Milling

Nebraska's soil and climate is well suited to growing both corn and wheat. For as long as these staples have been grown in Nebraska, mills processed them.

Front, L. to R.: Little Hatchet Flour, Zwonechek & Aksamit Milling Co., Wilber & DeWitt; Red Cloud Roller Mills, Red Cloud; Uncle Sam Cereal, U.S. Mills, Omaha; Miller Cereal Mills, Omaha; Kingfalfa Mills, Nebraska City

The Neligh Mill is a well-preserved example of a mill that had a long lifespan manufacturing products from locally grown crops. John Neligh began construction on the water-powered mill in 1873 and, although the mill had a series of owners over the years, it consistently produced fine products such as "No-All Chick Food" and "Magic Self Rising Pancake Flour." Flour milling ceased by the late 1950s, but livestock feeds were in full production until the mill closed in 1969.

Today you can visit the Neligh Mill State Historic Site in Neligh and see the only nineteenth century mill in Nebraska with its original equipment still intact.

Milling
Upper left: Gooch Milling letterhead; Sewing with Gooch bags booklet
Right, top to bottom: Mother's Best flour bag: Courtesy: Steve Holen, Overton
Consolidated Mills needle holder (above flour bag); Consolidated Mills toy train car; Consolidated Mills, Grand Island, postcard; Glade Company advertisement; Consolidated Mills, Grand Island, postcard; Nebraska Consolidated Mills paperclip; Nebraska Consolidated Mills booklet; Consolidated Mills, Grand Island, postcard: Above 8 items courtesy: Brandon and Sarah Headlee, Apple Valley, MN

The original Gooch Mill was established in Lincoln in 1908. Over the years a large complex of buildings and elevators grew in southwest Lincoln including Gooch Foods, a distributor of consumer food products, Gooch Feed Mill, a manufacturer of livestock and poultry feeds, and Gooch Milling and Elevator Company, which operates a flour mill, corn mill, and terminal grain elevators. All of these operations were acquired by Archer Daniels Midland in 1970.

Consolidated Mills, incorporated in 1919, took over operation of mills in Grand Island, Hastings, St. Edward, and Ravenna. Consolidated Mills launched its Duncan Hines Cake Mix brand in 1951, but sold it in 1956, and returned to basic milling operations. A flurry of acquisitions and internal expansion during the following decade led the company to change its name to ConAgra, which means "in partnership with the land." Today ConAgra is an international food company based in Omaha.
3 b&w photos courtesy: Wentworth Collection, Durham Western Heritage Museum, Omaha