Cascade Cereal Company facts for kids

The Cascade Cereal Company was a company that made flour and cereal in Tacoma, Washington. It was first called the Cascade Oatmeal Company. This was the very first mill for oats and cereal in the American West.

A pioneer from Washington state named John Wesley Berry started the company in 1888. It grew quickly, opening more mills and storage buildings. By 1900, there were four other milling companies in Tacoma. The Cascade Cereal Company was second in sales, right behind the Puget Sound Mills Company.

The Cascade Cereal Company won deals to supply food to state schools and hospitals. They even sent their products to countries in Southeast Asia.

During a tough economic time in 1893, John Berry lost control of the company. He continued to work there as a manager. In 1903, another company called Albers Brothers bought Cascade Cereal. It later became part of the larger Albers Brothers Milling Company.

On July 24, 1903, a big fire destroyed the company's main building and mill. The damage was huge, and the insurance didn't cover everything. This caused big losses for the owners. The plant was rebuilt in 1905 and renamed Albers Brothers Mill of Tacoma. In 1984, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. That same year, the Nestle Corporation bought the Albers brand name. They started making grits and cornmeal under the Albers brand.

The Story of Cascade Cereal Company

Starting as Cascade Oatmeal Company

The Cascade Cereal Company began with one mill built by John Wesley Berry in 1888. This was the first mill in the West to process oats and cereals. The building was five stories tall and located on Jefferson Avenue in Tacoma, Washington.

The Cascade Oatmeal Company officially became a business in August 1892. It started with $100,000 in funding. John Berry became its president. His brother-in-law, Charles W. Quinn, was also one of the owners.

In 1892, the Cascade Oatmeal mill faced a problem: tiny bugs called weevils were found in their wheat. At first, the company tried to keep this a secret to protect prices and insurance rates. But later, they told everyone. They said the weevils came from San Francisco wheat and that their local products were safe. Another businessman in Washington disagreed, saying it was impossible to keep the bugs away forever.

The company faced more challenges when John Berry bought a share in another business, the Oakesdale Milling Company. This partnership didn't work out. Both the Tacoma and Oakesdale mills had to close for a short time.

In 1893, trade began between America and Southeast Asia. At this time, selling flour was very profitable because many people needed it. Berry quickly built another flour mill in Tacoma. He wanted it to be ready faster than similar mills in Seattle. This new mill was planned near the Cascade Oatmeal mill. It could produce 150 barrels of flour every day.

Becoming Cascade Cereal Company

In 1895, the company changed its name to the Cascade Cereal Company. It took the place of the Cascade Oatmeal Company. The new company started with $10,000 in funding. This money came from 100 shares, each worth $100. The people who started the new company were John Wesley Berry, M. E. Quinn, and N. M. L. Berry.

A big economic problem in 1893, called the U.S. Panic of 1893, caused changes in the company's leadership. John Berry lost his main control of the company. He then worked as its manager. By 1900, J. G. Deming was the president, and John Berry was still a manager. However, Prosser, a founder of the Washington State Historical Society, said that by 1903, Berry had gotten his original share of the company back.

Over the years, the mill got better and grew. Prosser mentioned that the mill had "high-grade" equipment. It made "the very best rolled oats, cereals and flours" of that time. In 1900, under new management, a new storage building was built. It could hold 20,000 sacks of oats. Also, a new factory was built to make pearl barley.

The company had 25 employees. Each day, they could make 150 barrels of flour, 100 barrels of rolled oats, and 100 barrels of meal. In 1900, the company's total sales were about $300,000. At that time, Cascade Cereal Company was one of five milling companies in Tacoma. All five companies together made about $2 million in sales. The biggest company was Puget Sound Flouring Mills, with $1.5 million in sales. Cascade Cereal Company was in second place.

From 1900 to 1901, the company won many government deals. They supplied food to state places like the Western Washington hospital, the state reform school, and the Soldier's home.

In 1902, Albers Brothers bought the Cascade Cereal Company. Bernard Albers became the president and owned most of the company. Under his leadership, the company produced 150 barrels of rolled oats and 125 barrels of flour daily.

Bernard Albers owned several other companies across the U.S. On March 1, 1903, he brought them all together to form the famous Albers Brothers Milling Company.

The Fire and What Happened Next

On July 24, 1903, a fire destroyed the Cascade Cereal Company. Many other businesses and homes were also damaged by the fire and water. It took only 35 minutes for the fire to burn down the company's mill building. Then, it spread to nearby buildings. The fire was put out about 30 minutes later.

At the time, the mill was worth about $90,000. About $30,000 of that was in the products they had stored. The insurance for the mill was about $54,000. The total loss from the fire for the building was estimated at $150,000.

A newspaper called the San Juan Islander said the fire was "one of the hottest in the history of the city." The Tacoma fire department's yearly report also agreed. It said the fire was one of the four "largest fires the department ever had to handle." The total loss for the city was about $97,000.

People generally believed the fire started from a spark from a passing train. This spark likely landed on wood shavings in one of the mill rooms on the ground floor.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1905, the plant was rebuilt. It was renamed Albers Brothers Mill of Tacoma. Bernard Albers remained the president of the company until he passed away in 1908. In 1984, the company building in Tacoma was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was seen as an important reminder of the Albers Brothers Milling Company. In the same year, the Nestle Corporation bought the Albers brand name. They began making grits and cornmeal under the Albers brand.

See also

• John Wesley Berry
• Albers Brothers Milling Company
• Albers Brothers Mill
• Western State Hospital (Washington)