| Year |
Event |
Description |
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1866 |
First Flour Mill by C.C. Washburn |
During 1866, Cadwallader C. Washburn
entered the milling business, building a flour mill on the Mississippi River at
St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The mill was a six-story stone
structure, with 12 pairs of millstones that had a daily capacity of 840
barrels.
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1877 |
Washburn, Crosby & Company formed.
(Became General Mills, Inc. in 1928) |
1877 brought the formation of Washburn,
Crosby and Company by Cadwallader C. Washburn, his brother William D. Washburn
and John Crosby, who was married to a sister of Mrs. William D. Washburn. The
company was organized to manage the operation of the Washburn B mill.
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| 1880 |
Superlative Flour Awarded the Gold
Medal |
In early summer, Washburn Crosby
participated in the first Miller's International Exhibition, held in
Cincinnati, Ohio. Attended by millers from around the world, the exhibition
offered awards for the best flour shown. Washburn, Crosby took the three top
prizes: the Bronze Medal for "Parisian Flour, the Silver Medal for "Extra"
Flour and the Gold for "Superlative" Flour. After winning the esteemed award,
Washburn, Crosby began using "Gold Medal" as the brand name on the firm's best
grade of flour.
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Miss Parloa’s Cookbook distributed by
Washburn, Crosby |
Also during 1880, Washburn, Crosby
offered its customers a cookbook for the first time. While traveling on the
East Coast, a company executive and his wife bought a large quantity of Miss
Parloa's Cookbook. Copyright laws were not as they are today and Washburn,
Crosby simply imprinted its own company identification on the cookbooks. (A
number of recipes included in that cookbook are still Gold Medal favorites
today: Steamed Brown Bread, Parker House Rolls, Plum Pudding, Jumbles, White
Fruit Cake, Pound Cake, Gingerbread and Sally Lunn.
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1903 |
First Gold Medal Cookbook |
Between 1903 and 1925, numerous
editions of the Gold Medal Flour Cook Book were printed. The cook- book
contained over 1,000 flour recipes.
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1905 |
Flour packaging changes to cloth bags |
A major change in the packaging of
flour occurred Iii 1905. Traditionally flour was packed in barrels, each
weighing 196 pounds. The new trend was for millers to use large, hand—sewn
fabric bags.
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1907 |
"Eventually – Why Not Now?" advertising
campaign for Gold Medal Flour
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During this year, Washburn, Crosby
launched its long-running advertising slogan, "Eventually-Why Not Now?" B.S.
Bull, the company's advertising manager, is credited with the creation of the
slogan. As the story goes, he was editing a wordy text about the superior
quality of Gold Medal Flour and found, that when he was finished he had edited
out all the words except 4: “Eventually." He then added, "Why Not Now?" Having
had this brilliant idea, he was struck with self-doubt and tossed the paper
into the wastebasket. It was said to have been found by a young member of the
firm, James Ford Bell, who later became the first president of General Mills,
Inc. (The slogan was used on billboards, company trucks, train cars, flour bags
and in the company's printed advertisements, appearing as late as the early
1950's. Other companies adopted the slogan as their own; it was seen in
political cartoons; the slogan was the title for a Sunday sermon; and it even
appeared as the front-page headline of the Cincinnati Times-Star with a
small-print notation, "With apologies to Gold Medal Flour.")
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1915 |
Flour packed in paper bags |
During WWI, the scarcity of fabric
further intensified the need for new flour packaging. Small paper bags were
used and the Harding tying machine was invented to automatically close and tie
the paper bags with twine.
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1920 |
Gold Medal Self-rising Flour & Gold
Medal High Protein Flour introduced
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In 1920, Gold Medal Self-Rising Flour
and Gold Medal High Protein Flour introduced. Gold Medal High Protein Flour was
discontinued in November, 1974 and later re-introduced in October 1979 as Gold
Medal Better for Bread Flour.
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Cooking Schools sponsored throughout
the nation
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Also in 1921, the company expanded its
commitment to consumer services and product quality by sponsoring cooking
schools across the country and employing a trained home economist to carefully
test its gold-medal winning flour. Within two years, the consumer demand for
baking information, fueled by the popularity of Betty Crocker, necessitated an
increase in the staff of home economists to 21. This was the beginning of the
Home Service Department and, ultimately, the Betty Crocker Kitchens.
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1923 |
Gold Medal Products Company formed
& Gold Medal Cake Flour introduced
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During this year, Washburn, Crosby
established the Gold Medal Products Company to develop new products for the
company. One of its first products was Gold Medal Cake Flour, introduced to
fill the need for a distinctly superior cake flour for home use. |
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1925 |
"Kitchen-tested" first used
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This year brought a news program of
testing for Gold Medal Flour and the addition of "Kitchen-tested" to the name.
The company's home economists tested the flour in typical baked products as it
was produced and verified its quality before it was shipped from the company
for sale to consumers.
