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Photograph

Widmer's Cheese Cellars — Milk Storage

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Description: After the milk is picked up at the farm, it is stored in tanks that hold up to 25,000 lbs. and is held at temperatures of 38 to 40 degrees.
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Widmer's Cheese Cellars — Pasturization

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Description: The milk is pasteurized for the first step in the cheesemaking process. Milk is heated to 161 degrees, held at that temperature for 15 seconds, and then co...
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Widmer's Cheese Cellars — Coagulation

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Description: Two men working in a vat that has been filled with pasteurized milk and to which rennet (an extract from a calf's stomach) has been added, which coagulates...
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Widmer's Cheese Cellars — Forming Brick Cheese

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Description: After the curds are leveled off in each form, they are turned so that each side of the Brick is pressed. During the course of the day, each form is turned ...
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Widmer's Cheese Cellars — Brick Cheese

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Description: Brick Cheese derives its name from the bricks used to press the curds.
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Widmer's Cheese Cellars — Salt Brine Tank

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Description: Cheesemakers remove loaves of Brick Cheese that have been floating in the salt brine tank for 14 hours.
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Widmer's Cheese Cellars — Packing

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Description: Each Brick Cheese is packed in an airtight bag. A machine draws all the air out of the bag and a clip is applied. By dipping each package in hot water, the...
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Widmer's Cheese Cellars — Curd Mill

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Description: The slabs of cheese are put through a curd mill, which makes the popular Cheddar Cheese Curds.
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Widmer's Cheese Cellars — Salting Cheese Curds

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Description: Salt is sprinkled on the newly cut cheese curds.
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Widmer's Cheese Cellars — Weighing Cheese Curds

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Description: The finished cheese curds are weighed and poured into forms to make a 40 pound block of cheese.
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Widmer's Cheese Cellars — Exterior Grounds

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Description: In 2004, Widmer's added 3500 sq. feet, which includes packaging, cold storage, loading dock, office and bathroom facilities. Pictured here is Widmer's CEO ...
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Widmer's Cheese Cellars — Packaging Room

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Description: CEO Joe Widmer stands in the newly added area used for cheese packaging.
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Widmer's Cheese Cellars — Cold Storage Room

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Description: CEO Joe Widmer stand in the 40-degree cold storage room where Widmer's ages their award winning Cheddar, Brick, and Colby Cheese.
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Brick Cheese at Widmer Cheese

Date: 09 28 1948
Description: "John O. Widmer shows visitors from Nebraska what Brick Cheese looks like."
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Widmer Cheese Employees

Date: 08 1979
Description: "Widmer Cheese employees. Front; Pat Geschke, Harvey Kamrath, Joe- John- Ralph- Jim Widmer."
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Widmer Cheese Factory Interview

Date: 10 1990
Description: "Mike Jacobs of Milwaukee Journal TV4 interviews Ralph Widmer."
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Widmer Cheese Factory

Date: 02 02 1993
Description: "Tour guide, Ralph Widmer, displays a Swiss cow bell to visiting AFS students at Widmer's Cheese Factory. Students were from Thailand, Yugoslavia, Germany,...
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Widmer's Cheese Cellars

Date: 02 1995
Description: Janet Wendling and Marilyn Zingsheim package brick cheese at Widmer Cheese.
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Mayville Audubon Days

Date: 10 1996
Description: "Mayville Audubon Days bike riders from Ft. Atkinson take a break at Widmer's Cheese."
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Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker

Date: 04 1998
Description: "In ceremonies at Madison, Joe Widmer was named a Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker. His mentor was his uncle, Ralph Widmer."

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