HISTORY OF THE
BLUM BROTHERS BOX COMPANY
AND THE
WISCONSIN BUTTER TUB COMPANY

THE EARLY YEARS
The humble beginnings of the enterprising family of Blums responsible for establishing and leading several profitable companies began at the Wisconsin farm of Peter Blum Sr. and his wife Eva Rottscheit. John A. and Paul Lester Blum were two of nine surviving children born on the farm between Slinger (then known as Schleisingerville) and Hartford in Washington County, Wisconsin.

John, the eldest of four sons, was born 4 September 1885, and Paul on 18 June 1889. The two brothers would eventually make the business decisions responsible for the creation of many fruitful family-run enterprises during their lifetimes. Early on, they formed a strong bond that lasted throughout their long careers, the absence of which would have made their spectacular partnership impossible.

Blum Bros. 1st box factory, 14th and Maple, Marshfield, Wisconsin.
Left to right: Pete Blum, Jake Blum, Gust Sadowska, unknown, John Blum, unknown, Paul Blum, John Powell a.k.a. "Soup Bone" sitting, and Bill Klug, in front of dog. Far right: Peter Blum, Sr., behind John blum is Walter Nauds and back row in front of window, Emil Nauds.
 
Peter Sr. became a widower in 1896. He was remarried prior to June 1897, adding four daughters and a son to his family. In April 1898 he moved his family to a farm near Marshfield in Wood County, Wisconsin. Peter farmed there for 12 years while his children continued their education. In 1910 he left the farm and moved to the city of Marshfield.

John remained at home until 1901 when, at the age of 16 he began working as a farm hand. By the spring of 1904, John and his brother Paul, then age 15, went to work on the W.E. Hargrave Stock Farm in Ripon, Wisconsin; they remained there until the spring of 1905. They were employed in various occupations from 1905 to 1910, working at farms, a sawmill, logging camps, a lumber company, a flour mill, and for the railroad. Probably the jobs most important to their future enterprises were at the Underwood Veneer Company, Wausau; the Campbellsport Cheese Box Company, Campbellsport; and the H.E. Cooley Cheese Box Manufacturing Company, West Bend.

In December 1910 John and Paul decided to form a partnership to manufacture cheese boxes under the name of Blum Brothers Box Company, and to locate the business in Marshfield. Cheese boxes were large containers for processing the raw milk into curds, whey and ultimately storing and curing cheese itself. Given that the Roddis Veneer Company had eliminated cheese boxes from its output, Blum Brothers filled a needed void. This was an ideal location, with a ready market consisting of approximately 18 cheese factories in the local vicinity. Their total starting capital was $600 and a 6-horsepower gasoline engine, along with a lot of will-power and a strong determination to succeed. The Blum Brothers Box Company leased a small one-story building, containing only a small boiler, at the corner of Cedar and Bakerville Streets in Marshfield. Practically none of the equipment needed could be bought on the open market, so beginning in January 1911, John and Paul designed and built all the equipment necessary to manufacture cheese boxes. To conserve expenses, much of this machinery was built with wooden frames rather than metal. The Blum Brothers won an important case in the Federal District Court at Madison regarding patent infringement. The Albrecht Company of Kewaunee claimed that Blum Brothers had improperly used the Albrecht manufacturing techniques for the production of butter and cheese boxes. If found guilty, this would be a serious blow to the Blum Brothers who had branch factories in Greenwood and Colby that augmented the daily production of 4,000 boxes at the West Ninth Street plant.

By April they were ready for operation; raw material was purchased, and by May the plant was in full operation with a crew of nine, excluding the two owners. The early employees consisted of their brothers Pete and Jake Blum, their father Peter Blum, Sr., Gust Sadowska, John "Soup Bone" Powell, Bill Klug, and Walter and Emil Nauds. For the most part it was a family affair, since the early employees included the four Blum brothers and their father, and Gust Sadowska was a brother-in-law. The crew worked 10 hours a day and six days a week.

