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
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
This 1958 photo shows cheese aging in the Tillamook factory’s cold storage room. (Photo from Northwest Digital Heritage) READ MORE
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
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
Reporter Dorothy Neighbors visited the large Tillamook cheese factory in 1958 and wrote about the experience for The Seattle Times. (Credit: The Seattle Times, 11.18.58) READ MORE
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
Cheese War Timeline 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 draft… READ MORE
Cheese War Timeline Event Date Event Source (See key below.) 1-1-1962 Tillamook Cheese Association and Tillamook Grade A Shippers Association consolidated as Tillamook Cheese & Dairy Association on January 1, 1962. Ferd Becker, Tillamook farmer, said the Tillamook Cheese Association had title to its cheese factory, and the Grade A… READ MORE
1850s – David Wilson brought the first domesticated cows into the area1889 – Merriman Foland and Bob Richards became Tillamook’s first commercial cheesemakers1894 – Peter McIntosh, a Canadian, brought his full-cream cheddar recipe to Tillamook and shared it with the cheesemakers1909 – 10 factories formed a marketing cooperative and named it Tillamook County Creamery Association1919… READ MORE
