"THE BIG CHEESE, 1866"
N 43° 01.792 W 080° 51.393
17T E 511686 N 4764141
An Ontario Historical Plaque located on the grounds of the Elm Hurst Inn, in Ingersoll Ontario.
Waymark Code: WMTJ1C
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 11/27/2016
Views: 9
Lydia Chase Ranney and her assistant began making cheese locally in the mid-19th century. Ranney shared her knowledge with her son-in-law James Harris, and in 1865 he established Ingersoll's first co-operative cheese factory on this property. To stimulate international interest, specifically in the lucrative British market, local cheese factory owners and entrepreneurs created the Ingersoll Cheese Manufacturing Company of Oxford to produce a mammoth wheel of cheddar cheese, here in 1866. Facey, the head cheesemaker, used 7,778 imperial gallons, (35 metric tonnes) of milk to make the 7,300 pound (3,311 kilogram) round of cheese. It was made in eight days and cured for three months in a specially built shed. In August 1866, the 'Big Cheese', was transported on a modified wagon by six horses to the train station in Ingersoll. It was exhibited at the New York State Fair in Saratoga and then shipped to England where it was bought by a Liverpool merchant. The 'Big Cheese' helped establish Oxford County as the birthplace of Canada's commercial cheese industry.
Address or location of plaque: 415 Harris Street Ingersoll Ontario.
Physical location of plaque: Town
"Ontario Plaques" Website for this "Plaque": [Web Link]
Description of any physical remains at site of "Historical Plaque": The cheese factory mentioned on the plaque no longer exists
This 'Plaque' describes: Other
Condition of sign: Brand New
Is this a bilingual sign?: Yes !
What is the second/third language?: French
A web-site for more details.: Not listed
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