John and Paul themselves worked long and hard hours, maintaining a work schedule of an average of 14 hour days for the first 10 years, which they felt was necessary in view of the meager capital they had to start with. They were bound and determined to make the new enterprise a success. It seemed natural for the brothers to gravitate to this type of business, considering that their grandfather’s early career was as a basket maker in Detroit, Michigan, shortly after his emigration from Germany.

The two brothers laid down a highly successful dual control, John spending all of his time and efforts on the manufacturing end, while Paul looked after the buying of raw materials, selling the finished products, collecting accounts and bookkeeping, as well as working a regular shift in the factory.

In the early years of the plant’s struggle there were only a few automobiles in the local area, and those were owned by a few wealthy people; before the introduction of the Ford Model-A, automobiles were very expensive. The partners decided that the best and most economical mode of transportation to make sales calls at cheese factories was a bicycle. Paul periodically called on every customer or potential customer in the area on a bicycle; it was common for him to pedal 60 to 70 miles a day in order to make five or six calls. By 1912 the firm had made sufficient progress to buy a motorcycle, enabling Paul to call on more customers in less time, and to spend more time in the plant. In 1914 they bought a Grant "6" auto to replace the motorcycle, thus making it possible for Paul to spend just one day per week calling on customers.

Blum Brothers Cheese Box Co., 1911
From the left: John A. Blum, holding his son Lester Paul and third from the left is Paul Lester Blum with a Derby hat. All the others standing are unidentified. Peter Blum Sr. (the father of John A. and Paul L.) is the team driver.
 
Paul made deliveries when he was not making sales calls or working a shift at the factory. Early deliveries were mainly made by horse and wagon, with some made by rail. The Blum Brothers made history in 1913 by purchasing a Sternberg two-ton, chain-driven truck made in Milwaukee; it was the first truck to be operated in the area. Paul drove the truck for the first year. While this method speeded up box deliveries, considerable grief was encountered operating such heavy equipment over the narrow and un-graveled roads and on the grassy areas around cheese factories. Poor road conditions made it necessary, on occasion, to be pulled out by a horse team. It also was difficult to pass or meet horse-drawn vehicles. Horses were not used to trucks or cars. It was common practice, when a horse showed signs of shying, for the truck driver to stop the machine and lead the horse past, while getting a tongue-lashing from the driver of the team for operating such a contraption on the public highways!

BOOM TIMES
By 1913 the enterprise had grown sufficiently to purchase the property at Cedar and Bakerville Streets, and to add a second story on the factory building for needed additional space. The added space was used to install up-to-date machinery, such as automatic nailing machines, and a large boiler. Changes were coming rapidly and the brothers continued to keep up with the increased demand for their product through plant expansions and manufacturing innovations.
 
World War I created an enormous demand for food from the U.S., especially cheese. By mid-1915 the business had already outgrown the two-story building erected at Cedar and Bakerville Streets. Accordingly, on June 1, 1915, Blum Brothers Box Company purchased the Sanitary Mattress & Hammock Company on West 9th Street. This gave them five times the floor space, plus railroad facilities. They began making alterations to make it suitable for box-making, and during the winter of 1915 and 1916 equipment was moved to the new quarters. The old plant was torn down and the building materials salvaged were used to build a garage and barn at the new location. The business continued to grow and many more employees were added.

Blum Brothers Box Company Employees, Marshfield, Wisconsin.
From left to right: Louis Salter, Vernon Blum, Lester Blum, John A. Blum, Ed Deering and Arthur Nuhlicek.
 
Having abundant room and power at the new quarters, the firm decided on a new venture in late 1916 and early 1917. The firm purchased the necessary equipment and began manufacturing butter tubs. World War I had created a great demand for cheese boxes and butter tubs. The success of the new butter tub business, combined with the already prosperous cheese box business, led to further expansion. More and newer machinery was added during 1917 and 1918.

