The earliest reference we’ve found to the Superior Dairy Farm name in Hobart comes from an article in the Hobart Gazette dated January 27, 1922, which stated:

“The Gruel Bros. expect to be ready to supply certified milk from their dairy on the John Gruel farm by Feb. 1. There never has been any certified milk produced by dairymen in Indiana, so this farm will be the first. The Gruel farm is registered and will be known as ‘Superior Farm.’ Gruel Bros. are equipped to supply about 800 quarts of certified milk daily. This kind of milk retails at 25 cents per quart. Most of their supply will be sold in Chicago.”

If you adjust for inflation using an inflation calculator, 25 cents in January 1922 had about the same buying power as $4.79 in December 2025.

Another article in the Hobart News dated February 9, 1922, reported:

“Gruel Bros. Start Sale of Certified Milk, Feb. 1st.

On Feb. 1st, Gruel Bros. began the sale of certified milk, the first of its kind in Indiana to be under the supervision of the Chicago Medical Commission. Gruel Bros. have one of the largest dairy herds in northern Indiana. At the present time, their milking herd numbers thirty cows, and they have one of the best-equipped dairy farms in the state. Two years ago, they built a new barn patterned after the most modern they could find after making inspection trips to Illinois, Wisconsin, and other states. We are informed there are only six dairies in the state of Wisconsin equipped to sell certified milk. The Gruel dairy is operated under the name of ‘Superior Farms.’”

According to the Vidette-Messenger of Porter County, November 4, 1937. The Gruel Bros. sold the Superior Dairy Farms, Inc. in 1937 to Michael “Dago Mike” Carrozzo, a henchman of Al Capone.

The Chicago Tribune reported on September 26, 1938 that Carrozzo paid $300,000 in cash (in $1,000 bills) for the land, and spent another $100,000 modernizing the farm.

Based on these articles, we currently place Superior Dairy Farms under Gruel Bros. as operating roughly 1922–1937, though we are still unsure what years they produced milk in their own bottles.

The farm was located off Haven Hill Rd. and N County Line Rd., near Ainsworth.

Here’s a great bit of information if you’d like to read more about the Superior Farm
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