Redwood County, Minnesota - Chapter 29: Butter and Cheese Making, 1916

Being strictly an agricultural region, it is natural that Redwood county should number dairying among its most important industries. The pioneers kept a cow or two to supply the family table with milk and butter. The milk not used for drinking and cooking was placed in an earthenware crock or wooden bucket, until the cream rose, after which the cream was skimmed, and when a sufficient quantity, more or less soured was secured, was placed in an earthernware crock or wooden bucket, and stirred with a wooden paddle until the butter was formed. The butter was then salted, and sometimes colored, after which it was ready for household use, or to be traded at the stores for groceries and drygoods.

The estimates of the state statistician are available from 1869 to 1898. The statistics of 1869 and 1870 are of but little value for Redwood county comparisons, as the county then stretched far to the westward. In 1869 there were 4,925 pounds of butter made in Redwood county homes, and in 1870, the number of pounds made was 18,352.

The number of cows increased rapidly until 1878, when 2,104 were reported. In 1879 this dropped to 2,061, and then increased to 8,918 in 1898.

The production of butter in homes increased rapidly until 1877, when the pounds of butter produced was 159,505, while the cheese production was 1,719, and the number of cows was 1,787.

In 1878 the production of butter dropped to 127,124 pounds, with a cheese production of 5,050, and cows numbered at 2,104. There was then an increase to 1885, when some 324,958 pounds of butter were made in Redwood county homes, there being that year 3,866 cows in the county, and the cheese production being 11,005.

In 1890, the butter production was 287,640, creameries having by that time been established. That year there were 5,228 cows and the cheese production was 6,298. The statistics of 1898 show an increase in butter production to 860,077 pounds, while the cows numbered 8,918, and the cheese production was but 625 pounds.

The year 1878 was a big year for the production of cheese, the production that year being 5,050 pounds. The cows that year numbered 2,104, and the butter production was 127,124. There was then a decline in cheese making until the early eighties. The high tide of cheese making was reached in the middle eighties. In 1885, no less than 11,005 pounds of cheese were made in Redwood county. That year 324,958 pounds of butter were made. The cows numbered 3,866. There was a gradual decline in the industry in the late eighties and early nineties, and though about that time a cheese factory was established, it was not long maintained and cheese making in the homes declined until in 1898 only 625 pounds were made

Government reports on the dairy industry of Redwood county are available for the census years of 1870, 1880, 1890, 1900 and 1910. As already stated, in 1870, the county extended far beyond its present boundaries, and the figures for that year are of but little value for comparisons. It will be noted, too, that there is a decided difference between the figures of the census returns and the figures of the state statistician.

In 1880, there were 2,575 cows reported. About 405 pounds of milk was sold or sent to factories. The butter made on home farms amounted to 191,498 pounds, and the cheese made on home farms amounted to 3,820 pounds.

The census of 1890 showed 8,314 cows. The milk produced amounted to 2,535,603 pounds. The butter made amounted to 480,410 pounds, and the cheese made to 13,225 pounds.

In 1900 there were 2,054 farms reporting dairy products. The value of dairy products in the county was $217,618. The value of dairy products consumed on farms was $71,299. There were 4,417,896 gallons of milk produced and 1,526,687 gallons sold.

The gallons of cream sold amounted to 1,830. There were 638,477 pounds of butter made, and 380,960 pounds sold. There were 2,392 pounds of cheese made and 2,091 pounds sold.

The latest census figures available are those of 1910. There were 15,141 cows on farms reporting dairy products in Redwood county. There were 9,433 cows on farms reporting on milk produced. The milk produced on farms reporting was 3,062,169 gallons, of which 215,264 gallons were sold. The cream sold amounted to 54,562 pounds, and the butterfat sold amounted to 705,822. There were 415,143 pounds of butter produced, and 169,876 pounds sold. The value of dairy products excluding the home use of milk and cream was 343,067 and the receipts from dairy products sold was $282,798.

It will be seen that the early butter making in the county was confined to the home. In 1882, there was still much wild land, the county was just recovering from the ravages of the grasshoppers, the tide of immigration was toward the Dakotas where land could be homesteaded. The central part of Redwood county was still but thinly settled, and as land had to be purchased there, few settlers were coming in. There was still considerable speculation as to the future of the county. In that year, Col. McGlincy, of Elgin, 111., after speaking at the Redwood County Pair, said to a reporter of the St. Paul Pioneer Press:

"Prom my observation I find the county to be admirably adapted to dairy and stock purposes, possessing soil, water and grasses equal to any in the state. The record obtained at the State fair by this county for its display of grains and vegetables, for which it received the second premium, is an evidence of the productiveness of the soil and the enterprise of its farmer citizens. The county possesses natural drainage, surpassed by none and equalled by few, and being abundantly supplied with running water, it is pre-eminently adapted to this branch of husbandry. Its railroad facilities will enable the creamery man to get his products into market in excellent condition. With these and many other advantages which might be enumerated, it is surprising that some energetic creamery man has not located at Redwood Palls, where this business can be successfully prosecuted, and where it will be stimulated by the enterprising citizens of the town and vicinity. All that is necessary to make this business boom in Redwood county is immigration which will not be long wanting when the natural advantages of the county are made known abroad."