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1928 |
General Mills, Inc. Company formed
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On June 24, under the leadership of
James Ford Bell of Washburn, Crosby, General Mills, Inc. was formed. The new
company was composed of all the mills constructed or purchased by Washburn,
Crosby and Company since 1866 plus the Red Star Milling Company of Kansas and
Royal Milling Company, Kalispell Flour Mills Company and Rocky Mountain
Elevator Company, all of Montana.
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| 1929 |
Sperry Flour joins General Mills, Inc.
|
Also in 1929, more milling firms joined
General Mills, Inc. including the Sperry Flour Company of California, Utah,
Oregon and Washington; the Kell group of mills in Oklahoma and Texas; El Reno
Mill and Elevator Company and the Perry Mill and Elevator Company, all of
Oklahoma; and Larrowe Milling Company of Ohio and Michigan. The oldest was
Sperry, founded in 1852, and the largest was Washburn, Crosby.
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Free, silver-plated teaspoon offer
tucked into Wheaties cereal and Gold Medal Flour Products
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From a single, free-teaspoon offer in
1931 sprang one of the longest running mail-order promotions in the nation. A
coupon inserted into Gold Medal Flour Products and Wheaties cereal boxes could
be returned for a pretty, free teaspoon.
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1941 |
Flour Enrichment Began
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During the year, Gold Medal Flour was
enriched to bring the thiamine content up to the level of the whole wheat
grain. Also added were calcium and iron. This enrichment came as the result of
diet studies in 1940 which showed that millions of Americans were suffering
from inadequate diets. General Mills had discovered earlier that it was
possible to enrich flour and in 1940 had started producing Vibic Flour which
was enriched. General Mills joined with government authorities and
nutritionists to pool their knowledge of flour enrichment. Standards were
established and the enrichment program was on its way to being accepted.
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1943 |
One-bowl Cake Method introduced
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Gold Medal Flour introduced a new
streamlined method for making cakes which cut mixing time in half. Gold Medal
advertisements noted that the new method used only one mixing bowl and
eliminated creaming and separate beating of eggs. Dry ingredients were sifted
together; then shortening and liquid were added, all in the same mixing bowl.
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1946 |
Gold Medal "Kitchen – Tested" Flour
withdrawn from market (marketed again in 1947)
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In February, Gold Medal Flour was
withdrawn from the market because of the War Food Order Number 144 issued by
the government. This regulation, issued to make existing supplies of wheat go
further, required millers to extract 80% of the wheat kernel (68% to 72% was
normally used) which produced a coarser, darker flour. The Gold Medal
"Kitchen-tested" Flour trademark was not used on the new product since it did
not meet the company's quality standards for the product. (Gold Medal Flour was
again available in 1947 when the regulation was lifted.)
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| 1948 |
Pastry Flour
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General Mills did produce and market a
pastry flour. It was available in retail stores on the West Coast during the
1940's to late 1960's or early 1970's. It was named Sperry Pastry Flour-
unbleached. Also marketed was Sperry Cake and Pastry Flour Bleached. General
Mills, Inc. does continue to produce a pastry flour for restaurants and
bakeries, available in 50-pound bags.
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1961 |
"No-Sift" Flour announced
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In September, Gold Medal Flour
introduced a new approach to baking with the announcement that sifting of flour
was no longer necessary. The sifting of flour dated back to an attempt to make
the measurement of flour in recipes as consistent from person to person as
possible to insure the successful outcome of recipes. General Mills conducted
extensive research with consumers to determine their attitudes about sifting
flour, how they measured flour and what impact different measuring approaches
had on the final baked product. Based on the research, it was found that
sifting was not required and more consistent results could be achieved by
dipping the measuring cup into the flour and leveling it off.
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1963 |
Gold Medal Wondra instantized flour
introduced
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In May, Gold Medal Wondra Instantized
Flour was introduced. It was an all-purpose flour in a revolutionary new
granular form. It was made by a process of agglomeration of small flour
particles to make a more uniform instantized product. There were no chemical
additions in the processing and the baking characteristics of all-purpose flour
were not changed. Wondra had the same nutritional food value as any other
enriched flour and was made of a specially selected blend of wheats to make it
suitable for all types of baking. Wondra. was particularly useful for making
lump-free sauces and gravies because it dispersed instantly in cold liquids. It
poured freely and evenly and measured the same, cup after cup, because of its
controlled uniformity. Wondra was also dust-free. (The name was later changed
to Wondra Quick- Mixing Flour.)
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1964 |
Gold Medal Wondra Flour Pour ‘n Shake
container introduced (labeled "Sauce ‘n Gravy in January, 1986) |
In June, Wondra Instantized Flour was
introduced in a 13.5 ounce Pour 'n Shake container. The convenient, round
cardboard cylinder had a plastic tip with a slot for pouring and measuring, it
also had holes for shaking. (The Pour 'n Shake container was labeled "Sauce 'n
Gravy" in January, 1986.)
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Gold Medal Wondra instantized
self-rising flour introduced
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In August, Wondra Instantized
Self-Rising Flour was introduce only in the Southeastern United States, it had
salt and baking powder blended with the flour. (Wondra Self-Rising Flour was
later discontinued.)
