126 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



THE REASON FOR ELGIN'S SUPREMACY IN THE 

 BUTTER MARKET. 



BY JOSEPH NEWMAN, ELGIN, ILL. 



Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: — 



The Elgin district was first opened up by cheese factories, 

 which in time changed into butter and cheese factories, and 

 later into creameries. 



The first of these was at Richmond in 1866, opened up by 

 our old friend Dr. R. R. Stone, who saw the natural advantages 

 of the Fox River Valley and sent to Utica, N. Y. , hiring D. E. 

 Wood for his first cheesemaker, who later owned and operated 

 the Huntley factory. 



In 1867, Chas. W. Gould, another dairy pioneer, started 

 the home factory on his farm east of Elgin, then Wanzer, New- 

 man, Nolting and others, in rapid succession. These were later 

 all turned into butter and cheese factories or creameries. 



Thus commencing with Richmond on the north, it was not 

 long before the Fox River Valley was made famous for making 

 the finest cheese, and with Elgin in the very heart of the terri- 

 tory, it was very soon decided to go one step further 

 and let one butter maker do the work of all the far- 

 mers' wives, and by so doing get together a large quantity of 

 very fine butter ^Xijust alike. With this idea in view, and with 

 the name of Elgin well and favorably known for its watches 

 and other manufactures besides dairy products, the beginning of 

 butter making in a creamery commenced. This was in 1870, 

 when I. H. Wanzer, Dr. Jos. Tefft and others, constituting the 

 Elgin Butter Co. , built the factory on the west side of the river in 

 Elgin, and later followed by the Fountain Creamery east of Elgin 

 (where the writer received his early education in the practical 

 workings of the creamery, under the guidance of I. H. Wanzer), 



