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The Oertli family owned and operated dairy farms in Travis county for 78 years, from 1923-2001. Fridolin ‘Fritz’ Oertli was born in Ennenda, Switzerland and immigrated to Travis County in 1904 with his wife, Margaretha Schwendeler, and their first child. Fritz purchased his own farm at Lytton Springs near Lockhart and Buda where he was involved in the cattle business. Around 1923, Fritz began operating a dairy on 700 acres of property on Shoal Creek. The dairy moved to Cameron Road at Buttermilk Creek where Fritz and his wife lived the rest of their lives, Margaretha making Swiss Cheese and Fritz yodeling for guests. Three of Fritz’s children, Fritz Jr., Kaster, and Margaret, continued the dairy business after the death of their father. Fritz Jr. And Kaster stopped home delivery that had been practiced since the 1920s and sold their milk to superior dairies in Austin in 1950. In 1956, the Buttermilk Creek property was sold to developers, so Fritz Jr. and Kaster decided to split into individual dairies. Fritz Jr. Bought land east of Round Rock and operated his dairy until 1976. Kaster and his wife, Meta, moved to 12422 Dessau Road in North Austin where his son, Jerry Oertli, operated the dairy after kKaster’s death in 1962. The Oertli Dairy was Travis County’s last dairy farm, closing its doors in 2001. The Holstein cattle were sold because of declining milk prices, difficulty finding affordable labor and competition from large commercial dairies. The dairy property land was dedicated to the City of Austin as Oertli Park. The history of the Oertli family and dairy farm are a reminder of the once-prevalent dairy farms of central Texas. |
