Our History

Merry Christmas from Gold Medal

This ad from Gold Medal flour was distributed in 1914, featuring the brand’s signature advertising line of the era: “Eventually - Why Not Now?“ (which debuted in 1907).

The Life of a Bakery

In 1936, Pillsbury Flour Mills created a Play Bakery Action Book. It showed children of all ages how bread is baked, the machinery bakers used and all the things that must be done for fresh baked foods! Of course, it was just made from cardboard cutouts so children could follow directions or use their imaginations to discover and play in the world of bakeries!  

High Gluten Flour

This print was used as a design sample for Silver Dale Spring Wheat flour sacks in 1925, in New York. This flour was produced especially for the Gross Brothers. As you can see, “high gluten” must have been in demand in those days, different from what we see today.

Pour ‘n Shake

What is more delightful than an easy to prepare dinner? Gold Medal’s Wondra Pour ‘n Shake flour first appeared in 1964. “Pours like salt!” was part of the pitch, to help consumers more freely measure and shake for perfect flouring and dusting in the kitchen.

Behind the Scenes of General Mills’ Bakery

Convenience foods were becoming increasingly important for large bakeries in the 1960s. Here is an inside look at the General Mills Flour and Food Service Division working to meet the demand for ready-to-serve bakery products, in 1968.

First Girls’ Packing Crew

Around 1902, the Washburn-Crosby Company began to hire girl flour packers in the B Mill Shed, otherwise known as “No Man’s Land.” These ladies packed all of the smaller sized sacks of Gold Medal Flour and spent the majority of their workday packing flour into 12 lb flour sacks.