A History of Crowley Cheese

Over a century ago, when the Vermont landscape was dotted with dairy farms, Crowley Cheese was one of many small cheese producers flourishing in the state. At that time, almost every Vermont village had at least one cheese manufacturer; some villages had as many as six cheesemakers. Because refrigeration was yet to be invented, farmers were unable to store surplus milk, and so they would wisely bring their excess milk to the nearest local cheesemaker to make something out of it -- cheese!

Crowley's cheesemaking history began in the Crowley Farm kitchen in Healdville, Vermont, in 1824, but it was not until 1882, when Winfield Crowley built the present-day factory, that the name Crowley Cheese started to reach the shores of Maine and the streets of Manhattan. In those days, the cheeses were shipped by railroad, sometimes taking more than a week to be delivered.

By the early part of the twentieth century, the unique qualities that attracted Crowley's first believers in Vermont were being tasted and cherished by people all over the East Coast. It was also a staple in many of Vermont's general stores, with its big 35-pound wheels enjoying great prominence. Crowley's choose notably was presided over by Winfield Crowley, from 1882-1935; Winfield's son George took the helm until 1963. It was only with the untimely death of George's son Robert in 1966 that the Crowley's were first confronted with no head cheesemaker and no family succession plan. At this time, the Smith family next door acquired the business and so it left the Crowley family hands but continued to operate as a family business, as it still does today.

Today, 198 years later, Crowley Cheese continues to make one of the finest cheeses in America. The recipe has not changed.

 

"I have been a fan of Crowley Cheese since I was 5 years old in the 1930s. I wish other companies in this country ran like yours!" -- Margaret C. Elting, New York, NY