Woodruff/Nusbickel Cheese Factory
Town of Granger, located in the Town of Granger on Old State Road, just south of Parker Road.
Photo Submitted by Jim Gelser. Above photo, shows Woodruff Cheese Factory before 1900 in the Town of Granger.
Allegany County had it's share of early local cheese factories which were the only milk processing plants available. Lack of transportation at the time meant each farmer transporting his own production to the closest cheese factory.
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Little is known of record of the Woodruff/Nusbickel factory, however, it was in existence prior to 1888 as shown by the next copy from a ledger preserved by family records dated April -July 1888.
The factory went through name changes and it is unclear the timing of events of these changes.
From the poster below, the names of Jerman, Eldridge & Ellis were associated with the Woodruff Factory.
The Woodruff Factory closed or the building burned near this time and by 1901 cheese was being produced at a new location, which is the first picture on this page.
Below is a picture today (2006) of the remains of the second building used in cheese-making at this location.
It is known that Charles Nusbickel operated the cheese factory from 1901 to 1914.
There is also mention of the Nusbickels having a cheese factory in the Keany Swamp area.
As mentioned, these cheese factories serviced many of the local farms, sometimes set up as co-operatives and sometimes as "stock companies".
Below is a patron list which mentions some of the farm-family names that did business with the Woodruff and later, Nusbickel Cheese Factory........
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