BERNARD AND ALICE OTTERPOHL FAMILY

The Otterpohl Dairy contribution to the Farmers Riverwald Peoject was made in the name of Bernard and Alice (Kearns) Otterpohl. The dairy served a large portion of Naperville for 51 continuous years. In 1896, Bernard’s father, Herman, established a milk route from his grocery store across from the railroad depot. In 1906 Herman built a modern dairy behind his house on Front Street (later 12 S. Ellsworth St.) He installed the first pasteurizing equipment, buying his milk from a number of the areas farmers. Bernard bought the dairy from his father in 1926. It remained a prominent Naperville business until it was sold in 1947.

Farming was the original occupation of the family on all sides. Alice Otterpohl was the daughter of Edward Kearns of River Road. Herman Otterpohl was the son of Conrad Otterpohl, who came here in 1851 from Prussia. He married Mary Wiesbrook in 1853 and they farmed on Warrenville Road until Conrad’s death in 1898. The farm was then sold to Conrad Wiesbrook. There have been six generations of Otterpohls here to date.