Louis Latzer was born in 1848 on a farm just south of Highland, was educated in the Highland public schools, and attended Illinois Industrial School, now the University of Illinois, for a time before returning to Highland in 1869 to run the family's farm. In 1887, he was elected the third president of Highland's Helvetia Milk Condensing Company. He delved into chemistry and bacteriology and succeeded in perfecting a process of condensation that improved the shelf life of canned milk. As a result, he became the originator of unsweetened, evaporated, sterilized milk. In 1923, the Helvetia Milk Condensing Company became the Pet Milk Company. He remained president of the company for 36 years, until his death in 1924. His widow and six children erected the Louis Latzer Memorial Public Library to his memory. Two of his daughters, Jennie Kaeser and Irma Gamble, rest next to him. The 1901 homestead Louis built is located at 1464 Old Trenton Road, just outside Highland, and the homestead was deeded to the Highland Historical Society.