Food Company General Mills Inc.

The company was founded by Cadwallader C. Washburn in 1856 as the Minneapolis Milling Company and had brewed a rivalry with Charles Pillsbury, another miller that was working in the same region during the time. Despite their differences, they came together to create an association for the Midwest to help improve the overall quality of their wheat, which eventually became the finest wheat in the United States.

Minneapolis Milling Company began with a single flour mill built in 1866 on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota and by 1874 had opened a second flour mill.

Cadwallader C. Washburn teamed up with John Crosby in 1877 to form the Washburn-Crosby Company. In 1880, the Washburn Crosby Company had created award-winning flour products named Gold Medal flour.

Washburn Crosby Company also created various brands and products throughout the early 1900s, including Betty Crocker and Bisquick.

In 1928, the Washburn-Crosby Company merged with 28 other mills to become General Mills. General Mills incorporated in 1928 and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in November of that year.

General Mills introduced its first ready-to-eat cereal, Whole Wheat Flakes, in 1921. It was renamed Wheaties in 1924. Since then, GM expanded their cereal brands to include Chex, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fiber One, Kix, and Total among others.

General Mills launched Cheerioats whole grain oats cereal in 1941. It was renamed Cheerios in 1945. In 2001, General Mills bought Pillsbury, finally uniting Minnesota’s two largest flour manufacturers. By 2010, GM was second only to Kellogg’s in market share, holding 14 percent of the market.
Food Company General Mills Inc.

Minneapolis Milling Company

Illinois congressman Robert Smith leased power rights to flour mills operating along Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River and helped found the Minneapolis Milling Company.

In 1856 Cadwallader C. Washburn (1818 – 1882), an attorney and lumber company owner of in Wisconsin purchased the Minneapolis Mill Company from Smith.

A year later Washburn cousin, Dorilus Morrison, entered into partnership with him.

The corporation chartered on February 27, 1856 had Smith as president. At the beginning company gained control of and leased the power rights of the water flowing over the St. Anthony Falls to nearby mill operation.

In 1866, then entrepreneur build his own incredibly large mill, fully persuaded that he could turn a profit there.

When John Crosby joined Washburn’s business in 1877 the company changed its name to the Washburn Crosby Company.

In 1880, after winning the gold, silver, and bronze medals at the first International Miller’s Exhibition, the Washburn Crosby Company changed the brand name of tis best flour to Gold Medal. The company went on to publish Washburn Crosby Co.’s New Cook Book in 1894 and in 1903 the Gold Medal Flour Cook Book.

By the time Washburn Crosby’s cooking demonstration were popular in the early 1920s, the company’s cookbook were out of print, yet demand hadn’t slowed for information on basic meal preparation, menu planning, grocery budgeting and cooking techniques.

On June 21, 1928 a consortium known as General Mills, Inc., was created. The assemblage was comprised of all 27 mill operations constructed or purchased by Washburn Crosby since 1866.
Minneapolis Milling Company

Cadwallader Colden Washburn and General Mills Company

Beginning in 1856, Cadwallader C. Washburn – a future Wisconsin governor (1872 – 1874) acting under his corporate designate, the Minneapolis Milling Company, gained control of and leased the power rights to the water flowing over the St. Anthony Falls to nearby mills operators.

In 1856, Washburn founded his own incredibly large mill, which began to mill four in 1866.

There Washburn, in partnership with John Crosby, built a mill along the Mississippi that came to be called ‘Washburn Folly’ because the locals found it difficult to believe that the flour from Midwestern spring wheat would ever catch on.

The company concentrated on promoting its signature product, Gold Medal flour. In 1928, the Washburn Mills Company soon to be renamed General Mills, introduced a cereal.

He introduced a wheat flake that became Wheaties in the 1920s, and is still popular today.

The cereal’s first connection with sports was not until 1933, when the slogan ‘The Breakfast of Champions’ emerged.

During World War II, General Mills emerged the good citizen as it adapted its Minneapolis facilities for the development and production of intricate torpedo directors for use by the Navy.

General Mills introduced many new cereals, including Trix (1954), Lucky Charms (1963) and Honey Nut Cheerios (1979).

In 2001, General Mills acquired the Pillsbury Company.
Cadwallader Colden Washburn and General Mills Company