USA > Minnesota > Freeborn County > History of Freeborn County, Minnesota > Part 50
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
Mansfield Central Creamery Company. In 1890, when the North Star Creamery was established in Emmons, many of the farmers of Mansfield township became its patrons. Shortly after January 1, 1891, some of the farmers met in the John Niebuhr hall in Mansfield and a creamery association was organized. Officers were elected and a constitution, by-laws adopted, and a committee appointed to visit creameries throughout the county and to obtain plans for a building to be erected on the Niebuhr farm, one mile south of the present creamery. Two weeks later a second cream- ery organization formed and decided to erect a building two miles west and one mile north of the Niebuhr farm. A committee sent from the first association met one sent from the second, and a com- promise was effected and the present site agreed upon. Several days later a joint meeting was held in Niebuhr hall, and about a week later the plans were perfected at the Wacholtz school- house. Charles Lembke was elected president of the association ; Christ Jahnke, vice-president; W. B. Tunell, secretary; Henry Meyer, treasurer, and Ernest Hintz, Fred Hartman, Valentine Katzung, John Wacholtz, J. H. J. Seedorf and Thomas Dunn, directors. A constitution and set of by-laws were adopted and the officers instructed to build as soon as 300 cows could be pledged. The directors decided to erect the building at once on a tract of land leased of W. B. Tunell. Business was started May 18. Mr. Welch was employed as the buttermaker.
Sumner Valley Creamery Association. This creamery associa- tion was organized in the summer of 1893 at a meeting held at the residence of J. J. Moe, in Riceland township. Among the first officers of the association were S. O. Nashby, president, and S. I. Tufte, secretary. The members of the new organization were patrons of the Riceland or Hayward creameries and, having a long distance to haul their milk, were greatly in favor of a cream- ery at some more convenient point. The building was erected the same season and began operation in the fall of 1893. For a time cheese was manufactured as well as butter, but this industry was eventually abandoned. S. I. Tufte is still the president, and Olaf Wangen is the secretary and manager, in which position he is giving general satisfaction. The patrons of this creamery have about 375 cows. Following are a few items culled from the last annual report: Milk and cream received, 1,434,085 pounds ; but- ter made, 70,286 pounds ; paid patrons for milk and cream, $18,- 613.13 ; total received for butter, cream and buttermilk, $20,883.57. New machinery has been installed as needed and the plant is thoroughly modern.
Albert Lea Dairy Association. As a result of a series of meet- ings held in the fall and early winter in the schoolhouse of District No. 110, and in the city council chambers, the Albert Lea Cream-
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
ery Association was organized December 30, 1891, and 544 cows were pledged. A constitution and by-laws were adopted and the following officers elected : T. A. Vandergrift, president; John Bergelund, vice-president; A. C. Wedge, treasurer, and C. W. Levens, secretary. Mr. Levens soon resigned and C. N. Ruble was elected to succeed him. The selection of a site was left to the board and, after considering several propositions, the present loca- tion was decided on, which is northeast of the city. The creamery was subsequently erected and began to receive milk on the morn- ing of April 20, 1892, with J. H. Jones, who had been the first buttermaker at Clarks Grove, in charge. In January, 1897, it was decided to reorganize, and at this time the old association passed out of existence, and the Albert Lea Dairy Association was formed. The spring of this year witnessed an altogether new experiment in the manufacture of pastuerized butter, and the necessary equipment for pasteurizing milk was installed. This experiment with pasteurization was continued for nearly a year, until April, 1898, and the buttermaker who had attempted the experiment resigned from the creamery. In 1898 the United States Agricultural Department decided to make some experimental ship- ments of butter to England with a view of establishing a market for butter in that country in competition with the Danish and English Dorset article. Albert Lea was one of the four creameries selected to prepare butter for these shipments. In 1899 the depart- ment again undertook some experimental shipments, this time to Japan. In 1908 in conjunction with the Agricultural Depart- ment of the state of Minnesota, the United States Department of Agriculture conducted at the Albert Lea creamery a series of experiments in manufacturing Emmenthaler Swiss cheese. A few items culled from the last annual report of the association are as follows: Milk received, 2,806,947 pounds ; cream received, 400,308 pounds ; butter made, 259,180 pounds; total received from all sales, $82,224.36 ; paid patrons in cash and butter, $75,451.68. It is estimated that the patrons of this creamery owned about 1,800 cows.
