Ingersoll in Oxford County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
The Big Cheese, 1866
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Le Gros Fromage, 1866
Photographed by Tim Boyd, June 28, 2024
1. The Big Cheese, 1866 Marker
The Big Cheese, 1866
Lydia Chase Ranney and her assistant Robert Facey began making cheese locally in the mid 19th century. Ranney shared her knowledge of cheese making 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.
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Lydia Chase Ranney et son assistant, Robert Facey, se lancent dans la fabrication locale de fromage au milieu du XIXe siècle. Mme Ranney transmet ce savoir-faire à son gendre James Harris, qui ouvrira en 1865, sur ce site, la première coopérative fromagère du canton d'Ingersoll. Désireux de se faire connaître à l'international, et en particulier sur le marché britannique lucratif, les producteurs de fromage et entrepreneurs locaux créent l'Ingersoll Cheese Manufacturing Company of Oxford pour fabriquer ici, en 1866, une gigantesque meule de cheddar. M. Facey, le chef fromager, utilisera 35 tonnes (7 778 gallons impériaux) de lait pour produire ce fromage de 3 311 kilogrammes (7 300 livres). Fabriqué en huit jours, il sera ensuite mis à durcir pendant trois mois dans une remise construite à cet effet. En août 1866, le « Gros fromage » est transporté à la gare ferroviaire d'Ingersoll dans un chariot spécialement modifié, tiré par six chevaux. Présenté à la foire de l'État de New York à Saratoga, il voyagera ensuite par bateau jusqu'en Angleterre où il sera vendu à un commerçant de Liverpool. Le « Gros fromage » a contribué à faire du comté d'Oxford le berceau de l'industrie fromagère au Canada.
Fiducie du patrimoine ontarien, un organisme du gouvernement de l'Ontario
Photographed by Tim Boyd, June 28, 2024
2. The Big Cheese, 1866 / Le Gros Fromage, 1866 Marker
Erected by Ontario Heritage Foundation.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Ontario Heritage Trust series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1866.
Location. 43° 1.79′ N, 80° 51.394′ W. Marker is in Ingersoll, Ontario, in Oxford County. It is on Harris Street, on the right when traveling north. The marker is on the grounds of the Elm Hurst Inn, approx. 100 metres from the Harris Street entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 415 Harris Street, Ingersoll ON N0J 1W0, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Southwest Ontario Area and in Southwestern Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 13 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: First Cheese Factory/ La Première Fromagerie (approx. 2.5 kilometers away); Lydia Chase Ranney (approx. 4.3 kilometers away); Aimee Semple McPherson 1890-1944 (approx. 4.3 kilometers away); Robert F. Gourlay 1778-1863 (approx. 9.5 kilometers away); Oswald J. Smith, Litt.D., D.D., L.L.D. (approx. 10.6 kilometers away); Robert Douglas Hayward (approx. 10.6 kilometers away); Cody’s Corners (approx. 10.6 kilometers away); St. John's Anglican Church (approx. 12.3 kilometers away).
Photographed by Tim Boyd, June 28, 2024
3. The Big Cheese, 1866 / Le Gros Fromage, 1866 Marker
1866
4. The Mammoth Cheese, on display in Saratoga Springs, NY, 1866
(Public domain)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 6, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 4, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 228 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 4, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
