New England's Market during the 18th and 19th Centuries : Overview

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, cheesemaking progressed greatly as it began to play a large role in supporting Vermont's economy. The legacy of Ethan and Ira Allen will live on forever in Vermont; what is not as well known is the story of one of their brothers, Levi Allen, and how his work strengthened the state's economy, which would further promote the work of Vermont's craftsmen.

However, with the rise of the cheese market in Vermont also came some challanges, due to the lack of technology at the time. Although man has found ways to refrigerate goods for centuries, the modern refrigeration that is seen today did not appear until the 1900's. The lack of advanced technology, when combined with a worker's mistake, could result in negative consequences. For example, there are instances of suppliers facing difficulties with the transportion aspect, as seen in the Smith Wright letters, which describe how one such mistake can cause health problems in a small community, when faulty storage during hot August weather turns a shipment of cheese bad.

As time goes on, the transportation of dairy is refined and by 1875, the Vermont Dairymen's Association Annual Report features new acknowledgements regarding the time it takes cheese to ripen, as well as determining the best time to transport the cheese, so that it is at its peak, when it gets to the consumer’s hands.