MILL LABOR

Flour milling began in Minneapolis in the 1880's, and would drive the city's economy for the next 50 years, earning it the title of "Flour Milling Capital of the World," while informally, it would simply be known as Mill City. Milling was a major contributor to the city's growth, expanding the population from 13,000 in 1870, to 165,000 in just twenty years.

Following World War I, milling in Minneapolis declined, and the mills were left vacant as the industry moved out. Today this history is remembered and celebrated in the Mill City Museum. The Washburn A Mill, which closed in 1965, fell victim to a fire which nearly destroyed it in 1991. The ruins of this mill, pictured above, are now part of the Mill City Museum, which stands as a testament to the many laborers who worked in the mills, and helped to grow Minneapolis into the great city it is today.

HAPPY LABOR DAY EVERYONE!

***How are you spending this holiday weekend?