N. Oregon Coast's 'Cheese War' a Quiet Part of Tillamook-Area History: See the Lecture

Published 04/20/25 at 8:09 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Nehalem, Oregon) – Not all is always lovely, calm or delicious when it comes to the cheese industry of the north Oregon coast. There was a time when cheesemakers in the Tillamook area had what was called the “Cheese Wars” by some.

That is going to be the subject of a history talk in Nehalem on April 26 called “Cheese War, Conflict and Courage in Tillamook County, Oregon,” given by author Marilyn Milne. She penned the book of that same name, digging into a part of regional history that is often overlooked.

Presented by Marilyn Milne, co-author of *Cheese War, Conflict and Courage in Tillamook County, Oregon. Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 3:30 p.m It happens at the North County Recreation District, 36155 9th St. Nehalem. $10 at the door.

Milne said the Tillamook County Creamery Association has grown into a billion-dollar successful company: “a co-op founded on the strength of dairy farmers and great-tasting cheese and ice cream. But as with all strong companies, they have weathered equally strong storms along the way.”

Milne, along with her co-author sister, Linda Kirk, relay the story of the challenges around them in the 1960s as local dairy farmers and those in leadership positions battled it out in the courts. It occurred at a time when small local factories were giving way to larger ones that incorporated individual dairy operations.

The Cheese War was fought for nearly 10 years, Milne said, part of a complex system of family and business relationships. She and her sister watched as parents and other families were impacted, damaging relationships that were sometimes never fixed.

“This story was largely unknown outside of Tillamook County, inspiring the sisters to uncover the true and wide story with compassion and fairness,” said the Nehalem Valley Historical Society.

Milne will talk about the Aldervale and Mohler factories, as well as a few north county farmers.

Tillamook Dairy History Background

On September 25, 1968, the Statesman Journal wrote about the cheese wars in the Tillamook area, what seemed to be the end of the dispute.

It all apparently began around 1963 when the Tillamook Cheese and Dairy Association left the Tillamook County Creamery Association. That began a series of anti-trust investigations in both federal and local courts, and a lawsuit over which one had the right to use the word “Tillamook” in its moniker.

Both represented a total of 250 dairy farmers in the region.

“The settlement announced Tuesday included a provision that all pending litigation in federal and state courts would be dismissed, and the Tillamook Cheese and Dairy Association would be dissolved immediately,” the paper wrote.

Part of the saga involved renovations of a cheese plant north of Tillamook. While the dispute raged between the two north Oregon coast entities the plant was closed. It was reopened eventually after this joining of associations.

Call (503) 368-7460.

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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