Point Reyes Light - October 3, 2002

Tomales Bay Cheese label moved but lives

By Andrea Blum

The year 1924 was just yesterday for Frank Peluso. The 88-year-old man recalls with clarity making jack cheese with his father in Tomales. Though their family cheese factory has since closed, the memories areas clear and as open as the vast hills and shores of his youth.

Peluso fondly recalls the ice cream parlor, the McCulla family across the street, sled riding down the dry grassy hills, riding the narrow gauge railroad and playing on Dillion Beach.

"We were the only one’s in town with lights," he said. "We lived above Dr. Graham who had a generator."

Move to Tomales

Peluso vividly recalls when the family moved to Tomales from Los Banos to open the New Sonoma Creamery, where they produced a prized California original cheese.

Although the family later went back to Los Banos in the Central Valley, they didn’t forget to take a piece of West Marin with them. They still produce Teleme under the Tomales Bay Brand. Their teleme cheese is currently sold at Tomales Bay Foods in Point Reyes Station.

"In those day’s we had no refrigeration, we got the milk in the early morning and evening because it wouldn’t keep otherwise," said Peluso. "We bought milk from surrounding dairies and made a Monterey jack and dry jack cheese."

The Peluso’s also operated a dairy in Nicasio.

"Back then, the trip from Tomales to Nicasio wasn’t as close as it is today, the milk would spoil," referring to a time when automobile travel was scarce and good roads even scarcer.

Peluso’s cousins, the Albini’s, took over the family dairy operation and after many years left the business in West Marin.

Still nostalgic

"We had to close down sometime before the [World War II], we couldn’t follow all the governments rules" said Peluso.

Now, settled in Los Banos, Peluso still gets nostalgic about his childhood in West Marin, and looks no further than the cheese label to remind him. "I visited the area [Tomales a few] years ago and I had such a good time, I have such good memories," Peluso told The Light.

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