South Blue Mounds Cheese Factory
Blue Mounds Township
|
2255 CTH Z, Blue Mounds WI 53517
Off site resource
Road View and Map |
Operated: <1890 - >1955
Cheesemakers: John Badertscher (1928); Walter Huber; Orton Gilbertson; Cornelius Fink, Sr. (cheese maker when factory closed).
Cheese Types: American, brick, Swiss
Patrons: Henry Kahl, mgr. (From conversation with Linda Gerke - John Amacher (her father), Dean Collins, Henry Oimoen, Christian Thousand, John Steyer, Thorwald Topper, Ed Throndson, Milo Komplin, Alvin Aavang, Herman Tschanz, Harold Baumgartner, Bert Rolstad, Melvin Framstad)
Notes: Also listed on 1890 plat map.
Biennial report of the Dairy and Food Commissioner of WI: Blue Mounds 1898, 1901, 1903, 1909, 1913, 1916, 1922, 1930; Blue Mounds RD 75 1906. Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory- Architectural Style: Astylistic Utilitarian Building. Wall Material: Clapboard. From Linda Gerke 8/5/2019: "I was just looking through some of the links and came across the South Blue Mounds Cheese Factory information. An addition/correction should be made: Cornelius Fink Sr. was the cheesemaker when the factory closed. I know this because I grew up in that area, the driveway going up the hill past the factory was to my Dad’s farm and we used to stop at the factory on our way home from school and get the rinds off the Swiss cheese wheels that Mr. Fink made that morning. He and his wife Gladys Smith Fink had 8 children: Walter, Merlin, Cornelius Jr., Lyle, Emory (Pepper), Hugo, Darlene (operated a beauty shop in Mt. Horeb now) and Ruth. I went to school with all of the Fink kids at Ruste School (no longer standing - LeRoy Collins can fill in information about that). After the factory closed, Amos, Irene and daughter, Linda Bruflat lived there. I babysat their Linda, for my summer job. At the time, I think they worked at SubZero and Amos also worked for the University later on as a caretaker for housing on Old Sauk Road. I’m not sure where Linda lives now, possibly Barneveld and she would know more. " |
Higher quality reproductions of some of the MHAHS's images are available for a small fee - contact our Research Center.