Randy Chandler
Tillamook cheese is made in Tillamook, Oregon, at the Tillamook Cheese Factory, the original production facility of the Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA). The TCCA is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative that manufactures and sells dairy products under the Tillamook brand name. The Tillamook Cheese Factory is a popular tourist destination, with over a million visitors each year. The TCCA also operates a second cheesemaking facility in Boardman, Oregon, which can produce up to 170 million pounds of cheese per year.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Tillamook, Oregon, United States |
| Original Factory Address | 4165 U.S. 101 North in Tillamook, Oregon |
| Year Established | 1893 or 1894 |
| Founders | Thaddeus “T.S.” Townsend and Harry Ogden |
| Head Office | Headquartered in Tillamook County, Oregon |
| No. of Employees | Nearly 900 |
| No. of Dairy Farms | Nearly 60 |
| Production Capacity | 170,000 pounds of cheese daily, 170 million pounds of cheese per year |
| Products | Cheese, ice cream, butter, sour cream, yogurt, cream cheese spreads |
| Sales | $1 billion in 2021 |
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What You'll Learn
Tillamook Cheese Factory
The Tillamook Cheese Factory, located at 4165 U.S. 101 North in Tillamook, Oregon, is the original cheese production facility of the Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA). The TCCA is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative that manufactures and sells dairy products under the "Tillamook" brand name. The Tillamook Cheese Factory is a popular tourist destination, attracting over 1.3 million visitors annually.
The story of cheese in Tillamook began in the mid-19th century when thousands of EuroAmericans travelled to the Pacific Northwest over the Oregon Trail. The Tillamook Valley was ideal for dairy farming, but transporting milk and butter over the surrounding mountains was challenging. In 1854, local farmers built a schooner named the Morning Star to transport butter to Portland, Oregon. A replica of the Morning Star is now on display at the Tillamook Cheese Factory, featuring as part of the co-op's logo.
In 1893, Portland entrepreneurs Thaddeus "T.S." Townsend and Harry Ogden, started a cheese factory in Tillamook. Townsend brought dozens of cattle to Tillamook to supply the milk needed for the factory and hired Peter Duncan McIntosh, a head cheesemaker from Washington, to lead the factory. McIntosh provided Tillamook dairy farmers with a recipe for cheddar cheese and eventually owned several cheese factories in the area.
The Tillamook County Creamery Association was founded in 1909 by several of the region's cheesemakers as a marketing organisation representing independent member-producers. In 1946, the cooperative began producing rindless cheese, and bottled milk the following year. After World War II, the four largest independent cheese plants in the Tillamook area merged to form the Tillamook Cheese and Dairy Association (TCDA), which built a state-of-the-art cheesemaking plant that opened in 1949.
Today, the Tillamook Cheese Factory offers self-guided and self-paced tours, augmented by video presentations and interactive kiosks. Visitors can learn about the cheesemaking process, cheese packaging process, and ice cream-making process from a viewing gallery over the main production floor. The Tillamook Cheese Factory produces more than 170,000 pounds of cheese daily and packages approximately one million pounds on-site each week. The factory also has a visitor centre, the Tillamook Creamery, which offers guided tours, cheese and ice cream tastings, and other fun activities.
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Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA)
The Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative headquartered in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. The association manufactures and sells dairy products under the "Tillamook" brand name. Its main facility is the Tillamook Creamery, located two miles north of the city of Tillamook on U.S. Route 101.
The Tillamook Valley was ideal for dairy farming in the mid-19th century, but transporting milk and butter over the surrounding mountains was challenging. In 1854, several farmers from the county built a schooner named the Morning Star to transport butter to Portland, Oregon. The schooner is now featured as part of the co-op's logo, and a replica is on display at The Tillamook Cheese Factory. In 1894, Peter McIntosh and T. S. Townsend established the county's first cheese factory. The association was founded by ten independent creameries in 1909.
TCCA hired an ad agency and began campaigning in 1917 in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland. Under secretary-manager George R. Lawson, the cooperative began producing rindless cheese in 1946 and bottled milk the following year. After World War II, the four largest independent cheese plants in the Tillamook area—Holstein, Tillamook, Mapleleaf, and Cloverleaf—merged to form the Tillamook Cheese and Dairy Association (TCDA). The TCDA built a large, state-of-the-art cheese-making plant, which opened in 1949 and quickly became a popular stopover for travellers driving on Highway 101.
