Milling Around: Flour Mills in Evansville
Milling Around: Flour Mills in Evansville
Evansville's location on the Ohio River and Pigeon Creek made the city a good location for mills. In the early days, water provided mills with the power to generate energy to operate. When steam and electric mills entered the area, the Ohio River, historically important to the success of the city, continued to provide economical transportation. Mills helped move Evansville forward economically, and as time and technology advanced, provided flour well beyond southwestern Indiana. This article covers a few examples of Evansville's flour mills.
Igleheart Brothers mill on First Avenue. Note the name “Swans Down Flour” on the water tower. Developed by Addison Igleheart in 1894 it won the grand prize for cake flour at the 1904 World’s Fair, and this brand name still exists today.
Evansville's first mill dates to 1837 when David Negley built a grist mill to produce flour for local farmers and community members. The Negley Mill sat on Pigeon Creek near the Stringtown bridge and operated six days a week. At the mill, farmers could sell their crops, get the latest news and gossip, and socialize. Farmers would also bring their daughters to introduce to eligible young men in the area. It also became a place for local young men to show off their talents in games such as horseshoes, quiots, racing, and wrestling matches.
Igleheart Brothers mill was established in 1854 on the corner of Upper 5th and Locust Streets. Levi, Asa, and William Igleheart built their mill near the Wabash and Erie Canal, making shipments in and out of the area easier and cheaper. As Evansville continued to expand, the location of railways caused the mill to move to outer First Avenue. The mill became successful, and in 1916, it could store 400,000 bushels of wheat to produce Swans Down Cake Flour. The mill also produced flour to send to France during World War I. By 1921, the company expanded again, becoming the only electric mill in the Tri-State and built another warehouse to hold 10,000 barrels of flour. Five years later General Foods purchased the mill, continuing their operation until it closed in 1993.
Clements Reitz & Brothers flour mill (Clements, William & Joseph Reitz) began operation in 1858. Also known as Union Flour Mills, it operated at 400 Fulton Avenue. Henry Vahlberg purchased the mill in 1870, changing its name to the Great Western Flour Mills. By 1877, a larger mill was built at the corner of West Ohio Street and Ninth Avenue. This mill could produce 200 barrels of flour daily and created additional profit for the company. The same year a fire broke out in the mill, burning it to the ground as firefighters could only save the warehouse. This led to a financial crisis that forced the mill to close. In 1882, the Melrose Milling Company purchased the assets of the Great Western Flour Mills and though a fire the following year caused $20,000 worth of damage, the mill recovered to produce 700 barrels of flour daily by 1902. The Melrose Milling Company closed in 1920 after yet another fire damaged the building.
The Voges & Kreipke flour mill was located on the corner of East Pennsylvania Street and Third Avenue. Originally a feed store, in 1880 the mill transitioned to producing flour for additional income. In 1884, this operation moved to 2918 Upper Mt. Vernon Road, closing in 1892. A few years later, Henry Helfrich purchased the mill and continued production until he passed away. Subsequently, Henry Bender took over and operated until 1916.
In 1887, the Akin-Erskine Milling Company was established on the corner of Main and East Michigan Streets. This mill produced 450 barrels of Golden Rod Flour daily by 1902. In 1905, as it continued to grow, it changed locations to 1501-21 East Illinois Street. After one year, the new site produced 2,000 barrels daily. The mill was successful until a fire broke out in 1920, forcing the Akin-Erskine Milling Company to declare bankruptcy.
The Nunn Milling Company was founded by Charles E. Nunn in 1926. The mill solely produced baking flour until the 1930s, when it started milling poultry and livestock feeds to service farmers in the area. This new product caused the mill to seek out more grain elevators to store the material for their new goods. In 1949, the company began producing dog and cat food, which became the mill’s bestselling product. The Nunn Milling Company continues to operate today making 30 products including cat food, dog food, and bird feed which are sold in many parts of the United States.
The Akin-Erskine Milling Company
One of the largest concerns for mills was the threat of natural or man-made disaster. Fires, such as those mentioned above, were common and could mean the difference between success and bankruptcy. The storage of crops was one of the most important considerations for a mill. If the wheat or corn was stored too wet, the grain could spoil or combust, causing a fire to spread quickly to the other stored grain. Technological advancements brought more profit and efficiency to mills, but they also created a greater risk of fires from machinery. Fires caused by machinery were common and cost companies thousands of dollars which could mean financial ruin.
Fires were just one concern. A lack of grain could also mean that mills would have to lay off workers or close. According to The Evansville Courier and Press, the Brose & Arnold Mill closed for two weeks in 1902 because of a lack of wheat. If a natural disaster such as a hailstorm, drought, or fire occurred, destroying the wheat crop, it would impact not only the farmer but the mills and the consumers of their product.
Milling in Evansville began to feed the small local population and provided farmers with a place to sell their crops, but their reach expanded through the decades. From providing flour to the Allies during World War I to shipping products both short and long distances, local mills helped sustain Evansville’s economy and provide needed products to its customers.
Savanah Summerfield
History Intern, Evansville Museum