HISTORIC CHEESE FACTORIES
Left to Right 1st row: Mr. Gilgon, Fritz Meyer, John Sager. 2nd R: Rudi Ruefenacht, Fred "Fritz" Ryman, Julius Zaugg, Prof. Hubsher, Gottlieb Gammeter, Leo Hiltbrand. 3rd R: John Wegmueller, Matt Marty, Jake Vorenwald, John Henie, John Durtschi, Mr. Yanky
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1938 Cheese Factory Distribution. Wisconsin Crop Reporting Service
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2009
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Cheese making played a major role in the economy and culture of Southwestern Dane County and the Driftless Area of Wisconsin. By the 1870's Wisconsin was second only to Illinois in wheat production but that changed rapidly and farm families looked for a way to stay on their hard-won farms. Milking more than just the family cow caught on in the Driftless area because the soils and topography made it a sensible move. But what to do with all the milk? The answer was cheese, a product that could be kept for months without refrigeration and that could be shipped long distances.
Until the late 1800's, farm women were the cheese makers and production was done in the kitchen. The switch to a factory devoted to making cheese took many years. Stories of the success of New York cheese makers soon won over the locals and cheese factories started appearing throughout the area. Centrally located, always by water, often by the local school, cheese factories became the engine of rural life in southwestern Dane county. At the peak period in the early 1900's, there were more than 116 factories in the over 200 square miles of southwestern Dane county. In the 1920's our area had the heaviest concentration of cheese factories anywhere in Wisconsin.
But things change in farming just as in any industry. After World War II, fewer Americans chose to farm. Many remaining farmers started producing more valuable grade A milk. Both of these made it too difficult for local cheese factories to remain profitable. In the late 1960's, the last cheese factory closed. The distinctive factory style can still be seen along rural roads as the surviving buildings have become comfortable private homes.
Until the late 1800's, farm women were the cheese makers and production was done in the kitchen. The switch to a factory devoted to making cheese took many years. Stories of the success of New York cheese makers soon won over the locals and cheese factories started appearing throughout the area. Centrally located, always by water, often by the local school, cheese factories became the engine of rural life in southwestern Dane county. At the peak period in the early 1900's, there were more than 116 factories in the over 200 square miles of southwestern Dane county. In the 1920's our area had the heaviest concentration of cheese factories anywhere in Wisconsin.
But things change in farming just as in any industry. After World War II, fewer Americans chose to farm. Many remaining farmers started producing more valuable grade A milk. Both of these made it too difficult for local cheese factories to remain profitable. In the late 1960's, the last cheese factory closed. The distinctive factory style can still be seen along rural roads as the surviving buildings have become comfortable private homes.
*See bottom of this page or click for: Unresloved Questions and
Links and References
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Click on the cheese factory name to see its page with pictures, description, maps, etc.
These factories were listed in the Biennial report of the Dairy and Food Commissioner of Wisconsin for various years but we could not find any other information on them. Any help would be greatly appreciated. If you have information, please contact us at mthorebarchives@mhtc.net.
NAME DATE ADDRESS NOTES
Amberger 1898, 1906 Mt. Horeb Associated with Spring Valley?
Anderson 1906 Mt. Horeb RD5 Assumed Vermont
Arn, F. 1906 Mt. Horeb RD4 Assumed Weltzin-Gerber
Bangs 1898, 1901, 1903 Mt. Horeb Associated with Sharpes Corners?
Barrey Dairy 1909 Belleville RD 1 Paddock, T.H.
Clavang 1901 Blue Mounds
Doescher 1906 Mt. Horeb RD Assumed Tasher
Eberhard 1909, 1913 Mt. Horeb
Eggiman Bros. 1922 Mt. Horeb
England, C. 1896, 1898, 1903 Primrose Associated with Rock Hill?
Eugenia 1906 Mt. Horeb RD 3 Assumed Eugen or Engen
Feller 1909, 1913 Riley RD, Riley Cheesemaker at Mickelson in Vermont
Frietag 1896 Montrose
Thos. Jones 1896 Springdale Mt. Vernon CF?
Kahl 1901 Mt. Horeb
Legler 1903, 1913 Verona RD 2, Mt. Horeb
Lynch, P. 1896, 1898, 1906 Elvers 1896, Vermont
Martin 1901 Mt. Horeb
Messerday, Chas. 1896 Blue Mounds In Kelly Hill Cheese Factory
Mosee 1901 Blue Mounds
Paui, Chris 1901 Mt. Vernon
Pulteyard, John 1896 Blue Mounds
Reeste, C.O. 1901 Blue Mounds Same as Ruste,C.O. and Rusk 1902? Assoc. with Barber CF; 1912 06N05ES30 W2SW4?
Salmon 1906 Riley Same as Simon (see below)
Saseth 1901 Mt. Horeb
Schalter, Alec & Christ 1896 Blue Mounds
Schneider Bros. 1901,1909,1913,1916 Mt. Horeb
Seeder, F. Butter & CF 1901, 1913 Mt. Horeb
Sigesman, Ed. 1896 Blue Mounds
Simon 1906 Riley Same as Salmon (see above)
Stucky Bros. 1898 Elvers, Vermont Also Fred Stuckey creamery 1900; Elvers PO could have served Iowa Co.
