In 1909 ten independent dairy farmers joined together to establish the Tillamook County Creamery Association with the vision of having a central body to oversee quality control and marketing. From those beginnings came the Tillamook Cheese Factory, a dairy co-operative that includes 150 dairy farms producing butter, ice cream, sour cream, yogurt, and the famous Tillamook Cheddar from one central plant.
Now host to over a million tourists a year, the factory allows visitors to watch the cheesemaking and packaging processes from a viewing gallery over the production floor. A visitor's center provides an observation area, museum, and educational slide show, as well as a deli and fudge counter. Also on the creamery grounds is a full-sized replica of the 1854 schooner once used by farmers to transport butter to Portland.
