Category Archives: County Creamery

Information about Tillamook County Creamery Association, also known as County Creamery or TCCA

1913 Cheese Factory

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

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

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

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, 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

Timeline, 1966

Cheese War   Timeline       Event Date Event Source (See key below.)       2-20-1966 Annual meetings of competing Tillamook dairy cooperatives were held on the third Saturday in February.   Gathering at the Fairview Grange were about 125 members of Cheese and Dairy, which had merged with Red Clover at the… READ MORE

Timeline, 1965

Cheese War   Timeline       Event Date Event Source (See key below.) 4-12-1965 to 4-16-1965   County Creamery filed a $10 million antitrust suit against Cheese & Dairy, along with a $10 million antitrust suit against Red Clover. Earlier, Cheese & Dairy and Red Clover asked for a combined $8.4 million in their… READ MORE

Timeline, 1964

Cheese War   Timeline       Event Date Event Source (See key below.)       1-27-1964       Cheese & Dairy sought an injunction in federal court that would order County Creamery to stop threatening legal action against dealers who handle Premium Brand cheese. Cheese & Dairy said that County Creamery sent… READ MORE