Farmers in Athelstan established the first butter factory in Canada in 1873. Although this venture was short-lived, it served as the prototype for a growing number of similar creameries in Huntingdon County and elsewhere. Over the next few decades, the Quebec government encouraged the growth of a provincial dairy industry, most notably by founding specialized schools. These efforts, combined with the creation of the Société d’industrie laitière de la province de Québec and technical innovations, improved the quality of butter factory products and helped launch Quebec to the forefront of a developing Canadian dairy industry.