State Experiment Station. In the summer of 1911, the state of Minnesota purchased the plant of the Albert Lea Dairy Associa- tion, where the government and the state had previously con- ducted experiments, for the purpose of establishing a regular experiment station in the center of the richest dairying section of the state. The negotiations between the creamery officers and the dairy commissioner were carried on by D. C. Armstrong and Clint. L. Luce, president and secretary of the Albert Lea Business Men's League, and they worked with no hope of reward except to push along the dairy interests of the state and country. The creamery. was formally dedicated as a state institution with
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
elaborate ceremonies; state and local officials and leading dairy authorities being present in large numbers. At the time of the transfer the officers were: President, F. S. Ruble ; vice president, H. P. Hanson ; secretary, P. W. Noble. When the sale was being contemplated, the Albert Lea correspondent of the "Pioneer Press" said: "When the creamery was established, a wooden structure, the kind usually built in the early history of the co-operative creamery movement, was erected, and this served the purposes of the association until 1902, when a modern brick structure was built, larger and more convenient than the old one, and better calculated to carry on the business. This building was erected by borrowing money, and repaying it from the sinking fund. This amount is all paid except a small sum, and the sinking fund has sufficient to wipe it out when the sale is consummated. The brick building is 30 by 110 feet with fourteen feet posts and cost $4,924.25, but since then the buildings have been erected for the federal government experiment station discontinued last autumn that cost $2,000, while two other small buildings have been erected which cost $430, making the total cost of buildings the state is to obtain August 1, about $7,624, while the machinery has cost the creamery more than $5,000. During the time the creamery has been in operation here, more than 75,000,000 pounds of milk have been handled and the patrons have been paid more than a million dollars for their dairy product alone, not to include the value of feed received from the skimmed milk and butter milk."
Moscow Co-Operative Creamery Association. In the fall of 1891 this creamery association was organized, being one of the oldest creameries in the county. Charles Mann was elected president, Ed Lugg vice-president, Chris Rettig secretary and M. O. Leary, treasurer. The present creamery building was erected during the fall and early winter and the creamery com- menced operations January 1, 1892, with D. M. Jones as butter- maker. Moscow creamery has about 100 patrons, who own between 400 and 500 cows, and is one of the flourishing creameries of Freeborn county. In the last annual report the following items appear : Milk received, 1,568,807 pounds; cream received, 62,612 pounds ; butter made, 71,848.82 pounds ; total received for butter, $25,221.12. The president is Elling Soli and the secretary is Ben Bridley.
Alden Creamery Company. In 1890 the Alden Farmers' Co-Operative Creamery Company was formed and the company purchased the Spring Valley gathered cream plant, which had been operated at Alden for three or four years, and which had itself succeeded the old cheese factory that was established in the early eighties. In January, 1893, a meeting of the directors was
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
called, and it was decided that steps should be taken to secure a separator. At a meeting held March 4, 1893, a new organization was formed to be known as the Farmers' Creamery Company and the following officers were elected: J. L. Garlock, president ; J. M. Larson, vice president ; Andrew Robertson, secretary ; C. L. Tood, treasurer, and John Rasmussen, Henry Stiehl and C. R. Fellows, directors. The old building and site were traded to W. A. Morin for a lot farther east and the present fine building now occupied by the organization was erected in the fall of 1899. The officers for this year were: W. H. Walker, president; N: C. Larson, vice president; A. Robertson, secretary ; Peter Hanson, treasurer, and H. Fink, A. W. Massee and H. L. Jensen, directors. The company issues a neat annual statement. Some items taken from the report of 1909 will be of interest : Milk received, 2,904,- 454 pounds; cream received, 219,717 pounds; total pounds of butter fat received, 184,094; total butter made and sold, 224,002; paid to patrons for milk and cream, $60,560.80; total received for butter, cream and buttermilk, about $71,000.
Freeman Dairy Association. This association was incorporated September 20, 1899, with Robert Freeman, president; M. X. Sisson, vice-president ; N. E. Hagen, secretary; W. G. Freeman, treasurer, and C. H. Howe, N. O. Nelson, and J. J. Anderson, directors. Nic Siverling was engaged as buttermaker and the creamery began to take in milk on New Year's day, 1900. W. G. Freeman is now the president and N. O. Nelson the secretary. The patrons of this creamery own about 550 cows. Last year 1,057,994 pounds of milk and .47,846 pounds of cream were received. The butter made amounted to some 57,029 pounds, which was sold at $16,905.58.
