In 1894, T.S. Townsend, a successful dairy industry entrepreneur, established the first commercial cheese plant in Tillamook, Ore. He took 30 orders for cows from local farmers. Then he traveled to Portland, Ore. to purchase the cows and equipment necessary to establish a milk pool and run a cheese plant.

Townsend also hired Peter McIntosh, a Canadian cheesemaker experienced with the cheddaring process, who brought a recipe for cheddar cheese with him.

Building on History
Dairying in Tillamook County actually began long before T.S. Townsend set foot in the county. Back in 1854, several farmers banded together to build a two-masted schooner, dubbed the “Morning Star of Tillamook,” to transport their butter to Portland.

“The Morning Star,” which set sail for the first time in 1855, can still be seen on our label today. A replica of that ship can also be seen in front of our Visitor's Center.
 
McIntosh’s arrival did, however, mark a rapid expansion in cheesemaking in Tillamook County. His influence and skill soon earned him the title “Cheese King of the Coast.” In fact, he was so fine a cheesemaker, we still use his recipe to this day.

Early Achievements
It was not long before the local talented cheesemakers were recognized outside Oregon for their abilities. A cheese from the county won its first award in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair.

These early accolades helped our cheesemakers establish a reputation beyond the county and consistently earned them top honors in the dairy product contests at local agriculture shows and state fairs.

Formation of TCCA
Many small, independent cheese plants were established throughout the county. In 1909, 10 of those plants formed the Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) to control quality and to market the cheese from the county as a whole instead of from individual plants.

In the late 1940s, four of the larger independent plants merged. In partnership with TCCA, they built a large, centrally located plant north of the town of Tillamook. This plant is still part of our facility today.

By 1968 all of the smaller local cheese plants had consolidated into the large, central plant. This marked the beginning of our operations as a single cooperative.

The Visitor's Center
In the 1950s, a small cheese shop for visitors was added to the plant. In 1979, an expanded Visitor's Center was opened to the public, offering an observation area, an educational slide show, a museum, a deli and fudge counter, and an ice cream dipping counter.

Over the years, the facility has been expanded and redesigned to accommodate the nearly 1 million visitors that come to see us each year.

Constantly Improving
Many other improvements have been made to our cheese plant. Two of the most significant were the addition in 1990 of a new cheesemaking room and our transition to a new, fully automated cheddaring system, known as the “Cheddarmaster.” 

Part of the Community
Nearly all of our farmer-owners work, live and raise their families in or around Tillamook County. We understand that true success can only be achieved when we improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the communities in which we operate.