Wyoming's Star Valley, known as the "Little Switzerland of America," is a valley floor dotted with neat farms surrounded by steep, rugged mountains. The area's many dairy herds and dairy products enhance its claim to the European title.

Dairying is the principle industry in the valley and dates back to the earliest settlement. Family cows provided milk, butter and cheese for the table. Through the ingenuity, thrift and industry of the hardy settlers, their products soon exceeded their own consumption, so in 1889, a creamery was established. This provided a modest beginning for a lasting industry. Star Valley now produces more milk than any other area in the state and is widely known for its fine cheese and dairy products.

The Mormons built their first Star Valley settlement on the Wyoming-Idaho state line. Because they could travel easily from one state to the other, the hamlet was known as Freedom. Another western boundary spot was called Border and one village took its name from literature - since it reminded a Star Valley Mormon of Goldsmith's poem, The Deserted Village, he called it Auburn.