The inhabitants of Minnesota before white people came, lived almost exclusively by hunting and fishing, using no animal milk in any form. The dairy industry did not begin, therefore, before the white people came and settled in the state. The work of preparing the fields for crop growing took a long time, and transportation facilities were very defective, hence the early pioneers had neither time for dairying nor a market for dairy products. Dairying, therefore, was engaged in solely for the purpose of supplying themselves with milk and its products. Later, as the herds began to increase in size, the resulting surplus of milk was made into butter, or occasionally into cheese, and disposed of in the local markets. When villages were established, the production of milk for direct sale as such, developed in their vicinity.

The year 1870 marks, approximately, the introduction of the factory system of butter and cheese manufacture in the state. According to the statistics, two cheese factories had been established by that date. During the twenty years following, little progress was made by either branch of the industry.

The first cheese factory in Renville county was started in 1876 by Charles D. McEwen, who came from a point three miles south of Hutchinson, where he had previously conducted a cheese factory, purchased 160 acres of land in section 31, Boon Lake township, and conducted a dairy farm with twenty-five or more cows.

As late as 1890 the state reports show only one cheese factory and one creamery in Renville county: The Buffalo Lake Cheese Factory, at Buffalo Lake, and the J. Richardson Co., at Bird Island.

In 1900 there were 15 creameries in Renville county. Where two addresses are given, the first is the postoffice address and the second the railroad shipping point; where but one address is given, the postoffice and shipping point are the same: Norfolk Creamery, Eddsville, Bird Island; Morton Creamery, Morton; Hector Creamery, Hector; Winfield Creamery, Olivia; Florita Creamery, Florita, North Redwood; Bird Island Creamery, Bird Island; Fairfax Creamery, Fairfax; Boon Lake Creamery, Lake Side, Hutchinson; Central Creamery, Olivia; Farmers' Creamery, Buffalo Lake; Renville Creamery, Renville; North Western Creamery, Sacred Heart; Fort Ridgely Creamery, Fort Ridgely, Fairfax; Churchill Creamery, Hector; Osceola Creamery, Bird Island.

Following are the creameries in Renville county for 1910. Where two addresses are given the first is the postoffice address and the second the shipping point. Where but one address is given the postoffice and shipping point are the same. Boon Lake Coöperative Creamery Co., Buffalo Lake, Hutchinson; Brookfield Coöperative Creamery Association, Brookfield, Hutchinson; Buffalo Lake Creamery, Buffao Lake; Central Creamery Association, Olivia; Clover Leaf Creamery Association of Osceola, Bird Island; Mellville Coöperative Creamery Association, Hector, Bird Island; Morton Creamery Co., Morton; Norfolk & Palmyra Creamery Association, Bird Island; Renville Creamery, Renville; Fairfax Creamery Association, leased, Fairfax.

In 1910 Renville county had six coöperative creameries and three independent ones. There were 1,326 patrons, owning 8,751 cows. About 733, 729 pounds of butter were made, and the patrons were paid $180,119.28.

In 1911 Renville county had six coöperative creameries and two independent ones. There were 1,320 patrons, owning 8,035 cows. About 605,246 pounds of butter were made, and the patrons were paid $130,125.57.

In 1912 Renville county had six coöperative creameries and six independent ones. There were 981 patrons, owning 5,300 cows. About 409,761 pounds of butter were made, and the patrons were paid $102,636.01.

In 1913 Renville county had five coöperative creameries and six independent ones. There were 887 patrons owning 5,954 cows. About 864,872 pounds of butter were made and the patrons were paid $217,815.97.

In 1914, not including the Morton and Hector creameries which did not report, $179,887.77 was paid to the patrons and the number of pounds of butter made were 767,602.

Following were the creameries in Renville county in 1914. Where two addresses are given the first is the shipping address and the second is the shipping point. Where but one address is given the postoffice and shipping point are the same: Boon Lake Coöperative Creamery Co., coöperative, Buffalo Lake, Hutchinson; Brookfield Coöperative Creamery Association, coöperative, Brookfield, Hutchinson; Buffalo Lake Creamery, independent, Buffao Lake; Central Creamery Association, coöperative, Olivia; Danube Creamery, independent, Danube; Hector Creamery Co., independent, Hector; Fairfax Coöperative Creamery Co., coöperative, Fairfax; Mellville Coöperative Creamery Association, coöperative, Hector, Bird Island; Morton Creamery Co., independent, Morton; Franklin Coöperative Creamery, coöperative, Franklin; Norfolk & Palmyra Creamery Association, coöperative, Bird Island; Renville Creamery, independent, Renville; Sacred Heart Creamery Co., independent, Sacred Heart.

The following coöperative creameries are now operated in the county; Boon Lake Creamery Co., Lakeside; Central Creamery Association, Olivia; Eddsville Creamery Company, Eddsville; Fairfax Coöperative Creamery, Fairfax; Franklin Coöperative Creamery, Franklin; Melville Creamery Association, Melville; Brookfield Coöperative Creamery Co.; Bird Island Coöperative Creamery Co. One is being built at Hector. Besides these coöperative plants there are private plants at Buffalo Lake, Danube, Renville and Sacred Heart.

In 1860 Renville county had seventy-four cows and produced 400 pounds of butter. In 1870 Renville county had 993 cows and produced 40,185 pounds of butter and 610 pounds of cheese. In 1880 Renville county had 6,083 cows; 429,914 pounds of butter were made on the farms and 13,142 pounds of cheese were made on the farms. In 1890 there were 12,742 cows in Renville county; 3,730,730 gallons of milk; 815,113 pounds of butter and 6,123 pounds of cheese. In 1900, 2,845 farmers reported dairy products; value of all dairy products, $242,165; value of dairy products consumed on farms, $102,636; milk produced, 5,633,382 gallons; gallons sold, 1,329,219; pounds of butter made, 879,589; pounds sold, 478,684; cheese made, 5,387 pounds; cheese sold, 4,811 pounds. In 1910: Dairy cows on farms reporting dairy products, 18,041; dairy cows on farms reporting milk products, 9,332; gallons of milk produced, 3,174,852; gallons of milk sold, 213,976; cream sold, 134,528; butter-fat sold, 425,657; butter produced, 783,919 pounds; butter sold, 415,500 pounds; cheese produced, 50 pounds; value of dairy products excluding home use of milk and cream, $405,618; receipts from sale of dairy products, $320,100.