This Minnesota City No Longer Lives Up to its Historical Nickname

Minnesota has gone through a lot of changes since its founding in 1858, and the same goes for the state's biggest cities. One city in particular stands out as no longer living up to its original nickname.

Over a century ago, Minnesota was best known for timber, iron ore mining, and flour milling. These industries helped give birth to a city once known as the “Flour Milling Capital of the World.”

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Why Minneapolis Became a Milling Giant

At its peak in the early 1900s, Minneapolis had over 34 mills producing more than 17 million barrels of wheat each year on the banks of the Mississippi River. This booming industry earned the city the nickname “Mill City.”

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Several factors helped propel Minneapolis into this role. The only natural waterfall on the Mississippi River, St. Anthony Falls, allowed mills to be powered by water. Meanwhile, farms across Minnesota and the Dakotas kept the mills running year-round with a steady grain supply.

Minneapolis-based companies like Washburn-Crosby (which later became General Mills) and Pillsbury developed new processes that produced higher quality flour than their competition.

The Mills Have Gone Silent

Fast-forward to today, and Minneapolis can no longer be called the Mill City. All the flour mills have either been torn down or repurposed into commercial or residential buildings.

One historic mill still stands as a monument to that era. The Mill City Museum now occupies what was once the world’s largest flour mill, the Washburn “A” Mill.