Henry Warnke and his son, George William Warnke, are the names embossed on this bottle. As of January 2026, no information has been found online about this specific bottle. No other examples appear to have been sold, and it is not listed in any Indiana dairy reference books. Unfortunately, the example we have is broken, but a broken example is better than no example at all.
Henry Warnke was born on December 28, 1855, the son of Frederick and Sophia (Voss) Warnke. His father was a farmer. Henry married Dorothy Mathias on March 31, 1884, and genealogical records show they had five children: Henrietta, Frederick Christopher, Arthur, George William, and Lilah G. Warnke.
In the 1910 U.S. Census, Henry is listed as working on a dairy farm. He died on April 25, 1915, and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Michigan City.
George William Warnke was born on May 19, 1893. In the 1910 U.S. Census, he is listed as a “dairy man,” and he was likely the “& Son” referenced on the bottle, since he is the only son in the household shown with a dairy-related occupation that year. According to the article posted in the Articles tab above, after Henry’s death George inherited a one-half interest in the dairy business, with the other half going to his mother.
In the 1930 U.S. Census, George’s occupation is listed as “dairyman.” It is unclear if he ever had any dairy bottles produced under his own name.
George married Evelyn Dittmer on July 11, 1916, and they had three children. The South Bend Tribune reported on February 20, 1962, that he served two three-year terms as county commissioner, from 1951 to 1953 and again from 1957 to 1959. George died on January 11, 1970, and he is also buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Michigan City.
Meadow View / Warnke Dairy
We have not found any mention of the name “Meadow View” in local records, and no other variations of a Warnke bottle from Michigan City have been found so far.
So where was the dairy located? According to the 1921 La Porte County plat book for Michigan Township (and similarly shown in the 1907 plat book), Henry Warnke owned property off Warnke Road. When compared with a modern aerial map, the farm appears to have been located on a large tract of land between South Karwick Road and Royal Road. Today, this area is part of the Michigan City Golf Course.
In later plat books, George Warnke owned farmland on the northwest corner of Johnson Road and Pahs Road.
HENRY WARNKE’S WILL
Son, George H. Warnke Given Half Interest in Dairy.
The will of the late Henry Warnke has been filed in the LaPorte superior court, Fred J. Warnke of Westville, a brother, and William C. Mathias, a brother-in-law, are named as executors, and they have qualified.
The testator bequeathed one-half interest in the Warnke dairy business to his son, George W. Warnke, and gave the rest of the estate to his widow, Dora Warnke. Upon her re-marriage she is to take her share under the law and the balance goes to the children. Upon her death the estate is to be divided among the five children. The Chesterton Tribune, May 27, 1915.
