Swany White Flour Mills facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Swany White Flour Mills |
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The 1900 miller's house (left) and 2012 mill (right)
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Freeport Roller Mill and Miller's House
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Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 206–210 2nd Street SE, Freeport, Minnesota |
| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1898 (mill), 1900 (house) |
| Architect | Anthony Hoeschen |
| MPS | Stearns County MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 82003043 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 15, 1982 |
| Removed from NRHP | March 28, 2024 |
Swany White Flour Mills is a company in Freeport, Minnesota, that makes and sells flour. It started a long time ago, in the late 1800s, and has been owned by the same family since 1903. In 2011, their old mill, which was 114 years old, sadly burned down. But the company didn't give up! They built a new mill the next year and kept making flour.
The old mill building was special. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. This means it was an important historical site. The complex included the mill, a brick powerhouse, the miller's house from 1900, and a tall smokestack. It was the last working mill from the 1800s in Minnesota. The miller's house and smokestack are still there today, with the new mill built between them. The property was removed from the National Register in 2024.
Contents
A Look Back: The Mill's History
The first person to build the mill was Anton Hoeschen. He didn't want to run it himself. Instead, he saw it as a good way to help the community. He hoped to find someone who wanted to be a miller.
After a few years and different owners, Hubert and Peter Thelen bought the mill in 1903. They worked together to run it. They named their white flour "Swany White" because they wanted people to think of their flour as being as white as a swan.
Early Days and Growth
In the early 1900s, many small mills like Swany White were found across Minnesota. Farmers could sell their wheat close to home. They didn't have to send it to big mills in Minneapolis. At the mill, farmers could sell their grain. Or, they could trade raw wheat for ground flour for their own families.
In 1913, the Thelen brothers made the mill bigger and better. They added a basement and more space for making flour. These changes helped the mill work much better. It could now make twice as much flour as before!
After Peter Thelen retired in 1953, his son Walter took over the mill. In 1966, he updated the mill. He replaced the old steam engine with a new electric motor.
Adapting to New Times
Many small mills struggled to stay in business. This was because bigger companies took over, and less wheat was grown in Minnesota. But Walter Thelen found a clever way to keep Swany White Flour Mills going.
In the 1970s, he talked to organic farmers. He convinced them to grow wheat for organic flour. He also made deals with special bakeries in the area. His plan worked! Swany White organic flour was sold in food cooperatives and health food stores in Minnesota. They even sold flour as far away as the East Coast.
A Local Landmark
In 1982, the mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Even though it was historic, it was still a working mill! In 1998, Walter's son Gary bought the business from his father. By then, Swany White Flour Mill was a well-known place in Minnesota.
A photographer named Richard Olsenius visited Freeport. He was looking for places that might have inspired Garrison Keillor's stories about Lake Wobegon. He took pictures of Gary Thelen and his mill. People from local bread clubs also visited. They wanted to see how a mill that was over 100 years old still worked.
The Fire and Rebuilding
On December 27, 2011, the Swany White Mill burned down. Luckily, no one was hurt. An employee reported the fire at 4:48 P.M. Firefighters from five nearby towns came to help put out the huge blaze. That night, many people gathered to watch their local landmark burn. Some held hands and cried.
At first, Gary Thelen said he would not rebuild the mill. But he changed his mind! A new Swany White mill opened in 2012, and the company continues to make flour today.
How Flour is Made Here
For its regular white flour, Swany White used the same milling machines since 1913. The mill could make about 1,000 pounds of flour every hour. This means they could make about 12,000 pounds in one workday. This amount is much smaller than what most big mills can produce. It's amazing that Swany White Flour stayed a small, independent company. Most other small mills either closed or were bought by bigger companies.
Swany White sold its regular products mainly in the Upper Midwest region. But their organic products were sold in many more places. Besides selling to stores and distributors, Swany White also had a small shop at the mill in Freeport. People could buy flour directly from them there. The mill's most popular product was a bleached flour called Faith's Best. This flour made up about 60% of all their sales.
See also