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1972 |
Gold Medal Unbleached Flour & Gold
Medal Whole Wheat Flour introduced
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In August, two new Gold Medal specialty
flours were introduced. They were Gold Medal Unbleached Flour and Gold Medal
Whole Wheat Flour. Unbleached Flour was an all-purpose flour which had not gone
through the bleaching or maturing process which whitens flour and enhances its
baking properties. Whole - Wheat Flour was made from the wheat bran, germ and
endosperm portions of the complete wheat kernel. It was milled to an even,
medium-fine granulation.
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1979 |
Gold Medal Better for Bread Flour
reintroduced (taken off the market in 1974)
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In October, Gold Medal Better for Bread
Flour was reintroduced. It was made from a special blend of wheat higher in
protein than the wheat used in all-purpose flour. The protein in the wheat
provided gluten which gave the structure-building properties required in baked
products and particularly in those made with yeast as a leavening agent. Better
for Bread Flour absorbed greater quantities of water and had a more elastic
dough handling characteristic than all-purpose flour. It also contained a small
amount of potassium bromate which produced better volume and crumb structure in
bread. (Formerly called High Protein Flour.)
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1980
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Gold Medal 100th anniversary
& Gold Medal Century of Success Cookbook
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Gold Medal "Kitchen-Tested" Flour
celebrated its 100th anniversary. As part of the anniversary celebration, the
Gold Medal Century of Success Cookbook was published. The cookbook was a
collection of the best Gold Medal recipes of 100 years. (The cookbook name was
later changed to Betty Crocker Baking - Classics when it was published in a
hard-cover edition.)
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1984 |
Gold Medal Whole Wheat Blend Flour
introduced
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In August, General Mills introduced a
brand new product, Gold Medal Whole Wheat Blend Flour. It was an entirely new
concept in whole wheat baking. It was made with approximately equal portions of
whole wheat flour and unbleached all-purpose flour, offering the nutrition of
whole wheat and the versatility of all-purpose flour. The premixed blend could
be used in almost any recipe in place of all-purpose flour without adaptation.
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1985 |
Gold Medal Wondra Flour’s 13.5 ounce
Pour ‘n Shake container was labeled "Sauce ‘n Gravy"
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In December, Gold Medal Wondra Flour's
13.5-ounce Pour 'n Shake container was labeled "Sauce 'n Gravy
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Gold Medal Wondra Flour 2-pound box
introduced
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In January, Gold Medal Wondra Flour's
2- and 5-pound sacks were repositioned on the market and a 2-pound (32-ounce)
box was introduced.
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1987 |
Gold Medal Wondra Flour 50 pound bag
replaces 75 pound bag
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In January, Gold Medal Wondra
Instantized Flour in the 75- pound food service size bag was replaced with a
50-pound bag. This size was sold to food services outlets, (example: Aslesen's
in Minneapolis). Consumers could purchase at those outlets which offer a
consumer "cash and carry" service, or through some wholesale stores or clubs.
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| 1989 |
General Mills changes recommendation in
measuring flour
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After 20 years of recommending the "dip
& level" method of measuring flour, beginning in October of 1989 General
Mills now recommended the "spoon & level" method to ensure more accurate
measuring by avoiding packing too much flour in the measuring cup. The
recommendation appears on flour packages, but not on individual recipes.
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1992
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Gold Medal All-Purpose White Wheat
Flour available in 25 pound bag
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As of September 1992, Gold Medal
All-Purpose White Wheat Flour is available in 25-pound bag. All-Purpose White
Wheat Flour in now available in 2-, 5-, 10- and 25-pound bags.
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1995
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Sperry Organic Flour introduced
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General Mills Bakery Flour introduces a line of
organic wheat flours produced in a natural, pesticide-free environment. These
products are milled at the certified facility in Great Falls, Montana and meet
the rigid quality standards necessary to produce consistent, high quality
flour.
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| 1997
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General Mills begins affiliation with The Bread
Bakers Guild of America
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General Mills gains representation on The Bread
Bakers Guild of America Advisory Board. This signifies the beginning of an
increasing relationship with this non-profit organization dedicated to the
education and promotion of Artisan baking.
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| 1998
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Harvest King is launched nationally
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In response to the growing Artisan baking movement,
General Mills launched a 100% hard winter wheat flour which is sold under the
brand Harvest King. Harvest King is specially milled to provide the balance of
strength and tolerance needed for the long, slow fermentation that defines
Artisan baking.
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| 2000
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General Mills becomes platinum sponsor of The Bread
Bakers Guild of America
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General Mills further solidifies its role as a leader
and supporter of the Artisan trade by providing a platinum level sponosorship
to the Guild.
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| 2005
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General Mills hosts Bread Bakers Guild Team Team USA
practice sessions
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Bread Bakers Guild Team USA participated in a formal
practice event in preparation for the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie (World
Baking Cup) held every three years in Paris, France. The event took place in
the new Culinary Center at General Mills World Headquarters in February.
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| 2005
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Gold Medal 125th Anniversary
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June 8, 2005 marks the 125th anniversary of Gold
Medal flour.
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