Category Archives: Factory System

Information about the cheese factory system, including small factories in Tillamook County, in Tillamook, Oregon before and during the cheese war.

Holstein Creamery

Holstein Creamery

Holstein Creamery was on the east side of Tillamook, one of many small factories in the early days of Tillamook County’s cheesemaking. When the large factory opened north of town in 1949, Holstein was one of the little factories around the town that merged into it. This photo shows it in 1925. (Photo credit: Joe… READ MORE

1913 Cheese Factory

1913 Cheese Factory

This Tillamook cheese factory would have been one of several small factories in the central Tillamook County area that existed before consolidation into the one large factory north of Tillamook. In early 1969, all remaining Tillamook County factories were forced to join that large factory. One of the causes of the cheese war was fear… READ MORE

Making Cheese

Making Cheese

This 1941 photo shows an employee at the big Tillamook cheese factory working on a vat of future cheese. Rennet was a key ingredient in creating the cheese. As Linda Kirk, who was a guide back when visitors could walk around the production floor, wrote in the book, Cheese War, “Rennet causes the milk to… READ MORE

Storage of Cheese

Storage of Cheese

This 1958 photo shows cheese aging in the Tillamook factory’s cold storage room. (Photo from Northwest Digital Heritage) READ MORE

Delivering Milk to a Tillamook Factory

Delivering Milk to a Tillamook Factory

Every day, Tillamook County farmers hauled their cans of milk to their cheese factory. The milk was from the previous night’s milking and that morning’s milking. Farmers belonged to cheese factory cooperatives close to their farms so the delivery didn’t take all day. Once the cans were delivered, it was time to head back to… READ MORE

Women Packaged Cheese at the Big Factory

Women Packaged Cheese at the Big Factory

Male cheesemakers created the cheese, and women packaged it. In this photo from an early 1950s publication, “Home of Tillamook Cheese,” the packaging department employees are working on the newly popular rindless one- and half-pound packages of medium and sharp cheese as well as wedges and snack bars – the products we are familiar with… READ MORE

“Cheese Maker for West”

“Cheese Maker for West”

Reporter Dorothy Neighbors visited the large Tillamook cheese factory in 1958 and wrote about the experience for The Seattle Times. (Photo credit: The Seattle Times, Nov. 18, 1958) READ MORE

Beaver Cheese Factory

Beaver Cheese Factory

This 1893 photo shows two cheesemakers at the Beaver Cheese Factory. Ike Heiner (left) was the cheesemaker; Elizabeth Foland (right) was a rare woman assisting in the factory. According to “The Tillamook Way,” Ike worked at Beaver for 30 years after the cooperative was formed by Merriman Foland, Joe Bixby, Walter West, Al Bunn, William… READ MORE

Timeline, 1963

Cheese War   Timeline       1963     Event Date Event Source (See key below.)           1-1963 and 2-1963       A dairy stabilization law for the Portland milkshed was drafted by an Oregon Dairymen’s Association committee headed by George Milne, president of Tillamook Cheese & Dairy. The… READ MORE

Timeline, 1962

1960 – A dairy farmers’ committee worked on a milk audit bill to present to the 1961 legislature.1961 – Delegates to the Oregon Dairymen’s convention in January supported Fair Trade legislation that would prevent distributors from giving or loaning equipment to stores.1961- HB 1194 was introduced. The bill would regulate prices paid to farmers.1961 –… READ MORE