In September of 1919, Paul and John Blum, along with Fred Beell and Ed Witt, formed a corporation under the name of Colby Cheese Box Company and purchased the plant and business of the Colby Cheese Box & Silo Company. This venture met with great success and eventually George J. Ley became the manager and part-owner.

During this period, the Blum Brothers Box Company turned out about 1,500,000 cheese boxes (in seven sizes) and about 400,000 butter tubs annually. These were handled directly from the factory to the consumer. The business was doing about $500,000 annually and employed approximately 100 employees. The plant was equipped with the most modern machinery and was electrically lighted. It consisted of a boiler, engine and machine shop, 30 x 60 feet; filing-room, 15 x 28; fuel room, 16 x 22; manufacturing room and dry kiln (two stories), 62 x 176; vat room, 16 x 18; office and warehouse, 50 x 100; garage; stable 20 x 40; and cut-off shed, 12 x 30.

In 1920 Paul, John and their brother-in-law, Joseph Merkel, founded a corporation called the Greenwood Manufacturing Company and built a small plant at Greenwood in Vernon County. The plant was a prosperous manufacturer of cheese boxes until 1938 when the operation was discontinued.
On April 21, 1921, the Blum Brothers Box Company partnership became a corporation, with Paul as president and John as secretary and treasurer. By that time the firm had grown to such an extent that they were serving 212 cheese factories and creameries, and were again experiencing a shortage of room and equipment.

Eight days after incorporation, on the 29th of April, the Blum Brothers Box Company was the scene of one of the most destructive fires in Marshfield. The fire broke out in the second story of the main building and did thousands of dollars worth of damage, confined principally to the building, machinery and finished stock, estimated at 100,000 cheese boxes. John Blum estimated the value of the plant and stock at $15,000, a large part of which was a loss, insured to the extent of 85 per cent. The fire was said to have started near a sawdust blower in the southeast part of the upper floor, and was discovered shortly after 8 o’clock. The Marshfield News-Herald reported that during the run to the fire, the brass cap from the hub of a rear wheel of the fire department’s hose cart was lost, supposedly between Seehafer’s corner and the factory. In later articles, the finder of this hub was requested to return it to the fire department station. By May 7th, plans for rebuilding had been made and preliminary work of reconstruction begun. The building was restored to the same form as before the fire, except that the ceiling was omitted in a portion of the upper story to provide more room for the storage of boxes. During the rebuilding process, the firm was able to fill all orders for boxes.
 
Butter Tubs...awaiting shipment.
 
In early 1922 they purchased the Miller Brothers property on West 9th St. and erected a modern factory building. This new factory was equipped with modern automatic machines for straight-line production of butter tubs only; many of these machines were designed and built by the Blum Brothers. This new property allowed a separation of the butter tub and cheese box operations, giving both divisions additional room for further expansion. Production increased threefold, from 1,000 butter tubs per day to nearly 3,500 per day in less than a year's time. Conversion and expansion of the old Miller warehouse would be done by the Krasin Brothers near the Omaha and Soo Lines' intersection. This proximity to the rail lines was necessitated by more than access to refrigerated rail cars for shipping the packed butter. Ray materials, specifically white ash, was needed to make the butter tubs, and white ash was the best because the "butter is easily tainted" by other kinds of wood. Due to the fact that the local supply was so shhort of what was needed, the Blum Factory had white ash shipped in from Tennessee and Arkansas in stave lengths, so that location by the two rail lines was desired from all angles of production.

