 Western New York and the town of Cuba, in particular, have played a major role in the development of the cheese industry in the United States. In 1869, 1100 cheese plants were spread across the United States. Forty years later, almost that many dotted the crossroads of Western, Northern and Central New York, fueled by an abundance of dairy farms and an entrepreneurial spirit. It was the emergence of these small, local cheese factories throughout the region that made it possible for the early settlers of Western New York to move beyond near subsistence farming to an expanded dairy operation that would support their families. Along with the growth of cheese plants came the need for an orderly means to buy and sell cheese. Markets or exchanges, where buyers and sellers could meet and negotiate prices, began to emerge in Western New York as early as 1871. In the early 1900's, a cheese market began in the Kinney Hotel in Cuba. Each Wednesday for the next half-century, a few men met in the hotel to set the price for cheese throughout the United States and beyond for that week. Technological advances improved farming machinery, and farm agencies and associations taught farmers how to be more productive. At first, new technology and better farming practices worked to the farmer's advantage by increasing the size of his herd and production of milk. Over time, however, the small dairy farmer began to reach his capacity of production. By the end of the Second World War, the economics of the milk market had changed so that small farms with limited sized dairies could barely support farm families. Economics favored bigger farm operations with larger herds and dairies, ample land, and the ability to invest in the ever-increasing cost of technology. The number of dairy farms decreased rapidly as a result of these economic changes, and local cheese factories were replaced with larger regional plants with more sophisticated technology. By the middle of the twentieth century, the cheese industry had grown dramatically in Wisconsin at the expense of New York, and the cheese market in Cuba was replaced by a more active on in Plymouth, Wisconsin. By 1958, that Plymouth market moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin and became known as the National Cheese Exchange. The E. S. Moses and Sons Cheese Company operated a number of cheese factories in Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania during the 1930’s and 40’s. In 1943 this company merged with the Cuba Cheese Company, owned by the van Zwanenberg family forming the Cuba Cheese and Trading Co., later known as Cuba Cheese Inc. Mr. Edwin Moses became president of the company and remained in this position until the 1970’s and at this time became Chairman of the Board, until his death in early 1983. Nico van Zwanenberg followed Mr. Edwin Moses as president and stayed in this position until the sale of the Company to the H. P. Hood Co. in May of 1983. Mr. Francis Moses was also active in the company and served on its board of directors. Although not as much of an economic force as it was a century ago, the cheese industry is still essential to the community of Cuba. Empire Cheese, a subsidiary of Great Lakes Cheese Company, still operates a plant in Cuba and produces cheeses that have won national and international awards. The story of agricultural change in Western New York, brought about by ever-changing technology, is a fascinating one. To understand these changes that have so profoundly affected the region's rural economy, lifestyle, landscape and architecture is to see the unfolding of its history and our heritage. |