1965 World's Fair Souvenir Folder

 THE WORLD'S LARGEST CHEESE!

1. The cheese was made for the Wisconsin Cheese Foundation, a non-profit organization affiliated with the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association for the express purpose of promoting Wisconsin cheese outside the state. The Foundation's income is derived from contributions from Wisconsin cheese makers, plus special gifts from the Wisconsin Dairy Industry, American Dairy Association of Wisconsin and other special promotions.
2. The actual making of the cheese was from midnight, January 20 to approximately 7 p.m on January 22 -- about 43 1/2 hours of continuous manufacture.
   • It was made at the factory of Steve's Cheese by owner Steve Siudzinski. The factory is near Denmark, Wis., about 10 miles east of Green Bay.
3. The actual size of the cheese is 6 1/2 feet wide, 5 1/2 feet high and 14 1/2 feet long.
4. The weight of the cheese is approximately 17 1/4 tons - 34,591 pounds!
5. Unusual statistics on materials used:
   • MILK: The big cheese used about 367,000 pounds of milk or over 183 TONS! 17,000 quarts. This is equal to the daily production of 16,000 cows, a solid line of cows which in single file would stretch 20 miles! It would take ONE cow 43 years to produce the necessary milk! Six Wisconsin factories and dairies cooperated to provide the huge volume.
   • SALT: Approximately two-thirds of a ton was used.
   • RENNET: Approximately 92 pounds of the milk coagulant were used.
   • COLORING: Approximately 23 pounds.
   • MANPOWER: A crew of 25 men were on duty working in shifts around the clock for 43 hours. Included were four Wisconsin cheese makers who have won the famed World's Champion Cheddar Cheesemaking award.
6. THE MAMMOTH CHEESE TAKES A MAMMOTH FORM OR "HOOP"!
   • A specially constructed wooden hoop was built, weighing 3,000 pounds.
   • 2" x 12" solid oak planks were laid over 12" x 10" fir "skids". Across the oak planks is a floor of one inch cottonwood. Sides and ends are 2" x 10" planks of fir supported by twelve vertical 6 x 6's. The structure was criss-crossed by several 3/4" steel tie-rods.
7. REASON FOR UNUSUAL SHAPE OF THE CHEESE
   • Most mammoth cheese are cylindrical but a cheese weighing over 17 tons would be too wide if round, to transport by truck or train.
8. MANUFACTURING TIMETABLE:
   • Following the pouring of the curd into the giant hoop and pressing to eliminate the whey, two walls were built and joined to two existing walls of the room where the hoop was located, to form a 14 by 20 refrigerated room to cool the big cheese down to 34 degrees.
   • After 35 days in the cooler the sides of the huge hoop were removed and the cheese "dried" for a week, following which it was paraffined by a transparent wax.
9. SHIPPING TIMETABLE
   • On April 14, 1964, the big cheese was loaded into a special glass sided trailer and transported by diesel tractor directly to the New York World's Fair Wisconsin exhibition area.
10. WORLD FAIR FACTS:
    • The huge cheese, mounted on its special "Cheese-Mobile" 45 foot tractor-trailer, is a featured attraction at the State of Wisconsin area. It is situated at the southwest corner of the 50,000 square foot site, on the Avenue of the United Nations, Grand Central Parkway, and at the foot of a pedestrian overpass over the Parkway. The 12 story stainless steel "Unisphere", the major attraction at the Fair, is just a few steps away from the Wisconsin area.
    • It is estimated that the big cheese, which is the largest single piece of cheese ever made in the history of mankind, will be seen by 12,000,000 people during the two years of the Fair.
11. NATIONWIDE TOUR OF THE BIG CHEESE!
    • After appearing at the Fair from April to mid-October, 1964, the Cheese-Mobile toured the United States, stopping at major cities, various expositions, fairs and shopping centers, carrying the story of Wisconsin cheese to the nation.
    • In April, 1965, the Cheese-Mobile returned to New York to be at the Fair until it closes permanently in October, 1965.
    • A tour of cities not reached on the first trip is planned after October, 1965, following which the cheese will be delivered to The Borden Company.
12. ASSISTING THE WISCONSIN CHEESE FOUNDATION IN THIS SPECTACULAR PROMOTION OF WISCONSIN CHEESE ARE THE FOLLOWING:
    • The Borden Company, major financial sponsor and ultimate purchaser of the big cheese;
    • State of Wisconsin, $35,000 appropriation, paid out through the Departments of Agriculture and Conservation;
    • For Motor Company, donation of a $25,000 specially designed diesel tractor;
    • Highway Trailer Co. donation of a 35 foot trailer with specially built glass sides, which was fabricated by the Louis Hoffmann Co. of Milwaukee;
    • Transicold Corp. donation of a heavy duty mobile refrigeration unit to main low temperatures at Fair and on tour.
    • Chr. Hansen's Laboratory, Inc. of Milwaukee donation of rennet and starter cultures;
    • The Marschall Dairy Laboratory of Madison donation of coloring for the big cheese
    • Diamond Crystal Salt co. donation of all salt used;
    • Kusel Co., Watertown, Wis. donation of use of newly designed "cheddaring vat";
    • Candy & Co., Inc., Chicago donation of all wax used;
    • Chas. Pfizer & Co., Inc., New York maintaining and staffing employees' and visitors' canteen, and sorbistat-K for mold elimination;
    • Many Wisconsin cheesemakers for donating cash based on a percentage of two months' volume.

At nine a.m. on April 22, the gates of the Fair were thrown open. In the subsequent ugly rush for enlightenment, few visitors spared a thought for the months and months of unremitting toil that had made the whole thing possible. Indeed, some people (below) were unabashedly out for all they could get.

Drawing by Robert Serle Source: HOLIDAY MAGAZINE, Vol. 36 No. 1, June 1964