In 1887, two creameries were located in Redwood county, one at Lamberton, called the Hackley and Immil creamery, and the other at Redwood Palls, owned by A. P. McKinstry. At this time the crops in Redwood county were good; the creamery industry was new and the production was not large, yet, that which was produced was very good.

In 1889, there were three good sized creameries in Redwood county, one at Redwood Falls, under the name of the Redwood Creamery Co. ; the second at Lamberton, called the Lamberton Creamery Co. ; the third at Walnut Grove, called the Walnut Grove Creamery Co. As yet, there were no cheese factories reported in operation in Redwood county, although the creameries were showing good reports. Finally in 1891, a cheese factory was established at Redwood Falls by Charles Fleisher.

In 1898 there were fifteen creameries in Redwood county, all of the organizations were co-operative, and the creamery at Redwood Palls had 114 patrons ; at Revere, 76 patrons ; at Lamberton, 50 patrons ; at Morgan, 70 patrons ; at Sanborn, 60 patrons ; at Sundown, 173 patrons; at Westline, 33 patrons; at Logan, 41 patrons; at Bellview, 50 patrons; at Springfield, 82 patrons; at New Avon, 63 patrons; at Bellview 52 patrons; at Johnsonville (postoffice Logan), 29 patrons; at Granite Rock (postoffice Rock), 30 patrons ; at Walnut Grove, 40 patrons.

In 1901, there were twenty creameries in Redwood county, which placed Redwood among the seven counties having the largest number of creameries. Seventeen of the twenty creameries were co-operative and three were independent. There were 1,123 patrons which was equal comparatively to the best creamery counties. Over one million one hundred thousand pounds of butter were produced at a running expense of $4,862.27. The names and postoffices of the creameries were as follows: Delhi, Delhi; S. & W. Creamery Company, Sundown ; Logan, Logan ; Lamberton, Lamberton ; New Avon, New Avon ; Redwood Palls, Redwood Falls ; Rock Rock ; Sanborn, Sanborn ; Belleview, Belleview ; Sheridan, Seaf orth ; Revere, Revere ; Walnut Grove, Walnut Grove ; Waterbury, Lamberton ; Underwood, Ashf ord ; Morgan, Morgan ; Vesta, Vesta ; Wanda, Wanda ; Brookville, Evan ; Three Lakes, Morgan ; North Redwood, North Redwood.

For several years after this, the reports showed only sixteen or eighteen creameries in Redwood county, but the quality of the butter was very good. In 1908 it was a fact that Minnesota butter ranked the highest in quality in the markets of America. In national contests the buttermakers of the state had invariably won more prizes than the buttermakers of any other state in the Union. Minnesota creameries and cheese factories were famous for their excellence from a sanitary standpoint.

In Redwood county, in 1910, there were thirteen creameries, nine co-operative and four independent. There were 1411 patrons, 8,268 cows, and 1,109,663 pounds of butter made at a running expense of $26,596. In 1911, there were eight co-operative and five independent creameries, 1,669 patrons, 12,010 cows, and 1,151,- 863 pounds of butter produced at a running expense of $28,677. In 1912 there were seven co-operative and seven independent creameries, 1,834 patrons, 12,990 cows and 1,493,981 pounds of butter, made at a running expense of $35,394. In 1913 there were fourteen creameries, seven co-operative and seven independent. There were 1,815 patrons, 11,358 cows, 1,493,745 pounds of butter made at a runing expense of $35,781. This shows that for the same number of creameries, there were not as many patrons nor as many cows; that the production of butter was less and the expense greater than in 1912. Therefore in 1914 there were only twelve creameries, five co-operative and seven independent, 1,346 patrons and 9,913 cows The production of butter, 1,115,748 pounds was larger in proportion to the number of creameries ; the running expense of $25,459 was comparatively smaller. The butter produced is of a very good quality.

Minnesota has won ten of the twelve silk banners offered by the National Creamery Buttermakers' Association, at each of their conventions to the state whose average of the ten highest entries is the greatest.

This fact speaks for itself and shows that the state has a great future in the creamery industry. These banners have been won by the combined efforts of the dairymen and buttermakers in the state of Minnesota, in each county, and in each creamery.

In 1914 Redwood county ranked high in the creamery industry with a dozen fine creameries located there in the following places: Belview Creamery, Belview, ind. ; Brookville Dairy Association, Morgan, co-op. ; Clements Creamery Co., Clements, ind. ; Lamberton Creamery Co., Lamberton, stock ; Morgan Co-operative Creamery Association, Morgan, co-op.; North Redwood Co-operative Creamery, North Redwood, co-op. ; Revere Creamery, Revere, ind. ; Scenic City Creamery, Redwood Falls, ind. ; Vesta Creamery, Vesta, ind.; Wabasso Creamery Co., Wabasso, co-op.; Walnut Grove Creamery Co., Walnut Grove, ind. ; Consolidated Farmers' Co-operative Creamery, Wanda, co-op.