There has been a shift, however, from the dairy farms of 100 years ago to other forms of agriculture that do not depend on a farmer always available morning and evening to milk the cows every day for 365 days.

The change in types of agriculture as well as the way dairy farming is now conducted is reflected in the demise of creameries in Sussex County. There were 26,500 cows in Sussex County in 1960 and only 49,255 people.

Creameries began closing in the 1950's due to increased costs brought about by stricter regulations enforced by health boards. The last creamery in the county shut down May 31, 1977 at Dagmar Dale Farms, Route 565, Vernon. It had started in 1952 and was owned by William Van Althuis.

A comprehensive history of creameries in the county has been compiled in two volumes by Pauline Ott of the Sussex County Historical Society. The handwritten books are available at the society headquaters on Main Street, Newton but they may not be withdrawn.

The books cover the period from 1861 to the Dagmar Dale closing. According to Ott's research, the first creamery in the county was built in 1861 by Albert Puder on Old Creamery Road, Andover. Dairy Farming in those days required the cooperation of horse and wagon as well as the cows. The first milk train to leave Sussex County departed Jan. 22, 1863.

The Springdale Creamery started on April 1, 1866 and on Sept. 23, 1873 it was noted Brown and Bailey Creamery in Glenwood was taking in 4,000 quarts of milk daily. It was destroyed by fire in 1889.

Many former creameries have been renovated and are seeing new use. The former Borden's Creamery originally constructed in 1887 has been completely overhauled and now serves as an office and apartment complex on Walling Ave., Sussex.

The building just south of Ross's Corner on Route 206 now used for offices was once Becker's Creamery and dairying operations were conducted there during the Civil War.

Reports of prosperous creameries continue through the end of the 19th century. The creamery at Tranquility was complete in April, 1894 and receiving milk from 30 dairies. The Stillwater creamery in June, 1895 was receiving 180 cans of milk.

In the case of the Baleville creamery, milk was first taken on the Lehigh and New England Railroad to Augusta and then transferred to the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad for its trip to the city. The Augusta creamery was receiving 350 cans of milk a day in May, 1899.

By 1916 the competition must have been fierce as the Fulboam Dairy Co. in Stillwater announced it had an Italian expert making cheese at its plant. It burned on Feb. 16, 1918, two weeks before the Beemerville Creamery closed.

The same day it was announced that the Rock Spring Creamery in Montague reopened after being closed for the winter because of bad roads.

The depression brought hard times to Sussex County dairy farmers. The Sussex Milk and Cream Co. closed its Pellettown plant on June 6, 1935. One week later the Newton Creamery closed.

Ideal Farms owned by Jacob Tanis in Augusta started to sell milk in March 1936. The operation was to become the world's largest Guernsey herd with about 1,400 head at one time. The farm now raises Angus beef cattle.

In 1936 Borden creameries still existed in Stillwater, Sussex, Branchville, Vernon and Tranquility.

The Greendell creamery closed in April 1937 but Becker's Creamery at Ross's Corner kept up with modern improvements and installed stainless steel equipment in January 1938.

In December 1940 a new creamery was opened on Broad St., Branchville but the creamery in Stockholm was closed and torn down that same month.

In 1945 the cost of a 10-gallon milk can full of milk was $3.94.

The Borden plant in Stillwater closed July 1, 1953 becauce it would have had to put in a sewage system which it felt would be too costly. It had served 54 producers.

Creameries began closing at the rate of one a year beginning in 1958 with the N.J. Producers Co-op Creamery on Route 206, Hampton.