In 1923, Paul, John and Peter Blum Sr. formed a corporation called Wisconsin Butter Tub Company. Paul Blum was president and treasurer, John A. Blum as secretary, and Peter Blum Sr. as vice-president. Paul served continuously as president until 1958. In 1925 the firm was joined by George Campbell, O. A. Neinas and L.A. Salter. In 1927, L.H. Schoenhofen joined the firm; and in 1937 came R. L. Hines, a very good machinist and self-taught engineer.
The company was growing rapidly and the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Butter Tub Company decided it would be necessary for the company to establish a plant somewhere along the Pacific coast, where Sitka spruce wood was readily available. This material was much lighter than the white ash that had been used, and was also a tasteless wood. In August 1926, Paul L. Blum and T. T. Comstock, the company’s Minnesota representative, and their wives headed west. After much investigating, they found a site at Marysville, Washington.

On June 28, 1926, the Board of Directors passed a resolution which authorized the purchase of the plant, equipment and real estate of the Mutual Shingle Company in Marysville, Washington. The Pacific Woodenware Company was formed for the manufacture of Sitka spruce butter tub staves and headings. Three rail-cars of staves were shipped each week to the Marshfield plant where the tubs were assembled and distributed throughout the nation. The new company was headed by Paul L. Blum as its president, Leo H. Schoenhofen as vice-president, H. A. Brokaw as secretary and manager, and John A. Blum as treasurer.

In 1929, the Great Depression began. During the period from 1930 to 1935, none of the companies owned by the Blum Brothers enjoyed any expansion. They considered themselves lucky to be able to weather the economic storm.
In the fall of 1935, the Blum Brothers, along with four other box manufacturers, organized a corporation under the name of Wisconsin Cheese Box Corporation. The corporation purchased a plant in Richland Center, Richland Company, and operated it profitably until 1938 when the plant was sold.
In 1937, the Colby Cheese Box Company purchased the plant and equipment of the Stanley Woodenware Company of Stanley in Chippewa County. In April 1939 the plant was completely destroyed by fire. The company purchased the former Tronick Truck Factory, enlarged the buildings and equipped the plant with up-to-date cheese box machinery.

In May 1941 Blum Brothers Box Company acquired controlling interest in the Cheesemakers Manufacturing Company at Riplinger, in Clark Company In July, the plant was destroyed by fire. It was immediately rebuilt and newer machinery for the making of cheese boxes and scale boards was installed.
A series of strikes swept through the city in 1941. At both the Blum Brothers Plant on West Ninth Street and the Wisconsin Butter Tub Company, strikers halted production and shipments of goods as a way to gain attention to charges of unfair labor practices. Beginning in February 1937 Blum Brothers dismissed Bernard Hamm; he claimed it wa due to union organizing efforts, the company said it was irregular attendance and taking time off without permission. At the first level of action, the State Labor Board ordered Hamm accepted back at work with lost pay. On appeal, Blum Brothers won and Hamm was out.
Three years later, on June 17, 1941, workers at the Blum Brothers Factory claimed that there had been irregularities in the layoffs among workers; only those men unwilling to work overtime had been fired. Blum Brothers countered by saying that demands for containers had dropped and that layoffs reflected the company's response to a dwindling market. Tensions escalated, and a walkout occurred that closed down the factory. Striking employees demanded a closed shop under the jurisdiction of the Carpenters Union, a wage increase to $.35 and hour for a 40 hour/five-day week, and $.40 per hour at the end of nine months. Soon, 14 Wisconsin Butter Tub employees walked out and joined the pickets at Blum Brothers. Ultimately the strike ended after September, but not until several incidents that included pelting the shop foreman, Wilfred Reeths, with eggs, fruit and paint.

During World War II, Blum Brothers Box Company had as many as 100 employees until the war was over. About half the population of Marshfield had worked at making cheese boxes or butter tubs at one time or another. Continuing with the tradition of a family business, many family members were also employed. John’s children Marcille (Molly) Blum Nuhlicek, John Jake, Gordon William and Lester Paul, as well as Paul’s son Harold, worked in various aspects of the company.

