The 17 factories with cheese that was marketed by Tillamook County Creamery Association reported their production for 1936. More than 7.5 million pounds of milk became more than 8.5 million pounds of cheese with a value of more than $1,707,000, or $38,475,658 today. (Unknown source) READ MORE
Holstein Creamery was on the east side of Tillamook, one of many small factories in the early days of Tillamook County’s cheesemaking. It was near the Fairview Cheese Factory, east of the Odd Fellows Cemetery. Records show that Holstein was in operation in 1918. When the large factory opened north of town in 1949, Holstein… READ MORE
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
Tillamook Cheese and Dairy Association formed in January 1962 from two cooperatives: Grade A Shippers Association and Tillamook Cheese Association. During the Cheese War, TCDA was an alternative to Tillamook County Creamery Association. As a result of a lawsuit against TCCA, TCDA ran the large cheese factory, where it produced Premium Brand Tillamook Cheese between… 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
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
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
