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Millburn Creamery
Company

The farmers in the vicinity of Millburn banded together to form the Millburn Creamery Company, taking over the operation of the creamery in Millburn which had been run by Mrs. Winnieke.

Whole milk must be kept cool or it will spoil. As the milk herds grew larger and the farmers produced more milk, it became a problem. Refrigeration required ice, which could only be harvested in winter.

Whole milk could be processed into butter. Large quantities of residual skim milk could be used as animal feed. Butter and cheese require much less storage space, are easier to ship, and have less stringent refrigeration requirements. They also commanded a higher price at market than just whole milk.

There were a number of other creameries in the area. We believe that our Millburn farmers wanted to keep a larger share of the profits in Millburn for themselves.

To quote from the 1908 Sears Catalog:

You keep cows principally for their milk. The most valuable part of the milk and, in fact, the most valuable of all farm products is the butter fat. Butter fat is worth from $20.00 to $30.00 per hundred pounds and there is nothing else raised upon the farm which will compare with it in value. Corn is worth from 80 cents to $1.20 per hundred pounds. Oats are worth from $1.25 to $1.80 per hundred pounds. Even wheat is worth but $1.50 to $1.80 per hundred pounds. Skim milk after the butter fat has been extracted is worth from 6 cents to 40 cents per hundred pounds, according to its condition and what it is used for, being only about one-hundredth part as valuable as the butter fat. Before you get an ounce of butter fat or cream in marketable condition you have put in all your time and labor, and your profit or loss depends, first, upon the amount of butter fat that you get, and second, upon its quality.

The Millburn Creamery Company butter won a significant award in July, 1907.

The creamery operated only a few years. Then farmers began shipping their milk by train to Chicago.

The buildings were sold at public auction in the fall of 1909. At least one of them was moved to adjoining property. Others were "removed", as the story goes.

We're still researching the creamery and hope to have more details for you in the future.

The following entries are transcribed from photocopies of state records:

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Marginal notations: 75362, Aug. 18, 1899, 2 P.M.

State of Illinois, Department of State
James A. Rose, Secretary of State.
To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting:
Whereas, a Statement, duly signed and acknowledged, has been filed in the office of the Secretary of State, on the 11th day of July A. D. 1899, for the organization of the

The Millburn Creamery Company under and in accordance with the provisions of "An Act Governing Corporations," approved April 18, 1872 and in force July 1, 1872, and all acts amendatory thereof, a copy of which statement is hereto attached.
And Whereas, a license having been issued to W. J. White, A. H. Stewart and J. A. McCredie as Commissioners to open books for subscription to the capital stock of the said Company.
And Whereas, the said Commissioners have, on the first day of August A. D. 1899, filed in the office of the Secretary of State a report of their proceedings under said License, a copy of which report is hereto attached.
Now, Therefore, I, James A. Rose, Secretary of State, of the State of Illinois, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby certify that the said The Millburn Creamery Company is a legally organized Corporation under the laws of this State.
In Testimony Whereof, I hereto set my hand and cause to be affixed the great Seal of State. Done at the City of Springfield this first day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and 99 and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and 24th.

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Hon. J. A. Rose,
Sec. Of State of Illinois
Dear Sir:
In accordance with State Statues, 1887, we hereby make the following statement and request that if correct, you will appoint the three undersigned, viz: W. J. White, A. H. Stewart and J. A. McCredie who are citizens of Millburn, Lake Co. Ill. as Commissioners to open books for subscription to the Capital Stock of a proposed Company described as follows:-
Name: The Millburn Creamery Company, principal office Millburn, Lake Co. Ill. for ninety nine years. Object, the manufacture of butter & cheese from whole milk, capital stock to consist of one hundred shares of $25.00 each, a total of $2500.00 capital stock.


State of Ill))
County))
I, Sheldon A. Harris, a Notary Public in and for the said County in the State aforesaid do hereby certify that W. J. White, A. H. Stewart and J. A. McCredie, personally known to me to be the same persons whose names are subscribed to the foregoing instrument, appeared before me this day in person and acknowledged that they signed, sealed and delivered the said instrument as their free and voluntary act, for the uses and purposes therein set forth.
Given under my hand and notarial seal this 8th day of July A. D. 1899.
(seal)

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To James A. Rose, Secretary of State of the State of Illinois:
The Commissioners, duly authorized to open Books of Subscription to the Capital Stock of The Millburn Creamery Company, pursuant to license heretofore issued, bearing date the 11th day of July A. D. 1899, do hereby report that they opened Books of Subscription to the Capital Stock of said Company, and that the said stock was fully subscribed; that the following is a true copy of such subscription, viz:
We the undersigned, hereby severally subscribe for the number of shares set opposite our respective names to the Capital Stock of The Millburn Creamery Company and we severally agree to pay the said Company for each share the sum of twenty five dollars

Names	Shares	Amount
W. J. White	2	50.00
A. H. Stewart	4	100.00
J. A. Strang	4	100.00
J. A. McCredie	4	100.00
G. B. Stephens	4	100.00
John Bonner	2	50.00
Wm. McCredie	2	50.00
K. L. Smith	4	100.00
Etta Wienicke	4	100.00
Ella G. McCredie	2	50.00
Annie L. McCredie	2	50.00
J. H. Bonner	4	100.00
Agnes G. Bonner	4	100.00
Guy Hughes	1	25.00
Maggie J. Duncan	2	50.00
Ed Gerry	1	25.00
Frank Clark	1	25.00
Sheldon A. Harris	4	100.00
Morttie Savage	1	25.00
Jessie Jamison	4	100.00
Matilda Spafford	1	25.00
Wm. M. Mitchell	1	25.00
John P. Trotter	1	25.00
W. A. Bonner	4	100.00
L. J. White	1	25.00
Earnest White	1	25.00
George A. Miller	1	25.00
D. M. White	1	25.00
John Galagher	1	25.00
Peter Strang	2	50.00
E. A. Martin	2	50.00
Mary E. Stewart	4	100.00
E. N. Cannon	1	25.00
R. L. Strang	4	100.00
Erma Strang	4	100.00
H. R. Matthews	4	100.00
J. C. Chope	1	25.00
H. G. Edmunds	1	25.00
Mary Bater	1	25.00
Mrs. Geo. Strang	4	100.00
Mrs M. J. Strang	4	100.00
TOTAL		$2500.00

That on the 22nd day of July A. D. 1899, at the Mason's Hall in Millburn at the hour of 8 o'clock P.M., they convened a meeting of the subscribers aforesaid pursuant to notice required by law which said notice was deposited in the post office, properly addressed to each subscriber, ten days before the time fixed therein, a copy of which said notice is as follows, to wit:
To Subscribers etc.
You are hereby notified that the capital stock of The Millburn Creamery Company has been fully subscribed and that a meeting of the subscribers of such stock will be held at the Masons Hall, Millburn, Lake Co. Illinois, on the 22nd day of July A. D. 1899, at eight o'clock P.M. for the purpose of electing a Board of Directors for said Company and for the transaction of such other business as may be deemed necessary.

That said subscribers met at the time and place in said notice specified and proceeded to elect Directors and that the following persons were duly elected for the term of one year, viz:
John Bonner, President
A. H. Stewart, Secretary & Treasurer
W. J. White, Director
John A. McCredie, Director
Jas H. Bonner, Director


State of Illinois))ss
County of Lake))
On this 28th day of July A. D. 1899, personally appeared before me a Notary Public in and for said County in said State W. J. White, A. H. Stewart & J. A. McCredie Commissioners and made oath that the foregoing report by them subscribed is true in substance and in fact.

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