Port of Tacoma for Times Special Edition, studio stock, B of R. The interior of the Sperry Division mill of General Mills, Inc. The Sperry division had five flour mills, in Ogden, Utah; Spokane and Tacoma, Washington; and Vallejo and Los Angeles, California. As of 1963 General Mills, Inc. was the largest milling company with 17 flour mills in the United States. It was one of the chief producers of breakfast cereals, flour mixes and refrigerated doughs. Washington state was foremost in flour production among the Pacific and Mountain states as of 1963. Two workmen check the status of the processing.(Flour Milling in America, Herman Steen)

General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma); Grains; Flour & meal industry--Tacoma;

Installation of electrical work at Sperry Mill for Industrial Page, Hubman Manly Electrical Contracting, Mrs. Hubman. Hubman-Mann Electrical Contracting were installing a motor control panel at Sperry Division of General Mills during the expansion that was taking place at the Sperry Mill. The electrical contractors had already completed re-wiring the mill. L-R, George Hubman, partner with Joe Manley, contractors; Herman Miller, Hubman-Manley foreman; Willard Meiceke, assistant superintendent with Sperry Division; Geroge Gayle, Don Wintermute and Johnny Covelli, electricians. (T.Times, 4/19/1948, p.5)

General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma); Hubman Manly Electrical Contracting (Tacoma); Flour & meal industry--Tacoma; Hubman, George; Miller, Herman; Meiceke, Will; Gayle, George; Wintermute, Don; Covelli, John;

Sperry Flour Company. Sperry planned to expand its facilities at this time by leasing the former site of the Centennial Flouring Mills Company that was destroyed by fire in late January 1947. Negotiations were being conducted between General Mills (owners of Sperry Flour Company), the Centennial Flouring Mills Company and the Northern Railroad Company which holds title to the waterfront property. This expansion to the old Centennial site never took place. A worker from Sperry is filling a 50 pound bag of enriched flour (called "Drifted Snow") from an overhead chute.

General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma); Centennial Flouring Mills Co. (Tacoma); Flour & meal industry--Tacoma; Mills--Tacoma; Machinery; Mechanical systems--Tacoma;

Interior view of newly expanded and remodeled Sperry Flour Mill, workman is measuring two grain slides, the grains go through processing machinery before they are made into flour and cereal. The expansion project should be completed later this year, General Mills should have their new facilities in full operation by the end of this year.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Grains--Tacoma; Grain industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Grain elevators--Tacoma; Laborers--Tacoma; Remodeling--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma);

General Mills Sperry flour plant was one of the oldest businesses in Tacoma and had been in the flour and grains industry for over 96 years. The plant was conveniently located in Tacoma's waterfront area by Commencement Bay which gave the plant easy water and railroad access. Interior view of facility taken on May 31, 1948 with grain processing equipment on right side, workmen on left side.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Grains--Tacoma; Grain industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Grain elevators--Tacoma; Laborers--Tacoma; Remodeling--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma);

In 1947 Centennial Flour Mills was completely destroyed by a fire, for some time, Centennial was unsure whether they would rebuild. General Mills was hoping to acquire the old Centennial Mills site and begin remodeling and expanding their facilities. Sperry and Centennial went through extended negotiations to determine whether Sperry Flour could lease the property. Interior view of Sperry Flour plant.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Grains--Tacoma; Grain industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Grain elevators--Tacoma; Remodeling--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma);

General Mills Sperry Division flour mills was remodeling and expanding their facilities. The Bechtel Corporation of California was in charge of the building construction project. View of equipment, possibly a control panel.

Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Grain industry--Tacoma; Engineering--Tacoma; Remodeling--Tacoma; Machinery; Equipment; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma); Bechtel Corp. (Tacoma);

General Mills had now been in the flour business for 95 years. The company had steadily expanded and was about to go through more expansions. Their flour products were marketed both domestically and in the international markets as well. Sperry flour products were exported to South and Central America, many East Asian countries and many others. Interior view of storage building with thousands of sacks of flour stacked up.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Grains--Tacoma; Bags; Food storage buildings--Tacoma; Storage facilities--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma);

Sperry Flour Co. Sperry Flour Co. was the largest milling organization in the West. The Tacoma plant produces 5,000 barrels per day of flour, which allows for large amounts to get sent throughout the world. Exterior view of plant.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; General Mills, Inc., Sperry Division (Tacoma);

ca. 1931. Tacoma Grain Company, Pyramid Flour plant taken from a boat on Puget Sound.

Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Grain industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Tacoma Grain Co. (Tacoma); Pyramid Flour (Tacoma)

ca. 1931. Testing bakery at the Tacoma Grain Company. A woman hold a fresh loaf of bread as she stands next to a testing oven. There is a line of seven loaves of bread on the shelf behind her. A bag of Centennial Silk-Sifted Flour is prominently displayed on the shelf next to the oven.

Tacoma Grain Co. (Tacoma); Flour & meal industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Grain industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Bread--Tacoma--1930-1940;