Cheese boxes were delivered to southwestern Wisconsin and to upper and lower Michigan during the years, mostly by railroad. The butter tubs were shipped all over the United States, and even to foreign countries. Russia was a good customer, and for a time, they even demanded that the cheese not contain any salt because they figured that the salt contributed to product weight and transportation costs; this practice was eventually discontinued when it was learned that the cheese did not keep as well without the salt and a certain amount of salt is required in the cheese making process.
In 1947 the Pacific Woodenware Company purchased a large tract of standing timber on the Olympic Peninsula in the state of Washington where spar team logging operations were begun. It was a profitable venture, providing Pacific Woodenware a steady supply of necessary timber. In the latter part of the year, Paul invented and patented a new method of manufacturing butter tub staves using short-cut pine. This material was mostly waste from mill operations and was readily available near the Marshfield plant.

THE DECLINE

In 1936, John A. Blum contracted a severe case of "undulant fever" which lasted for a period of five years; as a result he developed a heart condition which made it difficult to carry on his work. His physicians advised him to get his affairs in order. On January 21, 1948, it was mutually agreed that, for health reasons, John A. Blum sell his interest in the Blum Brothers Box Company, the Colby Cheese Box Company, and the Cheesemakers Manufacturing Company to his brother Paul. It was also agreed that John would retain his interest in the Wisconsin Butter Tub Company and its subsidiary the Pacific Woodenware Company.

It was further agreed that the Pacific Woodenware Company would be liquidated, followed by the liquidation of the Wisconsin Butter Tub Company. The demand for butter tubs had dropped to a point as to make the operation unprofitable, and it was cheaper using Paul’s new patented process with readily available wood for making staves. The west coast timber holdings were sold in June 1948, followed by the sale of the plant at Marysville in February 1949.
John Blum died of a stroke on May 27, 1951, at the age of 61, thus ending a perfect, harmonious relationship of 41 years between the two brothers.
The cheese box plant in Stanley, which began operation in 1937, was closed in 1955. A rind-less cheese, shipped in fiberboard containers, resulted in a lack of demand for wooden boxes. The building was used for storing and distributing cheese boxes in that territory.

In 1956 Blum Brothers purchased a hot plate press and a veneer dryer for the manufacture of plywood. A 39 x 64-foot addition for this machinery was erected in 1957 to house this machinery, and they began to manufacture a new plywood cheese box which was much stronger. This new design was also engineered and patented by Paul Blum. The company held over 27 patents. By this time, the Wisconsin Butter Tub Company was the only company of its kind left in the United States. The 2,000 tubs which daily rolled off the assembly line were even better-made than the tubs the company produced when they were used for butter and cheese. During the ‘50s, the majority of tubs produced by the Wisconsin Butter Tub Company were used for purposes other than butter. Most of the tubs were used by various industries for the storing of fish, cheese, pickles, mince-meat, shortening, crockery and ice. They were also used by more than 900 artists throughout the country who decorated the tubs and sold them as children’s toy boxes, magazine containers, wastebaskets, sewing kits and fireplace wood boxes.

In 1958, the Wisconsin Butter Tub Company sold the building and land on West 9th Street. The tub-making machinery was sold to Algoma Wood Industries, Inc., Algoma, Wisconsin.

The Cheesemakers Manufacturing Company in Riplinger, operated by Blum Brothers since 1941, was closed in 1960. The equipment was moved to the Blum Brothers Box Company in Marshfield.
After 50 years as president of Blum Brothers Box Company, Paul L. Blum retired from the business on June 1, 1960. In March two new members were elected to the Board of Directors; Evelyn Blum Buss, secretary, and Florence Blum Knott, vice-president, both Paul’s daughters, along with their brother Harold constituted the board. A new office of Chairman of the Board was created, to which Paul was elected.

Due to the lack of demand for cheese boxes over the years, the board decided to liquidate the business and this was done by June 1972. The property was sold to Modern of Marshfield.

OTHER BUSINESS INTEREST

In March 1921, Blum Brothers Box Company purchased a one-quarter section of land in the Town of Grant, Clark County. This land was used for logging operations, supplying the company with lumber.

