THERESA, Wis. – The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of Widmer’s Cheese Cellars in Theresa (Dodge County) on the State Register of Historic Places. The family-owned cheese factory is at 214 West Henni Street in Theresa. Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Amy Wyatt presented a certificate to Hannah Widmer, Penny Widmer and Megan Daniels.

The Widmer’s Cheese Cellars factory is significant for its association with the history of cheesemaking in Theresa and Dodge County. The business was established in 1922 and has been continuously owned and operated by four generations of Widmer family cheesemakers to the present day. Widmer’s Cheese Cellars is one of—if not the last—functioning example of a small, family owned and operated cheese factory in Dodge County which, after 1900, was a center of the industry in the state

Widmer’s Cheese Cellars has produced its flagship Brick cheese, which originated in Dodge County, using the same bricks in the same location since its establishment. Each generation carried the traditional cheesemaking recipes and methods forward while adapting the factory and the business to meet the needs and standards of ever-evolving markets. Each generation has lived in the apartment above the factory.

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 about Widmer’s Cheese Cellars is available at

https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Property/HI93649

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.