| Additional Information: | HISTORICAL DATA:
OWNER DATE USE
Wisconsin Milk Condensing Co. 1889 Condensery
Anglo-Swiss Condensery 1899-1901 Condensery
Borden Condensery 1903-1927 Condensery
Phenix 1927 Swiss cheese manufacturing
Carl O. Marty c. 1927 Butter & cheese manufacturing
Borden, Lakeshire-Marty Div. 1938 Butter & cheese manufacturing
Warehouse
National Life Insurance Co. 1951 ???
Swiss Colony 1971-? Wholesale cheese warehouse,
storage, cutting and packaging
ARCHITETURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
South section, which is the oldest, is a good example of early industrial architecture. Later additions were very compatible. Features include: segmentally arched windows, elliptical fanlights, brick moldings.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
The Wisconsin Milk Condensing Co. is the first condensery in Wisconsin. E.C. Hamiltion, in THE STORY OF MONROE, writes:
The rising flood of milk found a new outlet in 1889 when the Wisconsin Milk Condensing Co. was organized in Monroe... prominent Monroe figures, including the Jacob Karlen Sr., Jacob Regez and Arabut Ludlow, were major stockholders... A two-story brick plant was built on the town's north side (the old south section of the former Borden building) and canned unsweetened condensed milk was produced for about ten years. (p. 114)
Undoubtedly this was part of an effort lead by Arabut Ludlow and other businessmen to encourage Swiss farmers and cheese makers to settle the area around Monroe, developing Monrow as the collection point for surplus milk, butter, and cheese rather than Madison. by 1925 Monroe was the foremsot shipping center for foreign-type cheese- Limburger, Swiss and brick in the nation. By this time, .80 percent of the country's foreign cheese was made in this area (Taylor, p. 10). By 1927 farmers deserted the condensery because of the rising cheese prices. In 1927 the building was purchased by Phenix of New York and machinery was added for producing Swiss cheese (Hamilton, p. 116).
In 1932, the Carl O. Marty Co. moved from its Cheese Row factory to this plant and until 1939 carried on its very successful butter and cheese manufacturing. This was a local firm founded in 1915 by Carl Marty, Sr., a native of Cnton Thurgau, Switzerland, and most beloved of all the early Swiss leaders of the "Swiss Colony of Wisconsin," as the Swiss region was called (Hamilton, p. 118). He retired in 1922 turning the firm over to his sons. This was one of the area's largest factories. More research may prove it to be the lagest.*
*Odell, p. 44-5 notes:
Carl Marty and Co., trade sloganed "The Cheese House of America," have the largest manufacturnig and storage plant in a single propery in Monroe. "Dutch Maid" is their trade brand in the manufacture of cream, Swiss, limburger, brick and American cheese and creamery butter. Aside from the products of their own manufacture they are extensive buyers with representation by distributors in all of the largest markets.
In July, 1929, the Marty company introduced cheese handling from factory to storage on shelves in portable racks by motor truck. These racks are rolled on skids into coolers without other handling. This does away with factory tubbing, untubbing at storage and retubbing for the trade. A cooperage department with Swiss cooper employed makes a distinctive tub bound with white oak bands, resembling in appearance the tubs used in Switzerland.
CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
Taylor explains (p. 38):
Borden purchased the Anglo-Swiss condensery plants in Morow and Dixon in 1903 and reopened the condesery here. The arrival of Borden had a saluatory influence in persuading farmers to cease their customary winter hiatus of milking as they let their cows dry up... New buildings were added as Borden succeeded in promoting more output by farmer suppliers, most of whom delivered their milk in daily wagonloads. The firm also insisted on increasingly higer quality mildk standards.
Also see Rosa Waelti Gruenewald THE STORY OF A DAIRY BARN, describing how her father came to build this demonstration barn at the suggestion of Borden, which offered plans and construction supervision. |
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| Bibliographic References: | E.C. Hamilton, THE STORY OF MONROE, (1976, Monroe, WI).
Mary Taylor, "An Intensive Architectural and Historical Survey of Green County," Dec. 5,1980, prepared for the Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission.
Emery Odell, SWISS CHEESE INDUSTRY, (1936, Monroe, WI). |
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