The Tillamook Cheese Factory is the Tillamook County Creamery Association's original cheese production facility. The factory also has a visitor centre, the Tillamook Creamery, and hosts over 1.3 million tourists annually. Visitors can learn about the cheesemaking, cheese packaging, and ice cream-making processes from a viewing gallery over the main production floor. The Tillamook Cheese Factory produces more than 170,000 pounds of cheese daily and packages approximately one million pounds on-site each week.
TCCA employs nearly 900 people in Oregon and is the largest employer in Tillamook County. The brand is strongest on the West Coast but sells in all 50 states. It routinely wins awards from the American Cheese Society and other groups. The cooperative includes nearly 60 dairy farms, mostly within Tillamook County. The cooperative markets several processed dairy products, including cheese, ice cream, butter, sour cream, and yogurt, some of which are manufactured by the cooperative itself, and other products produced under licensing agreements with various partner companies. Their most notable product is Tillamook cheese, including the most popular cheese: Tillamook Cheddar.
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History of cheese in Tillamook
Tillamook cheese is made in Tillamook, Oregon, in the United States. The history of cheese in the region goes back to the early 1850s when the first dairy cows were brought into the Tillamook Valley. The mild climate and year-round green grass made the valley prime grazing ground for cattle. However, the valley was isolated from the main settlements, making it challenging to transport dairy products to market. As a result, early dairy farmers focused on producing butter, which had a longer shelf life than fresh milk.
Some settlers in the Tillamook Valley experimented with cheese-making, but it was not until 1889 that Merriman Folen and Bob Richards made the first attempt at commercial cheese production. In 1893, Portland entrepreneurs Thaddeus "T.S." Townsend and Harry Ogden started a cheese factory in Tillamook, hiring Peter Duncan McIntosh, a Canadian cheesemaker with expertise in cheddar, as head cheesemaker. McIntosh provided Tillamook dairy farmers with a reliable recipe for cheddar cheese, and cheese-making in the region began to flourish.
In 1909, several cheesemakers in the region formed the Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA), a marketing organisation that established consistent quality and standards for its member-producers. With the completion of a railroad connection to Tillamook in 1911, Tillamook cheese became available in cities along the West Coast. The production and sales of Tillamook Cheese grew rapidly in the early 20th century, boosted by government contracts during both world wars. By 1940, over a dozen independent cheese factories were operating in the Tillamook region, all producing cheese for the TCCA's Tillamook brand.
After World War II, the four largest independent cheese plants in the area—Holstein, Tillamook, Mapleleaf, and Cloverleaf—merged to form the Tillamook Cheese and Dairy Association (TCDA). The TCDA opened a modern cheesemaking plant in 1949, which became a popular tourist destination. Today, the Tillamook Cheese factory continues to be a major attraction, drawing nearly a million visitors each year. The Tillamook County Creamery Association remains a farmer-owned cooperative, with its headquarters, ownership, and heritage rooted in Tillamook, Oregon.
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Tillamook Cheddar
The history of cheese in Tillamook began during the mid-19th century when thousands of Euro-Americans travelled to the Pacific Northwest over the Oregon Trail. The town of Tillamook, located near Tillamook Bay on the north Oregon Coast, became a popular settlement for those who found that most of the land in the Willamette Valley had already been claimed. In 1893, Portland entrepreneurs Thaddeus "T.S." Townsend and Harry Ogden, recognising the region's potential for dairy production, started a cheese factory in Tillamook. Townsend brought dozens of cattle to Tillamook to ensure a steady supply of milk for the factory and hired Peter Duncan McIntosh, a skilled cheesemaker, to lead the operation. McIntosh is credited with providing Tillamook dairy farmers with a foolproof recipe for cheddar cheese.