Freeborn Creamery Association. During the fall of 1892, considerable sentiment in favor of establishing a creamery in Freeborn was created by D. U. Richards, and a meeting was called at the school house on October 11, over which F. M. Snyder presided. At this meeting the Freeborn Dairy Association was organized with a capital stock of $4,500. The first officers elected were L. T. Scott, president; Mrs. Mary Aldrich, vice-president ; D. U. Richards, secretary; M. D. Hawser, treasurer, and W. H. Miller, Andrew Peterson, Charles Derby, F. M. Snyder and Herman Raforth, directors. The directors were instructed to locate a site for the new creamery. Work on the building was begun in November and the creamery opened operations early the following March with D. U. Richards as general manager, secretary and buttermaker. This association was succeeded by the Freeborn Creamery Company.
Freeborn Creamery Company. The Freeborn Creamery Com- pany was organized in Freeborn township, and incorporated
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
January 21, 1905. The following men comprised the officers of the organization: W. A. Brooks, president; E. J. Hallum, vice- president; E. M. Snyder, secretary and manager; C. A. Peters, treasurer. At different periods since the opening of this creamery W. A. Brooks, C. H. Derby and G. P. Lattin have served as president, while others who have been prominently identified with the growth of the concern are W. H. Miller, Peter Jacobson, H. G. Huntze, together with many whose names do not here appear. This creamery has carried on a flourishing business since it opened and its annual make of butter varies from 125,000 to 150,000 pounds. The present officers of this enterprising organ- ization are: G. P. Lattin, president ; F. M. Snyder, secretary and manager; S. A. Beach, vice-president, and P. A. Stensrud, treasurer. This company succeeded the Freeborn Creamery Association, and uses the building erected by that association, a cement floor, however, having been put in. The patrons own about 900 cows. A few items from the last annual report are as follows: Milk received, 415,996 pounds; cream received, 413,300 pounds ; paid to patrons for milk and cream, $38,834.77 ; received for butter, $43,054.92 ; paid patrons for milk and cream, $38,834.77.
Geneva Creamery Association. Early in 1891, a series of meetings were held in the Monarch school house east of the village of Geneva, which resulted in the organization, on Febru- ary 9, of the Geneva Creamery Association. Ira M. Sawyer was made president of this organization, Alexander Scott vice-presi- dent, M. J. Quinn secretary, George Goodnature treasurer, and B. H. Conklin, Michael Quinn and Rasmus Olson, directors. The board of directors was instructed to borrow $3,000 for the erection of a suitable building and equipment and by the last of April the creamery commenced operations, with T. F. Linehan as butter- maker.
Oakland Creamery Association. In the fall of 1893 a great deal of interest was aroused in South Oakland in a creamery movement and a representative of Davis Rankin Company from Chicago was largely responsible for this agitation. A meeting was called at the home of John Murane and a committee appointed to interest the farmers in that vicinity in this enterprise. The location selected for the erection of this creamery building was about three miles northeast from the present site, but as not enough subscribers could be secured from the district tributary to this the project was temporarily abandoned. The representative from the Chicago firm took the same list and secured signers in the district further west and when a meeting was called the new signers outvoted the old with the result that the creamery was located a considerable distance from the site originally decided on, so far in fact that some of the first signers never patronized the
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
association. The building was completed and F. E. Wilson engaged as buttermaker and the first milk received in the spring of 1894. For a time butter and skim milk cheese were manu- factured, but as there was no market for cheese, cheese making was soon abandoned. Since the creamery was erected many improvements have been made in the building. New machinery and equipment has been added, a new stone floor has been put in, and a new boiler and engine churn and cream vat have been installed. The excellent business done is shown in the following items taken from the last annual report: Milk received, 666,739 pounds; cream received, 154,454 pounds; butter made from milk and cream, 78,335 pounds; paid patrons for milk and cream, $20,957.13; total received for butter during the year, $23,194.52. The patrons of this creamery own about 430 cows. Daniel Casey is the president and C. A. Rasmussen the secretary.
