Introduction

Background and Early Connection with Dairy Industry
Scope and Content Note: Born in Flintville where his family worked in lumber. In 1906 began working in uncle's creamery in De Pere. Paid $50.00 per month. After thirteen months took Short Course in dairying at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which cost $110.00.

Description of Creamery Operation before 1906
Scope and Content Note: Farmers delivered whole milk; took skim milk back for hogs. Farmers talked, smoked or visited tavern while waiting to dump milk or pick up skim.

Employment after Short Course Completed
Scope and Content Note: Various creamery jobs in Iowa and Illinois. Worked at a Kankakee, Illinois creamery, then left for Indiana to make butter for Beatrice Creamery Company.

Work in Arsenal during World War I
Scope and Content Note: Drafted into Army. Because of experience with refrigeration, made gas for shells at arsenal in Maryland.

Employment after World War I Ends
Scope and Content Note: Immediately rehired by Beatrice. Crew dissatisfied with lack of good cream; returned to Wisconsin to take a job with the Lafayette creamery, near Chippewa Falls.

Anecdote about “Soapy Butter” at Lafayette Creamery
Scope and Content Note: Wife of former buttermaker washed clothes in butter vats. Chicago customers complained of soapy-flavored butter, much to the distress of the creamery's Irish patrons.

Lucia Becomes Fieldman for Wisconsin Cooperative Creameries Association
Scope and Content Note: Became fieldman for District No. Two, Baraboo Valley District, Wisconsin Cooperative Creameries Association in mid-1920s.

Introduction

Duties as Fieldman for Baraboo Valley District
Scope and Content Note: Got acquainted with individual buttermakers, located in thirteen different plants, to help them rather than be regarded as an inspector.

Contact with Individual Farmers
Scope and Content Note: Infrequent contact because cream delivered to creamery by truck. Occasionally accompanied cream truck to talk to individual farmers.

Buttermakers Urged to Produce at Least 92-Score Butter
Scope and Content Note: Buttermakers urged to make the desired 92-score butter. Could recommend dismissal of individual buttermakers if persisted in making poor quality product.

Testing Milk for Butterfat Content Before and After Development of Babcock Test
Scope and Content Note: Explanation of how milk was tested before and after milk tester developed by Professor Babcock at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

More Discussion on Fieldman's Duties
Scope and Content Note: Regular circuit difficult because some creameries needed more attention than others. Most important goal; standardize quality at all factories so butter could be sold in railroad car lots.

Creameries Begin Direct Sales to Chain Stores
Scope and Content Note: Butter originally sold by creameries to commission houses. After districts set up creameries began to market directly to chain stores, especially National Tea and Consumers companies. Lucia met with chain store buyers. Creamery districts did not compete against one another for sales. S.B. Cook, fieldman for District No. Four (Barron County), important in initiating chain store sales in New York as well as Chicago.

Competition Between Wisconsin Cooperative Creameries and Land 0' Lakes in 1920's
Scope and Content Note: Land 0' Lakes in the 1920s tried to break up districts of Wisconsin Cooperative Creameries; succeeded in Polk County.

Butter Quality Agreement Between Creameries and Chain Stores
Scope and Content Note: “Gentleman's agreement” that creameries produce the best butter possible for chain stores.

How to Get Proper Moisture Content When Making Butter

Observation on How Some Buttermakers Cut Butterfat Test of Farmers
Scope and Content Note: Some buttermakers cut farmer's test to get an overrun.

End of Part 1 of Tape 1, Side 2
Note: Tape 1, Side 2 continues with the time-markings beginning again with 00:00.

Lucia as Fieldman Required to Live in Rural Area
Scope and Content Note: Required to live at La Valle, but finally argued successfully that he needed to live at Reedsburg for close access to train.

Location of Some Creameries in Baraboo Valley District
Scope and Content Note: Some located at Cazenovia, La Valle, Elroy. Remembers Gary Carter of Elroy as an important director, and Ed Carlson as good buttermaker.

End of Part 2 of Tape 1, Side 2

Role of Cooperative Creamery in Community
Scope and Content Note: Sponsored many social affairs; entire family attended. Helped develop rapport and openness with patrons and their families, unlike private creameries.

Effect of Great Depression on Creameries
Scope and Content Note: In early-1930s “some highbinders down there” in the Baraboo Valley participated in milk strikes of 1933. Prevented delivery of milk to creameries, sometimes by threat of force. Recalls that farmers around Hillsboro rather radical.

Beginning of Lucia's Involvement in Dry Milk Industry
Scope and Content Note: Roller dryer improvement meant that small creameries could utilize skim economically and efficiently. Colfax Cooperative Creamery about 1935 one of first in region to install the improved spray dryer.

Beginning of Lucia's Association with Wisconsin Dried Milk Products Cooperative in Eau Claire
Scope and Content Note: Believes a recommendation from Mrs. Lulu Mattson was main reason why he was hired as general manager of the Dried Milk Products Cooperative in 1937.

End of Interview