| A History of STRUM and the TOWN OF UNITY by Roy Matson |
| THIS IS PAGE 44 | TABLE OF CONTENTS | PAGE BACK | PAGE FORWARD |
| Cost of the building was $2400.00. Gilbert Dahl and Christ Thompson were the contractors. During theses years a questionable change had taken place regarding cream delivery for the manufacture of good quality butter. Farmers had purchased individual milk separators permitting them to make deliveries at longer intervals and buttermakers were receiving cream that had soured far beyond redemption. Officers at the local creamery did little to change this practice and it continued even after the manufacture of cheese began about 1922 when daily deliveries of cooled milk were necessary. Manufacture of casein succeeded cheese about 1929 and judging by later happenings the directors were paying patrons too well during these years. A time of reckoning came in 1931. At a special meeting of new directors, Minor Goss, an Albion farmer, was elected manager. The depression was at its height (or low) and drastic measures were necessary. Minute books are not available but help was probably found in a lower price for milk and cream, plus lower wagers for the hired help. The manager obtained approval to switch from coal to wood as boiler fuel. One can imagine the critical farm economy when a great number of patrons were willing to deliver a 4’ by 8’ cord of wood at $2.50. Ten cords was the maximum allotment for each patron. Palmer A. Lee, later county treasurer, had been elected secretary and his first entry in the new minute book was dated February 19, 1934. Twenty-six cents was paid for butterfat in milk for the coming month. Goss mentioned later the figure was down to 16 cents within a couple of years, or about 56 cents per hundred pounds of 3.5% milk. A word about records, especially minute books, is in order. Without accurate records it is virtually impossible to reconstruct any reference, any story, in later years. Such books will be important to posterity and should have safe community depository where they will be available to future students. No records are available on which to base any report of creamery operations during 1932 and 1933, but beginning with the mentioned 1934 date, minutes of all annual, regular and special meetings of stockholders and directors are documented. Following Palmer A. Lee, E. N. Kleven, John Hammer, Melvin Christianson, John Alf and Simon Wold served as secretaries of the Unity Co-operative Creamery Co. All kept good records. Besides the acute economic depression throughout the nation, this part of the midwest underwent a severe drouth during the early part of 1934. No rain fell until June, dairy heard were decimated, hay was very scarce but enough moisture came in time to help a fair corn crop. The creamery paid 28 cents for butterfat in milk delivered in June. By 1935 the creamery had gone back to cheese manufacturing. The hired help had taken a real pay cut during the early 1930’s and records show Art Rosenbaum was given a raise to $75.00 per month as cheesemaker. Willard Gunderson was raised to $90.00 per month as buttermaker. The price of milk for May, 1935 was 28 cents, the highest in many months. By 1936 42 cents was paid for each pound of butterfat which would be $1.47 per cwt. of 3.5% milk. But this price was down to 35 cents in 1938 and the next year was only slightly better. In 1940 the board decided to sever their connection with the Land O’Lakes co-operative and find another market which resulted in several changes during the next years. Use of wood for the boiler ended in early 1940. The price paid patrons had increased to $4.00 per cord but only 5 cords could be furnished by each contributor. It was an unusual year for other reasons. Milk was down to 33 cents in the early months, rose to 36 cents during summer and ended at 41 cents in December. Casein was being manufactured instead of cheese. Milk prices rose from 37 cents in early 1941 to 60 cents by December. Whole milk was being sold to a Jim Falls concern. WWII years did not bring any great increase in milk prices to patrons from the creamery. 75 cents was about the highest paid but a government subsidy was being received by the dairy farmer. The hauling of refrigerated milk to southern |