Grasshorn - Falk Creamery

Greenwood, Clark County, Wisconsin

April, 1911 The N.C. Foster Lumber Co. of Fairchild financially supported various businesses and industry within Clark county, as the following news article indicates one of those ventures, the Grasshorn - Falk Creamery.

The creamery which has been built by N.C. Foster Lumber Co. for Carl Grasshorn and J. W. Falk is now ready to take in milk as soon as a heater for warming the milk to the right temperature comes, and this is expected any day. A description of the building which is modeled after the most approved designs and is one of the largest in this section of the state, will be appreciated by local residents.

The entire building measures 32 x 76 feet on the outside and is two stories high, the upper rooms being 12 feet and the lower 14 feet ceilings. The second story, excepting the back part, which is a part of the cold storage and ice house, is fitted up in handsome style for living apartments, and here Mr. Falk, the resident owner and the one who will have charge of the creamery, and his wife are living.

Beginning at the east end of the building is the office in the north comer. This is 10 x 12 feet, and opens into a small storage room 12 x 14 feet. Passing through this, the visitor enters the creamery proper, where the milk is taken in on the north side. After being weighed and tested, the milk is run into a receiving vat, thence into a heating vat to get the proper temperature, thence into an Alpha separator which will run at 6,000 revolutions per minute. From here the milk goes to a tank from where a check pump operates out for the customers, giving each the entitled amount of milk. The weight of each customer's milk is recorded.

The make-up room has a churn capable of making 520 lbs. of butter at one churning. Other apparatus such as a Babcock tester, etc., are in that room. A splendid well of water, for which Clark county may justly said to be famous, is nearby to do its important .part of the work.

The engine room, 17 x 18 feet, is entered from the make-up room. It is equipped with an 18 horsepower boiler and a 14 horsepower steam engine which drives line shaft connecting with the machinery in the make-up room.

On the west end of the make-up room, which is 30 x 33 feet, is the cold storage room where several tons of butter may be stored if desired. The west end of the building is used for the house, the storage room being built into this.

Taken all together, the creamery is large, well- arranged and is built to care for 40,000 pounds of milk per day, though of course it is not expected that so large an amount will be received here for some time. The promoters realize that this is a new country, and that it takes time for farmers to become acquainted with the advantages of dairy ,farming enough to fit their arms to handle the largest possible number of cows. Yet they have the faith in the future of this section which warrants them in going to this expenditure and the laying of broad foundations for the future.

As a feeder of this creamery, the firm is putting up a skimming station at Fairchild, which will take milk from the farmers of that section and send it over on the Foster train each morning. This station will be in charge of R. C. Mason, who will move over as soon as he can get around to do so. Another station is already built at Morse's comers near Christie and will be in charge of C. Schreiber, who comes up from Beaver Dam, having been in Mr. Grasshorn's employ for several years past. Other stations will likely be put in as need for some is found and business will warrant.

With the improved creamery which Zetsche & Paulson will start soon, and the new creamery which Jenk's Brothers put in at Hoffman Comers last fall, the most hesitating farmer may feel confident of having a sure market for his milk within easy access. He may also feel confident of getting the highest price the market will afford, for, competition will be so close that any unfair dealing or too low a price will work disadvantageously to the concern doing so and give others the added patronage.

The Land of Milk and Honey

If there is one thing more than another that should convince the outside world that Clark county is fast becoming one of the foremost dairy sections of Wisconsin, the rapidity with which creameries and cheese factories are increasing should be sufficient prool The latest addition to this field is a new creamery to be built on the Robert Eggett farm in the town of Eaton on the road running north and south from the Shanks Chapel to C. W. Tidd's corner. Some thirty farmers of the Towns of Eaton and Loyal have duly organized and been incorporated as the Farmers Progressive Creamery Company. The shares of the stock are $7.50 each, there being 100 shares. This capital is intended to provide for the building. The machinery and other necessary equipment is to be provided by the buttermaker, who is also one of the thirty stockholders. The buttermaker is John Wuethrich who, it will be remembered, had charge of Mr. Gradhorn's creamery in Greenwood for a year or so. ' He is now at Doylestown, Wis. He has the advantage of being already well acquainted with this part of the country and with many of those who will be patrons of the creamery.

Works have already begun on the building, lumber, stone, etc., being drawn there this week. A well has been drilled. The building will be 28 x 60 feet, one-story high and a frame structure. The officers of the new company are: Geo Brown, president; Wm. Morgan, Vice-president: Albert Peterson, secretary: Fred Harmack, treasurer; Hiram Shields, Sidney Smith and Emil Wamke, directors. Three hundred cows have already been pledged and the factory is to be running by the first of April, if not sooner.  The articles of incorporation provide for the making of cheese as well as butter though only butter will be made at first.  (Both butter factories were located in Greenwood).

----Source: Greenwood Gleaner (Greenwood, Clark County, Wis.) 7 Sept. 1900

Gleanings

Carl Grasshorn was here the last of the week making arrangements for a separator creamery to be started early in the winter.

---Source: The Minneapolis Journal, 21 Mar 1901, Page 10

GREENWOOD--Ch. Kippenhan has started his shingle mill. As soon as the run of shingles is completed, the mill will be moved to the east side of the river, where a stave and heading mill will be operated. --All logging ooperations in this section have closed.--Carl Grasshorn and J. W. Falk have about completed preparations for the opening of their new creamery, April 1, 1901.