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Last week we learned Lydia Andrews, granddaughter of pioneer George Andrews, married John Waspi on April 25, 1900. John came from Switzerland and in 1895, ran the Spring Grove cheese factory and creamery at 2103 Main Street, which had become a farmer’s co-operative that year. The family lived in part of the building and the first two of their eight children were born there. In 1905 they moved to the Andrews farm on Winn Road and settled down to farm. John & Lydia lived until the 1960s and are buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery.
But the history of the creamery goes much farther back. Previous to 1867 there were no cheese factories in McHenry County, but that year there were eight. Many obstacles had to be overcome to make them profitable. In 1867 Dr. R.R. Stone and W. A. McConnell ran a successful operation in Richmond. 860 lbs. of milk were received from the dairy farmers on their first day and 96 lbs. of cheese was made. That year Dr. Stone, “in company of others”, made plans to build another one in Spring Grove in 1868 (and also one in Ringwood and Garden Prairie). They expected to have the milk from 300 cows and intended to have accommodations for 500.
James and Catherine Westlake moved to 8103 Blivin Street from Elgin in 1873 where James learned the cheese making trade. By 1874 James was the proprietor at the Spring Grove factory and described as a “first class cheese maker” in 1876. They had seven children – two girls and five boys from 1871 – 1890, all born in Spring Grove with the exception of their oldest child who was born in Elgin. Most of Westlake’s sons joined the creamery business and the family eventually owned six creameries, including one in Stacyville Iowa, Solon Mills, Antioch, and Wilmot.
He retired in 1896 when the farmer’s co-op purchased the cheese factory. About that time, he raised the roof on his house on Blivin Street and added a north wing addition. Both James and Catherine were described as kind and loving, with cheerful dispositions. James died in 1914 and Catherine lived until 1919. They are buried in Spring Grove Cemetery on Main Street just east of 1813 Main Street.
In 1926, the farmer’s co-operative was dissolved and in the 1930s, Ben Smith turned the building into apartments. His daughter, Elaine Oxtoby, remembered one night a lightning bolt hit the tall brick tower, waking the family up, and damaging it beyond repair. Today the building still stands and houses three apartments.
Story by Laura Frumet
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