Canal Fulton Cheese Factory

The Canal Fulton Cheese Factory was opened in 1912 by Fred Dahler and Jacob Berger. At the time Berger owned the Berger Cheese Factory in New Berlin (now known as North Canton) and Dahler was a manager at the factory. Like its counterpart in New Berlin, the Canal Fulton Cheese factory specialized in Brick Cheese. It operated out of the old location of St. John's Lutheran Church at 555 Market St W after the church relocated to its current location at 336 Market St W. After the building was purchased by Dahler and Berger, Milk Storage was in the still-existing former church while a separate no-longer-existing building was erected in which the cheese was produced. It is not clear how long the cheese factory operated, but the former church was for some time a duplex and is now a single-family home.

Excerpt from a 1923 fire insurance map showing milk storage building and cheese factory.

Excerpt from a 1911 fire insurance map showing the church. As can be seen in relation to the 1923 image, the steeple was removed at some point following its deconsecration.

Fred Dahler

Fred Dahler immigrated from Seftigen, Switzerland in 1905 to work at Jacob Berger's cheese factory in North Canton. At some point between 1913 and 1924 he bought out the North Canton factory while continuing to run the factory in Canal Fulton. In 1924 Fred traveled home to Switzerland to visit his father and conduct some business.