11/01/2025
Have you heard about the Butter Margarine War that occurred from the late 1880’s until 1950 when the federal government taxed margarine to make it less competitive? And did you know that some of this scandalous margarine churned out from a factory located in Huntley? The factory was owned by the John F. Jelke Company and was in barrel-deep during this very war.
The shelf stable substitute-to-butter concept originated by a request from Napoleon III. It was two French scientists who brought this substitute to fruition. Mr. Chevreul discovered the margaric fatty acid. Yet, it was French chemist Mr. Mège-Mouriès, using this newly discovered fatty acid along with other ingredients, who invented a substance called Oleomargarine that won the prize in 1868. Oleomargarine had the texture of butter, did not melt at room temperature, but was pearl-white in color. If you added yellow color to Oleomargarine, a person might even mistake the two products as the same. Before a year’s time, this product had arrived State-side. Since it was much cheaper to make and was a viable substitute for butter; margarine became a big threat/problem for the butter industry.
John F. Jelke first started out working with his dad who was a merchant of butter, cheese, eggs and etc. His dad’s business (F. Jelke & Son) was one of the first American companies to sell this new substance. John’s belief was that there was a vast market for margarine. In 1889, he and two partners created the company Braun & Fitts Co. but as producers, not merchants. In three years, John Jelke bought out his partners and changed the company name to the John F. Jelke Company. The company expanded the production facilities from Chicago out to Huntley, Illinois in 1912 when
they purchased the Cornell plant in Huntley (and a factory in Harmony). The Huntley production facility produced Good Luck Margarine as well as evaporated and condensed milk. This Jelke plant closed in 1930 due to the combination of factors such as a prolonged deflation in the market, surplus of product, and because John F. Jelke had decided it just might be time to retire.
During the 18 years the Jelke plant was in operation in Huntley; we find the Jelke name was part of the community. Huntley had a basketball team called “Jelke Good Luck Five” and was pretty competitive. 
The John F. Jelke company participated in parades and made significant improvements and expansions to the plant. At one point, they even created a shutout as the sole purchaser of all the Huntley area dairy farmers’ liquid milk contracts; not allowing the competitor(s) opportunity. The John F. Jelke Company helped Huntley achieve the reputation of being the Dairy Capital of Illinois despite his margarine bias.
After the Margarine Act of 1950 removed the obstacles to selling colored margarine, yearly per capita consumption of margarine steadily increased. By 1958, the average American ate more margarine per year than butter. Wisconsin did not repeal their statewide ban until 1967. So, when you see margarine or butter know Huntley was mixed in well with this part of history no matter which spread you choose.