06/04/2026
Conneaut News Herald
March 30, 1956
Miltner's Closed as Army Calls Family's Last Baker
For the first time in 36 years, Conneaut is without a Miltner's bakery.
Actually, the time datesback further than this since three generations of the Miltner family have been bakers.
Closing of the bakery located at 446 State Street, was brought about by Uncle Sam's 'invitation" to the latest baker in the family -James Miltner. He will report Monday for Army basic training. In view of the draft notice, the family decided to close the bakery.
Plans for the selling or the possible leasing of the bakery are indefinite as yet.
The Miltner bakery business in Conneaut started soon after the turn of the century when Fred Miltner and Fred Lamphier, two Painesville youg men, decided to open a bakery here. Mr. Miltner's father was already a successful baker in Painesville.
They opened a shop on Main Street, across from City Hall and continued in business for a number of years until March 1918, when the bakery was hit by a destrucive fire.
Shortly after that, Mr. Miltner sold out his interest to Mr. Lamphier. He continued the busisness for another year when he in turn sold the bakery to Ford & Kallstrom who operated it for several more years. Mr. Miltner then took a job at Pittsburgh & Conneaut Dock Company. He married the former Lorena Bynane and the two became the parents of three sons, Robert, Richard, and James.
After an absence of four years, Mr. Miltner disovered that the "flour and sugar' trade still ran strong in his blood. He opened the State Street shop and continued it until the time of his death in 1948. At that time, his sons Richard and Jim, took over and operated it jointly until Jim was graduated from high school in 1950 and took over the managerial duties. Rihard left the bakery business in 1955 to become a sales representative for Swift and Company.
Plans for reopening the bakery after his stint with the Army is finished ?
"Well, I don't know," says Jim. "After all, I've been in the bakery business all of my life. It sure seems funny without it."
