The evening of May 2, 1878 at the Washburn “A” mill – the largest mill of its time in the U.S. – began as any other as the day shift crews left the Minneapolis mill and the smaller night crew clocked in. But at around 7 p.m. – flour dust in the air ignited and the mill exploded. The blast blew the roof off the A mill,... View Full Post
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History
Bugles in the “Mad Men” era
The character of “Betty” on “Mad Men” is getting a lot of attention for her choice of a snack on the show’s most recent episode. Did you see her eating Bugles? Since I’m a... View Full Post
Wheaties is big league
Just a cereal? Wheaties is as much a box of marketing savvy, billboards, home runs, broadcasts, political aspiration and the slogan behind Kurt Vonnegut’s best-seller, “Breakfast of... View Full Post
Sperry Pancake, the baby
When a bouncing baby boy arrived to the Pancake family of Portland, Ore., on March 29, 1947, his parents named him Sperry. The uncommon last name aside. His unusual first name also happened to be the... View Full Post
Famous Ferris Wheel engine
“Do you remember the famous Ferris Wheel which attracted so much attention at the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893?” That was the opening sentence in an article in a Washburn Crosby Mills... View Full Post
Bridges helped build our business
When a company has about 150 years of history – as does General Mills, and, as we say, “its predecessor companies” – there’s no shortage of stories, some of which center on aspects... View Full Post
Great American cereals
Baron Von Redberry, Crazy Cow, Jets, Body Buddies, Cornados … Do you recognize the names of those cereals from General Mills? Well, if we made them, they’re in “The Great American... View Full Post
One stone’s story
Here at the General Mills main office, hundreds of us walk past a heavy, hunk of history each day. It’s an old millstone, about two-and a-half feet in diameter, placed on the side of a high-traffic... View Full Post
Lucky Charms and Christmas
When you think about Lucky Charms cereal, the holiday that immediately comes to mind is St. Patrick’s Day. Lucky the Leprechaun wouldn’t have it any other way, right? Well, for one woman, Lucky... View Full Post
Our airplane legacy
When you think about the world’s largest airplane manufacturers, chances are General Mills doesn’t come to mind. However, we once cranked out more planes than anyone else. In 1940, General Mills... View Full Post
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