Glenville Creamery Association. At a meeting of the farmers and business men of Glenville and the adjoining country, on Octo- ber 18, 1890, the Glenville Dairy Association was formed. Among the principal workers for this movement were O. M. Nelson and D. U. Richards, to whom much credit is due for their untiring efforts. At first there were but nine stockholders who were willing to venture as much as $50 in the undertaking. These were William Nelson, C. M. Nelson, John Kalstad, D. U. Richard, Nicholas P. Nelson, William Marpe, Even Nelson, Andrew Larson and George Gilbert. The building was commenced in November, 1890, and completed and opened for business the following January. The first officers were: O. M. Nelson, president ; J. E. Barron, vice-president; William Nelson, treasurer; A. W. Trow, secretary, and the board of directors comprised the following members: James Peterson, John Kalstad, William Marpe, E. W. Gleason and Joe Christianson. The first. separator was installed in March, and since the fourteenth day of that month in 1891, there has been steady work going on in this flourishing organiza- tion. The president is E. W. Gleason and the secretary is Henry Houg. The patrons own about 1,000 cows. A few items from the last annual report are as follows: Milk received, 1,408,969 pounds; cream received, 201,747 pounds; total butter manufac- tured, 121,550 pounds ; paid patrons, $37,166.05; total received for year, $37,186.74. In addition to the officers mentioned, A. W. Abbott is vice-president and A. H. Bender, treasurer. N. C. Siverling is buttermaker. The directors are: Joseph Chrs, George Quam and S. P. Nelson. In 1902 this concern erected a new modern brick building at a cost of $9,700.00.
Geneva Village Creamery Association. Soon after the Clarks Grove Creamery was organized in 1890, it was seen that Geneva village was a desirable point for a creamery or skimming station,
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
and several ineffectual attempts were made to establish one in this village. Owing to disagreement as to location and because of a cheese factory already in operation, no definite action was taken. Early in 1894, more than three years after the first agitation, the movement was again started and this time several preliminary meetings were held and it was decided to organize as soon as 500 cows would be pledged and several men canvassed the district with lists. A meeting was called in the village of Geneva February 15, 1894, and the Creamery Association, formed with forty-four patrons and 487 cows pledged. The location of the building was agreed upon and the following officers elected : A. N. Jensen, president; C. B. Wheeler, vice-president; L. P. Lawson, secretary ; Jay E. Jones, treasurer ; L. Frederickson, Nels Lawson and Eber Randall, directors. The constitution and by-laws of the Berlin Summit Creamery with but few amendments were adopted and later the board met and decided on the building to be erected. On April 11, 1894, the machinery was set in motion and the creamery began to receive milk, with W. C. Lawson occupying the position of buttermaker. A. N. Jensen resigned as president and John Nelson was elected to succeed him and served until 1901. Since that time A. N. Jensen has been elected and served as president. The present officers are: A. N. Jensen, president ; M. F. Jensen, vice-president ; L. P. Lawson, secretary ; A. S. Anderson, treasurer; G. H. Allis, R. M. Farr and H. C. Hanson, directors. The first patrons agreed to furnish the number of cows pledged until the plant should be paid for, and this pay- ment was made in 1906. It has been the policy of the association to deal impartially with all its patrons and at the present time there are about 108 patrons, owning about 1,200 cows. The first buttermaker, W. C. Lawson, served until 1902, and was succeeded by H. L. Ditterson, who was employed by the association from 1902 until 1908. The present buttermaker, F. J. Kassube, is well fitted for the work in which he is engaged and gives general satisfaction to the creamery association. The total receipts from the butter sold the first year that the creamery was in operation amounted to $15,266.49, and the patrons were paid $13,158.24. For the year of 1910 the total receipts for butter sold were $71,640.77, and the patrons were paid $66,270.82. During the seventeen years that the creamery has been in operation patrons of the institution have been paid a total of $671,300. The old plant was replaced by a new brick building in the latter part of the year of 1910, which cost $8,000, and which is a building of which the association is justly proud. The first secretary of the organization is still serving and his intelligence and enterprise have had much to do with the success of the association, in fact all who are connected with the creamery are to be congratulated
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
on the high standard which the organization has attained. In 1910, the milk received amounted to 3,343,540 pounds, and the cream received amounted to 311,121 pounds. The total pounds of butter made during the year was 243,500 pounds.
