Cooksville Cheese Factory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cooksville Cheese Factory
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Cooksville Cheese Factory
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| Location | Evansville, Wisconsin |
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| Built | 1875 |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000395 |
| Added to NRHP | September 17, 1980 |
The Cooksville Cheese Factory in Evansville, Wisconsin is a really old building that helps us remember how Wisconsin became famous for its dairy products. This special factory was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, meaning it's an important part of history that should be protected.
Contents
The Cooksville Cheese Factory: A Look Back
How the Factory Started
Back in 1875, a man named Benjamin Hoxie had a great idea in Cooksville. He wanted to create a business where he could buy milk from local farmers. Then, he would use that milk to make delicious cheese.
This business was set up as an agricultural cooperative. This means the farmers who supplied the milk actually shared ownership of the factory. Mr. Hoxie was in charge of running the factory itself. This factory was quite big for its time! It could process milk from as many as 600 cows. However, the cheese-making business didn't last forever. The equipment used to make cheese was sold off in 1884.
What the Factory Looked Like
The Cooksville Cheese Factory is a simple building. It has two main floors and sits on a strong basement made of limestone. There's also a smaller, one-story section attached to the side.
The way the building was designed was very practical and useful. It didn't have a lot of fancy decorations. The only real decorative touches are some short "cornice returns." These are small, decorative parts at the top corners of the building, where the roof meets the walls.
More Than Just a Factory
Even though its main job was making cheese, the Cooksville Cheese Factory was also a busy place for people to meet. It was a "social hub" where farmers could gather and talk. It might have even been a meeting spot for a group called the Good Templars, which was a social organization.
By 1894, the building had a new purpose. It was no longer making cheese, but instead, it was being used as a place for people to live.
