairy and Speece's Dairy in Halifax/Dauphin County address books...both of which Gene Hoffman worked at during his time as a milkman. Documents procured from HAHS Archives.

Our Beloved Milkmen

As you can see, there is more to our milkmen that meets the eye. These are just two stories from two milkmen...imagine how many others exist! Though the era of food and drink delivery such as milk and meat has come and gone, I believe that this was a nostalgic age of heroes. The neighborhood milkman who came around each week to see that his community had what they needed.

I for one am fond of this concept and am honored to not only have been able to hear the stories from a veteran milk delivery man, but also to be related to one. To Gene Hoffman (who just celebrated his 100th birthday this past January!) and all other dairy delivery men reading this, I and my community thank you for your years of consistent and high-quality service to your community. You are part of the America that will always live in our hearts!

A photograph of the author with Eugene Hoffman and his wife Joyce Hoffman, July 15, 2004. Photograph by Ryan Bowman.

One more thing...the milkman is back on the rise! See the video from WGAL below to see how history is making a comback with quality that speaks for itself...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oZDdOgg8GA

A news story on the comeback of the milkman tradition in Central PA. Video procured from WGAL News 8 on YouTube.