Byline: Lee Svitak Dean; Staff Writer

John Meyenberg had a vision - and a business plan. The Swiss immigrant came to America to sell the idea of turning the canning process into a company that preserved food, what he called a "condensary." Investors quickly lined up in the town of Highland, Ill., and Helvetia Milk Condensing Co. was founded a short time later, named after the Latin word for Switzerland.

The preserved milk was intended to serve three markets: as a substitute for fresh milk for areas with little refrigeration or scarce supplies; as a safe, wholesome and convenient baby food, and as an ingredient in recipes. After marketing the milk under numerous brands, the company trademarked "Our Pet" in 1895. Later the product became Pet Evaporated Milk. Its popularity took off during the Spanish-American War in 1898, when American troops were served the milk and later carried the memories home. In 1933, Erma Proetz developed recipes for the product and created a radio personality - Mary Lee Taylor - who offered twice-weekly recipes and homemaker tips. The program lasted for two decades and received more than 8 million requests for recipes and information; its first recipe was for pumpkin pie filling.