Wallen 1896, 1898, 1903 Primrose Stone Hill?
Amberger 1898, 1906 Mt. Horeb Associated with Spring Valley?
Anderson 1906 Mt. Horeb RD5 Assumed Vermont
Arn, F. 1906 Mt. Horeb RD4 Assumed Weltzin-Gerber
Bangs 1898, 1901, 1903 Mt. Horeb Associated with Sharpes Corners?
Barrey Dairy 1909 Belleville RD 1 Paddock, T.H.
Clavang 1901 Blue Mounds
Doescher 1906 Mt. Horeb RD Assumed Tasher
Eberhard 1909, 1913 Mt. Horeb
Eggiman Bros. 1922 Mt. Horeb
England, C. 1896, 1898, 1903 Primrose Associated with Rock Hill?
Eugenia 1906 Mt. Horeb RD 3 Assumed Eugen or Engen
Feller 1909, 1913 Riley RD, Riley Cheesemaker at Mickelson in Vermont
Frietag 1896 Montrose
Thos. Jones 1896 Springdale Mt. Vernon CF?
Kahl 1901 Mt. Horeb
Legler 1903, 1913 Verona RD 2, Mt. Horeb
Lynch, P. 1896, 1898, 1906 Elvers 1896, Vermont
Martin 1901 Mt. Horeb
Messerday, Chas. 1896 Blue Mounds In Kelly Hill Cheese Factory
Mosee 1901 Blue Mounds
Paui, Chris 1901 Mt. Vernon
Pulteyard, John 1896 Blue Mounds
Reeste, C.O. 1901 Blue Mounds Same as Ruste,C.O. and Rusk 1902? Assoc. with Barber CF; 1912 06N05ES30 W2SW4?
Salmon 1906 Riley Same as Simon (see below)
Saseth 1901 Mt. Horeb
Schalter, Alec & Christ 1896 Blue Mounds
Schneider Bros. 1901,1909,1913,1916 Mt. Horeb
Seeder, F. Butter & CF 1901, 1913 Mt. Horeb
Sigesman, Ed. 1896 Blue Mounds
Simon 1906 Riley Same as Salmon (see above)
Stucky Bros. 1898 Elvers, Vermont Also Fred Stuckey creamery 1900; Elvers PO could have served Iowa Co.
Wallen 1896, 1898, 1903 Primrose Stone Hill?
The Book of Cheese. 1918. Charles Thom, Walter W. Fisk, The McMillian Co. NY. from the Pioneer America Society
Disappearing Cheese Factories in America’s Dairyland, 2001. John A. Cross, University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh
The History of Agriculture in Dane County, Wisconsin, 1904, Benjamin Horace Hibbard, University of Wisconsin
The History of Wisconsin Cheese - Wisconsin Cheese Board website
Blue Mounds Historical Society- articles and images
Dane County Historical Society- maps, articles
Mt. Horeb Area Historical Society- tax records, images, oral history, publications:
Mount Horeb - Presettlement to 1986. Mt. Horeb Area Historical Society, 1986
History of the Township of Primrose. Mary Hanna Zumbrunnen, 1990
The Historic Perry Norwegian Settlement. The Perry Historical Center, Daleyville. 1954
The History of the Town of Mount Vernon, 1846-1996.
The Town of Vermont – "The Early Years" 1846 – 1890. Marian Swoboda
Town of Springdale, Dane County, Wisconsin : 1848-1998 -Carol Riley Statz, chairperson/secretary
University of Wisconsin Digital Collection - Madison Public Library - online resources: plat maps; Wisconsin Dairy and Food Commission / Semi-annual bulletin of the Dairy and Food Commission of the state of Wisconsin; Klueter, Harry / Directory of Wisconsin dairy manufacturing plants.
Wisconsin State Historical Society- maps, articles, photographs, Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory for architectural information, etc.
Disappearing Cheese Factories in America’s Dairyland, 2001. John A. Cross, University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh
The History of Agriculture in Dane County, Wisconsin, 1904, Benjamin Horace Hibbard, University of Wisconsin
The History of Wisconsin Cheese - Wisconsin Cheese Board website
Blue Mounds Historical Society- articles and images
Dane County Historical Society- maps, articles
Mt. Horeb Area Historical Society- tax records, images, oral history, publications:
Mount Horeb - Presettlement to 1986. Mt. Horeb Area Historical Society, 1986
History of the Township of Primrose. Mary Hanna Zumbrunnen, 1990
The Historic Perry Norwegian Settlement. The Perry Historical Center, Daleyville. 1954
The History of the Town of Mount Vernon, 1846-1996.
The Town of Vermont – "The Early Years" 1846 – 1890. Marian Swoboda
Town of Springdale, Dane County, Wisconsin : 1848-1998 -Carol Riley Statz, chairperson/secretary
University of Wisconsin Digital Collection - Madison Public Library - online resources: plat maps; Wisconsin Dairy and Food Commission / Semi-annual bulletin of the Dairy and Food Commission of the state of Wisconsin; Klueter, Harry / Directory of Wisconsin dairy manufacturing plants.
Wisconsin State Historical Society- maps, articles, photographs, Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory for architectural information, etc.