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Town of Montrose, WI. - The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the Paoli Co-Operative Creamery Company Plant, located in the Town of Montrose in Dane County, on the State Register of Historic Places. State Historic Preservation Officer Daina Penkiunas presents a certificate to Nic Mink who, with his wife Danika Laine, owns the creamery.

The Paoli Co-Operative Creamery Company Plant is as an example of a twentieth century creamery that processed and sold the goods of farmers in the surrounding area. The plant was a major player in Paoli’s agricultural industry, vital in keeping local farms afloat by providing members an assured market for their milk and milk products. Through the years, the Paoli Creamery plant was expanded to incorporate twentieth century advancements in processing, which enabled the development of specific products, including Swiss cheese, as well as space for larger equipment like bulk milk tanks.

When the Paoli Creamery was built circa 1925, co-operative creameries were common throughout Wisconsin and played an integral role in the state’s growth as “America’s Dairyland.” For approximately 60 years, the plant served as the primary processing facility for hundreds of local farmers. Under the umbrella of larger companies like Pabst Farms, local farmers continued to provide their unprocessed goods for profit. In Paoli, the creamery processed and sold the milk, cheese, and butter from local farmers, all of whom held an ownership stake in the business.

The State Register is Wisconsin's official list of state properties determined to be significant to Wisconsin's heritage. The State Historic Preservation Office at the Wisconsin Historical Society administers both the State Register and National Register in Wisconsin.

Additional information for the Paoli Creamery is available at

https://wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Property/HI4425

To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit: www.wisconsinhistory.org.

About the Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.