In 1909, several cheesemakers in the region formed the TCCA as a marketing organisation representing independent member-producers. The association was founded by ten independent creameries and set out to establish a collective standard of quality and consistency for its products. The TCCA began producing rindless cheese in 1946 and bottled milk the following year. After World War II, the four largest independent cheese plants in the Tillamook area—Holstein, Tillamook, Mapleleaf, and Cloverleaf—merged to form the Tillamook Cheese and Dairy Association (TCDA). The TCDA built a state-of-the-art cheesemaking plant that opened in 1949 and quickly became a popular tourist destination.
Today, the Tillamook Cheese Factory produces more than 170,000 pounds of cheese daily and packages approximately one million pounds on-site each week. The TCCA has expanded its operations over the years, opening a second cheesemaking facility in Boardman, Oregon, in 2001, and more recently, an ice cream manufacturing plant in Decatur, Illinois. The TCCA markets a range of processed dairy products, including cheese, ice cream, butter, sour cream, and yogurt, and its products are sold throughout the United States. The brand is particularly strong on the West Coast and routinely wins awards from the American Cheese Society and other groups.
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Tillamook Cheese and Dairy Association (TCDA)
Tillamook Cheese has been a staple in Oregon for over a hundred years. Generations of dairy farmers and cheesemakers have contributed to the success and economic prosperity of the Tillamook Cheese and Dairy Association (TCDA). The story of Tillamook Cheese began in the mid-19th century when Euro-American settlers travelled to the Pacific Northwest over the Oregon Trail. The Tillamook Valley was ideal for dairy farming, but transporting milk and butter over the surrounding mountains was challenging. In 1854, local farmers built a schooner called the Morning Star to transport butter to Portland, Oregon. This schooner is now featured in the co-op's logo and a replica can be seen at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.
In 1893, Portland entrepreneurs Thaddeus "T.S." Townsend and Harry Ogden, recognising the region's potential for dairy production, started a cheese factory in Tillamook. Townsend brought dozens of cattle to Tillamook to ensure a steady supply of milk for the factory, and he hired Peter Duncan McIntosh, a master cheesemaker from Washington, to lead the operation. McIntosh provided Tillamook dairy farmers with a foolproof recipe for cheddar cheese, which became the region's most popular product.
In 1909, several cheesemakers in the region formed the Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA), a farmer-owned cooperative that marketed cheese on behalf of its independent producers. The TCCA developed a collective standard of quality and consistency, ensuring that all Tillamook cheese products met the same high standards. The cooperative includes nearly 60 dairy farms, mostly within Tillamook County, and markets a range of processed dairy products, including cheese, ice cream, butter, sour cream, and yogurt.
After World War II, the four largest independent cheese plants in the Tillamook area—Holstein, Tillamook, Mapleleaf, and Cloverleaf—merged to form the TCDA. The association built a state-of-the-art cheese-making plant that opened in 1949 and quickly became a popular tourist destination. In the 1960s, however, a bitter dispute over the marketing of Grade A milk divided the TCDA and TCCA, pitting the region's dairy farmers and cheesemakers against each other.
Today, the Tillamook Cheese Factory in Tillamook, Oregon, is the original cheese production facility of the TCCA. The factory produces more than 170,000 pounds of cheese daily and packages approximately one million pounds on-site each week. The Tillamook brand has grown significantly, posting $1 billion in sales in 2021 and employing nearly 900 people in Oregon. While the majority of Tillamook cheese is still made in Tillamook and Boardman, Oregon, the company has expanded its operations to include industry partners outside of the state to meet growing consumer demand.
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Frequently asked questions
Tillamook cheese is made in Tillamook, Oregon, USA.
Yes, the Tillamook Cheese Factory is located at 4165 U.S. 101 North in Tillamook, Oregon. It is the original cheese production facility of the Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA). The factory also has a visitor centre, the Tillamook Creamery, which hosts over 1.3 million tourists annually.
Yes, tours of the Tillamook Cheese Factory are free and self-guided. Visitors can learn about the cheesemaking process, cheese packaging process, and the ice cream-making process from a viewing gallery over the main production floor.
The Tillamook Cheese Factory produces more than 170,000 pounds of cheese daily and packages approximately one million pounds on-site each week.
Tillamook cheese is also made at a second cheesemaking facility in Boardman, Oregon. This facility can produce up to 170 million pounds of cheese per year. Tillamook also has a manufacturing plant in Decatur, Illinois, dedicated solely to ice cream production.
