Sheridan Flouring Mills, Inc. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Sheridan Flouring Mills, Inc.
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 Location in Wyoming
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2161 Coffeen Ave., Sheridan, Wyoming, United States 82801 |
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| Built | 1921 |
| NRHP reference No. | 97001533 |
| Added to NRHP | December 8, 1997 |
The Sheridan Flouring Mills, also known as the Mill Inn, is a large building complex in Sheridan, Wyoming. For many years, these mills were very important to the economy of northern Wyoming. They helped collect, store, and grind local wheat and other grains into flour and other products.
The first mill was started by Captain Scott W. Snively in the early 1890s. Later, in 1903, J.W. Denio bought the Sheridan Milling and Manufacturing Company. This mill was located on Broadway Avenue in downtown Sheridan. Sadly, a huge fire destroyed this mill in 1919. After the fire, a new, much larger mill was built on Coffeen Avenue.
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A Look at the Mill Buildings
The buildings you see today were constructed in 1920-1921. They were built for J.W. Denio by a company called Ballinger and McAllister. The main mill building is made of strong reinforced concrete. It has a long, two-story part and a taller, six-story section.
Next to the mill is a large grain elevator, also made of reinforced concrete. This elevator has seven pairs of huge tanks for storing grain. The elevator is 144 feet (44 m) tall, and the grain tanks are 110 feet (34 m) high. Because of its height, the mill really stands out in the Sheridan skyline!
The Famous Cowboy Logo
The grain elevator has a very cool and large logo painted on it. This logo shows a cowboy riding a bucking horse. Below the cowboy, you can read the words: "Best Out West Enriched Flour, Tomahawk Feeds For Livestock and Poultry, Sheridan Flouring Mills, Inc." This logo was a way to advertise their products.
From Mill to Hotel
In 1963, a company called Nebraska Consolidated Mills Company bought the mill. This company later became Con-Agra in 1971. The mill was updated in 1967, but it closed down in 1972.
A few years later, in 1974, a local group bought the mill. They decided to turn it into a hotel! This big change happened between 1977 and 1978. To make it a hotel, many inside walls were removed. New windows were also put in, and some of the old window openings were partly filled with bricks.
What the Mill Produced
In the 1930s, the grain elevators could hold a lot of grain, about 410,000 bushels! Today, these elevators are empty, and their old machines have been taken out.
The mill made many different products. They produced wheat cereal and various kinds of flour, like biscuit, doughnut, waffle, and pancake flour. These were sold under the brand name "Best Out West." They also made animal feed for livestock and chickens, which was sold under the "Tomahawk" brand. The mill even had a baker who would bake bread twice a day to test the quality of the flour!
Mill's Connection to Trains
The mill used to have a special train track, called a spur line. This track connected it to the main line of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. This allowed them to easily transport grain and flour. However, these train tracks were removed when the Sugarland commercial district was built nearby.
- Photographs of the Sheridan Flouring Mills at the National Park Service's NRHP database