On September 12, 1921, Paul, John, and Peter Blum Sr. formed the Palace Garage Company. Paul was president of the corporation, John served as vice-president, and Peter Blum Jr. was secretary, treasurer and manager. The garage business was located at 517 S. Central Ave., where the Baltus Car Wash is now located. It included agencies for Hudson and Essex; six months later the Buick Agency was purchased from C. E. Blodgett, which was a master dealership and covered seven counties and 12 sub-dealers.

The Palace Garage Company flourished until April 1927 when a fire destroyed the main garage building. The business was discontinued, and the property rented to an oil company for a filling station. In September 1932 the property was sold to Blum Brothers Box Company, and it remained a filling station until 1945 when it was sold.

In July 1928, Blum Brothers purchased a farm in the Town of Grant which adjoined the land purchased seven years earlier for logging operations. An additional farm was purchased in 1945. The 320-acre farm raised purebred Guernsey cattle. The farm was sold, including personal property and 121 head of cattle, in 1947.

THE MEN

Peter L, John A. and Paul L. Blum
 
John Blum was married to Phillipina "Bena" Rauch, daughter of William and Amelia Rauch, of Campbellsport, on April 28, 1908. They made their home at 104 East Bakerville Street. They had nine children: Lester, born April 28, 1910; Marcille, September 19, 1911; Gordon, July 14, 1913; Irene, May 20, 1915; John Jr., June 12, 1918; Vernon, Dec. 25, 1919; Vivian, May 15, 1921; Donald, July 22, 1926; and Audry, Sept. 13, 1929.
Paul married another of William Rauch’s daughters, as did all the Blum Brothers. Paul Blum was married to Otelia Rauch on June 6, 1911; Peter Blum to Rose Rauch on June 1, 1916; and Jacob Blum to Lillian Rauch on July 14, 1916.

Paul and Otelia made their first home on South Maple Street, near the Blum Brothers Box Company, after their marriage. On July 28, 1912, their daughter Evelyn was born. Their second daughter, Florence, was born July 31, 1914. In the fall of 1918, Paul and his family purchased a home on Park Street, and on December 24th a son, Harold, was born. Paul’s recreational interests included bowling in the early years; fishing and hunting continuously. In 1924 he began to play golf and won many prizes and trophies.

Paul Blum also had an impact on his community. He was instrumental in starting the Central Wisconsin Cheese, Butter & Dairy Advancement Association in 1916, and served as treasurer for the association’s first four years. In 1919 he was one of five members appointed to the Marshfield Water & Light Commission, and was elected to the board of directors of the Marshfield Building & Loan, a position he held continuously for 35 years. In 1921 he was elected as a director of the Marshfield Vocation and Adult School Board, and served as the board’s president from 1922 to 1939. Paul was elected director of the First National Bank in 1923, and beginning in 1928 served as its vice-president and chairman of the discount committee for four years. He served on the Hospital Board from 1928-1938, and on the Library Board from 1928-1939. In 1938 he was elected president of the Wisconsin Cheese Box Institute, and also of the Wisconsin Cooperative Box Company. Paul died on October 3, 1969, at the age of 80.

This document is a compilation of an original document by Harold Blum documenting the Blum Bros. Box CO and the Wisconsin Butter Tub CO., the Memoirs of Paul Lester Blum, news sources, The Marshfield History Project, and individual recollections.

About the collaborators: Douglas Severt, the second son of Norman and Irene (Blum) Severt, along with his wife Joyce, are avid genealogists making sure the family history is preserved for future generations. Doug, Joyce and their son make their home in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Doug’s mother was John A. Blum’s second daughter.
Victoria Blum Mothes is the eldest daughter of Richard and Marjorie (Koenig) Blum. Vicki is also an avid genealogist. She resides in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, with her husband Lee Walter (Rusty) Mothes and their three daughters. Her father, Richard, is the second son of John A. Blum’s eldest child, Lester.