Joseph F. Steinwand in 1885 developed a new type of cheese at his father's cheese factory near Colby, Wisconsin. The cheese was named after the village, which had been founded three years earlier. While Colby cheese is still available for sale, it is no longer produced in its native Colby, Wisconsin. A festival commemorating the cheese is held every year in mid-July where all local food booths offer free Colby cheese.
Longhorn is the best known style of the American Colby cheeses. "Longhorn" refers to the long orange cylindrical shape of the cheese. Colby is available in both its original shape and in rectangles and half rounds. Colby is not aged and dries out quickly