In this undated photo, cheesemakers from throughout Tillamook County’s factories gathered for a photo. (Photo from the files of the Pacific City library) READ MORE
Category Archives: County Creamery
1926 Tillamook Cheese Factories
Tillamook County was full of cheese factories in 1926! Some were privately owned; more and more were cooperatives that belonged to the Tillamook County Creamery Association. By 1925, cheese production was second in the state, per Joseph E. Taylor III in his book “Persistent Callings.” (Map credit: Read Bain in his 1926 Oregon State University… READ MORE
Alice Becker
Alice Becker worked in the large factory’s laboratory. As shown in this early 1950s photo, her job included testing milk samples when the cans of milk came into the factory. Her son Marty’s obituary described her as a “dairy chemist.” Photo credit: The Tillamook Way, Tillamook County Creamery Association’s self-published history READ MORE
1913 Cheese Factory
This Tillamook-area cheese factory was one of several small factories in the central Tillamook County region that functioned before consolidation into the one large factory north of Tillamook after it was built in 1949. In early 1969, all remaining Tillamook County factories were forced to join that large factory. One of the causes of the… READ MORE
5-Pound Loaf of Cheese
In the 1950s, Tillamook produced a booklet of gift packs, including a loaf of Tillamook medium cheddar “for real Cheese eaters” and “for the larger family.” The Western price was $4.45, including shipping, or $52.95 in today’s dollars. READ MORE
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
Beaver Cheese Factory
This 1893 photo shows two cheesemakers at the Beaver Cheese Factory. Ike Heiner (left) was the cheesemaker; his sister, Elizabeth Foland, (right) was a rare woman assisting in the factory. She brought the recipe when they moved from the Midwest. Some reports say that her husband, George Foland, was the first commercial cheesemaker in the… READ MORE
Timeline, Post-1968
1968-69 – Tillamook County Creamery Association reorganized as a producer cooperative 1969 – All small cheese factories in Tillamook County were closed for environmental and efficiency reasons; all milk was then processed at the large factory north of Tillamook 1970 – Oregon established a statewide quota system 1987 – Oregon’s statewide quota system ended 1987… READ MORE
Timeline, 1967
Cheese War Timeline Event Date Event Source (See key below.) 2-1967 At its annual membership meeting, Cheese & Dairy officials reported that sales had exceeded $3 million and monthly earnings had increased. Winning awards at the Oregon Dairy Industries contest were cheesemakers Dean Daggett, Ron Jones, Lloyd… READ MORE
Timeline, 1968
Cheese War Timeline Event Date Event Source (See key below.) 2-1968 Cheese & Dairy cheesemakers brought trophies home from the Oregon Dairy Industries annual convention. Fritz Baumgartner, head cheesemaker, won the sweepstakes trophy. Also winning awards were Lloyd Wright, Dean Daggett, Ron Jones, Allan Waldron, and Merton Loucks.… READ MORE
