Page 9 - QuakerMillDam

be secured in the local territory, but ships when the company became aware of the Quaker Mill Com-
in large quantities from the northwest. The pany of Manchester, Iowa:
Quaker mill is thoroughly modern in all re-
spects and turns out the finest grades of In 1906, the Quaker Oats Company, to its
flour, cornmeal and buckwheat flour. The great surprise, discovered that an obscure
leading brands of flour are White Pearl, Best mill was operating in Manchester, Iowa, un-
Patent, White Satin, Sea Foam, Big Leaf, and der the name of the Quaker Mill Company.
Straight, all of which are well known and Inquiry revealed that though this company
have the company’s trade mark, “A Quaker had been organized in 1894, its predeces-
on Every Sack.” The firm is incorporated sors had been doing business since about
with a paid up capital stock of $20,000, and 1867, and applying the term “Quaker” to
is controlled by some of Manchester’s best flour, cornmeal, graham flour, buckwheat
citizens. 4 and other mill products. Thereupon, the
Quaker Oats Company, to protect its name,
The Quaker Mill company was clearly doing well. Its busi- lost no time in seeking to negotiate pur-
ness, however, was only a small fraction of that of a similarly chase and, in May, 1907, title was secured
named but much better known company, the Quaker Oats to the property, business, trade-marks,
Company. The Quaker Oats Company was founded in 1901, trade-names, good will, etc., for $18,000. 6
but it had its roots in several independent oatmeal milling
companies that had joined together around 1890. The brand The Quaker Oats Company owned the Manchester mill for only
name “Quaker” had been used since 1877 by one of these a few years. Once the brand name and trademark issues had
earlier firms. It became the best known brand of the merged been resolved to the satisfaction of the Quaker Oats Company,
firm, and gave its name to the successor company formed in the firm had no further use for the Manchester mill. In 1910,
1901, the Quaker Oats Company. 5 the company sold the former Quaker Mill to a South Dakota
firm, which in turn sold the mill back to a local Manchester
The Quaker Oats Company considered the brand name owner, Joseph Hutchinson. Hutchinson continued milling flour
“Quaker” to be of paramount importance and vigorously pro- in the mill—presumably no longer under the Quaker brand
tected the name from trademark infringement. A 1933 his- name—but also planned to add electrical generating equip-
tory of the Quaker Oats Company describes what happened ment to the mill to create a hydroelectric plant. 7

Flour Milling in Iowa

The Quaker Mill Dam began life as a source of
power for a saw mill and a grist mill. It served
as a profitable flour mill for many decades be-
fore being converted to produce hydroelec-
tric power. Before corn became king, wheat
was the leading crop in Iowa. In the 1840s
and 1850s farmers in eastern Iowa counties
led in producing wheat. By 1859 Iowa had be-
come the seventh leading wheat producing
63
state in the nation. Consequently, burgeon-
ing municipalities saw flour milling as a key
ingredient for growth and development. Hav-
ing a flouring mill drew trade from area farms
which, in turn, attracted other commercial
64
services such as banks, stores, and hotels.

Images courtesy of Robert Ungs.

The Prettiest Dam on the Maquoketa River—The Quaker Mill Dam at Manchester, Iowa 7