In the last half of the 19th century, Wellington was the hub of the nation’s cheese-processing industry. The rich pasture lands of southern Lorain County, enterprising farmers, selective cattle breeding, and astute businessmen contributed to the success and prosperity of the “Cheese Empire.” The industry had an economic, social, and political impact on all of northern Ohio. As many as sixty cheese factories were managed from the Wellington area. The largest was the Horr-Warner Co., which shipped a record seven million pounds of cheese in 1878 to American and foreign markets.