The township of Dereham may claim to have introduced to Canada the making of cheese as an article of merchandise. Following the plan of Herkimer and other American sections, the people of Dereham adopted the factory system. The mammoth cheese, a feature of England's great exhibition, was made in Dereham by Mr. Ranney.

In 1875 according to the Atlas of Walker and Miles, Oxford County boasted the following production:

The Tavistock Cheese and Butter Company dates back to 1896. The original plant was built over seventy years ago by Wm. Gillard, who later so ld it to Thomas Ballantyne and A.T. Bell. In the Graphic of 1905 we read:
"The firm of Ballantyne and Bell, of which Mr. Ballantyne, sen. and Mr. A.T. Bell are members, is an enterpri sing concern in Tavistock. This firm manufactures cheese and butter, which are sold in many parts of the land. Mr. Ballantyne attends to the cheese, while Mr. Bell has the management of the other part of the business. Cheese is made for six months of the year and butter making is carried on throughout the winter, commencing November 1 of each year, until May 1, when cheese making is resumed. The firm also pay a good price for cheese and butter according to the percentage of fat, shown by the Babcock test in milk, adding 2% to the readings for cheese. The whey is fed to hogs, whose pens are located a considerable distance from the factory."

They had the first dairy school in Ontario and subsequently Mr. Bell ac ted as cheese instructor at the Dairy School, Guelph, for the first three terms in the Winter seasons of its existence. He has been at the business for thirty-four years and is therefore thoroughly acquainted with all its details.

Through the courtesy of Manager Robert Quehl two old account books were made available, from which we find that the Tavistock Cheese Factory was already in operation in 1884 as a private concern. T. Ballantyne, on May 12, bought 12 boxes, 686 pounds, at 12- 1/2¢ per box for $85.75, and after deducting a commission of 2-1/10¢ per lb. for manufacturing, turned over to the patrons $71.35.

It seems that Thomas Ballantyne was the chief buyer throughout these years, later listed as Ballantyne and Bell, and Ballantyne and Sons. Patrons likewise bought their cheese direct, usually that made the previous month. Among the merchants who sold Tavistock cheese were:
1884 - Krug and Falk, Kalbfleisch and Schaefer, W. Gillard, J. Loth;
1885 - Fred Krug, C.A. Bean, W. Gillard,
- Kalbfleisch and Schaefer, Levi Wildfang
1889 - Otto Jung appears with the others
1890 - Fred Krug continues to buy about 73 pounds monthly
1893 - Valentine Stock's name appears first and continues along with Fred Krug's with monthly purchases
1898 - E. & L. Morlock buy 43 pounds at 8¢ per lb.
1902 - Peppler Bros. buy 51 pounds at 11-1/4¢ per lb.
- and Gideon Lippert 43.

In the larger Patron's Account Book, the alphabetical pages contain the names of 264 patrons with the cheese they bought and the monthly cheques they received from May to September, for the milk they supplied, or hauled, for other patrons. From 1890 to 1897 the patrons came and went, very few being suppliers throughout the whole time. Two of the persisting accounts are interesting:

The rise and fall in amounts is due not to lower production and lower sales but to a drop in price from as high as 12-1/2¢ in 1886 to as low as 7-1/2 in 1896. The law of supply and demand no doubt was operating.

From 1910-1917, the business was managed by Timothy O'Flynn, who had previously operated the German Union Cheese Factory, 5 miles to the east. David Armstrong followed in 1917-1920.

Then it was taken over by a group of farmers who bought shares and elected Board of Directors from their share-holders, who in turn hired a manager to run the business for them. In 1922 they adopted the name of Tavistock Cheese and Butter Company Limited. The late Henry J. Neeb was manager for the next twenty years. The factory became a leader in its field and Mr. Neeb and his staff won many prizes in Cheese and butter competitions.

On the night of July 9, 1938 fire destroyed the original frame structure. With little delay, the company rebuilt, putting up a modern brick building. On January 11, 1946, a banquet was held in the factory to mark the 25th Anniversary of the company. The mortgage on the new plant was burned to symbolize the retirement of the capital debt.

THE OLD AND THE NEW
Above: The original plant which was razed in July 1938.
Below: The New plant as it presently appears in 1968.

In 1947 Tom Kaufman took over Mr. Neeb's duties, after serving under him for many years. He stayed until December 1965. ln that year the company paid out $237 378 to it farmer patrons for milk and cream and hare benefits. Production reached 389,062 pounds of butter and 169,603 pounds of cheese. The making of the latter was discontinued about 1954.

In December 1965, the Tavistock Cheese and Butter Company Lim i ted and the German Union Cheese Manufacturing Company voted to join forces, with all operations to take place in the Tavistock plant. New equipment, with some salvaged from the latter plant, had to be installed, and the making of cheese was resumed. The new manager is Robert Quehl.

His staff of helpers include: Walter Brodrecht, Lome Yausie, Leon Bender. Calvin Schwartzentruber, Cecil Bender, John Lichti, Duane Roi. Mrs. Quehl assists her husband and stall three days a week.

It seems that modernization costs, loss of patrons to bulk milk markets, the problem of waste disposal and trained staff has brought about 70 amalgamations since 1954 involving some 150 factories in Ontario.

The Cassel Cheese and Butter Manufacturing Association was invited to amalgamate, but decided to remain independent. In late 1967 the necessity of major repairs to the boiler with out-of-range costs for replacement forced the patrons into an agreement to have their milk processed at the Tavistock plant.

The officers of the company for till' current year are:
   President: Percy J . Wettlaufer
   Vice-president: Fred Schlotzhauer
   Directors: Clayton Heinbuch, Harold Junker.
   Elmer Wilker, Omer Wagler, David Lichti, Russell Green, Walter Blum
   Secretary treasurer: Robert Rudy

For the year 1969 Mr. Rudy predicts the firm will do $I-I /4 millions of business. An extension of 30x50 feet is being built to the rear. This will provide facilities in the factory for handling up to 88,000 pounds of milk per day for the manufacture of cheese and butter in a year-round production.

This is a fine example of the second and third generation carrying out the ideals of initiative. courage and industry that marked the early settlers of this area.

In May 1968 a sewage line is to be built from the factory to Woodstock Street to take care of the sewage problem.