In 1835, Colonel Thomas S. Meacham wanted to give the president of the United States a present that celebrated the achievements of his upstate New York farming community. Believing that big is always better, he decided a colossal, legen-dairy gift was in order: a wheel of cheese measuring four feet in diameter, two feet thick, and weighing 1,400 pounds. Transporting the cheese to Washington D.C. was another big undertaking. It traveled by wagon and...