Banner Co-Operative Creamery Association. The Banner Co-Operative Creamery Association of Oakland township was organized February 16, 1898. There had been a meeting the previous week, and N. N. Earl was chosen president of the prospective association, W. F. Hatch vice-president, Abe Newell secretary, A. Young treasurer, and O. O. Ofstun, W. Torrens and Charles Knudson, directors. About ten years prior to this time, a cheese factory had been erected and equipped in Oakland town- ship, but as this industry proved unprofitable the factory stood idle for several years and was purchased by the new creamery association, and remodeled and an entirely new equipment installed. The first milk was hauled to this creamery April 15, L. W. Comstock being engaged as buttermaker. The patrons of this creamery own about 350 cows. The president is C. R. Knudson and the secretary L. O. Ofstun. The following items appear on the last annual report : Milk received, 1,343,775 pounds ; cream received, 18,376 pounds; butter made, 62,146 pounds ; paid patrons, $16,505; received for butter during the year, $18,521.60.
Hartland Creamery Association. The Hartland Creamery Association was organized on the combined stock and co-operative plan, at Hartland village, January 20, 1891, with J. C. Sibelrud president; A. J. Stensvad, vice-president ; J. W. Donovan, secre- tary ; B. W. Nolan, treasurer, and F. D. Drake, Ellef Anderson and Thomas Donovan, directors. The new creamery association leased a tract of land east of the depot of W. A. Morin and erected a creamery building early in the spring. For a time during the summer months the association found the creamery business rather difficult work and in November a special meeting was called to consider the advisability of closing until spring, but it was decided to continue operations and run the plant through the winter. Mr. Burr was employed in the capacity of buttermaker during the first year the creamery was operated. In the forenoon of December 2, 1895, the Hartland Creamery was destroyed by fire. The insurance of $1,100 was settled and a few days later the stockholders met and decided to rebuild and a committee con- sisting of A. J. Stensvad, B. W. Nolan, Ole J. Peterson, C. J. Lynne and Louis Knutson were instructed to inspect the Man- chester and other creameries and secure plans. A new building was erected during the winter and by the following February all the capital stock had been paid in and the creamery had com- pletely recovered from its loss by fire and was out of debt. The
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
last annual report contains the following items: Milk received, 28,460 pounds ; cream received, 437,026 pounds ; total pounds of. butter made, 134,285 pounds ; received for butter, $40,018.91 ; paid patrons for milk and cream, $41,135.58. The president is A. O. Nelson and the secretary R. M. Olson. It is estimated that the patrons of this creamery own about 800 cows. The company plans to erect a new brick building in the spring.
The London Creamery. The London Butter and Cheese Com- pany was organized at the Goslee school house in London township April 27, 1886, with $1,500 capital stock. During the previous winter meetings had been held at the school house and among those who met with the farmers and urged the establishment of the cheese factory, was E. B. Williams, of Lansing, Minn. The first officers of the association were: J. H. Goslee, president ; P. Bump, vice-president; W. N. Goslee, treasurer; A. E. Johnson, secretary, and R. P. Davidson, F. L. Davis, P. Bump and John Roberts, directors. The board leased a piece of land of W. N. Goslee and erected a building. The factory began operations in the season of 1886. In the spring of 1894 the association entered into an arrangement with D. M. Jones, whereby the latter was to have the use of the building and plant free of charge for five years for operating a separator creamery. The new creamery began to take in milk in May, 1894, and the officers of the new management were: J. H. Goslee, president; Peter Nelson, vice- president ; George P. Meadowcroft, secretary ; P. Bump, treasurer ; Henry Lang, James Lang, R. P. Davidson and M. W. Stewart, directors.
North Star Creamery Association. This creamery association was organized in August, 1910, at a meeting held in the open air. The association was organized on the combined and co-operative stock company plan and its first officers were: H. O. Thompson, president; Ole O. Lee, vice-president ; S. B. Thornby, secretary ; H. H. Emmons, treasurer, and Alfred Emery, Ellef Evenson, H. N. Bergerson, James Sorenson, Lewis Larson, Ole I. Opdahl, S. L. Davidson, J. H. J. Seedorf and H. J. Schmidt, directors. The first building was burned May 25, 1899, and replaced nine days later. Previous to the forming of the North Star Creamery Association, L. H. Knutson started a small gathered cream factory at his farm, which he operated until 1890, and then disposed of some of the machinery to the new Creamery Association. A. O. Storvick was engaged as the first buttermaker.
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