Nearby History: Oakesdale flour mill stands test of time

Of the 19 flour mills that once flourished in Whitman County, only the Barron Flour Mill in Oakesdale remains standing. Built in 1862 in Illinois, it was dismantled in 1890 by a man named “J. G. Porter.” Its pieces were then transported by rail to Oakesdale and reassembled, along with its milling equipment.

The mill was subsequently purchased by Harvey A. Gray, a miller from Palouse, who sold it in 1907 for $11,500 to Joseph Critchfield Barron Sr. Barron was a second-generation miller from Barronvale, Penn., where he grew up working for his father, Moses Barron. He promptly changed the mill’s name from Gray & Gray to the J.C. Barron Flour Mill. It remained in the hands of the Barron family for the next 91 years. The youngest of their four children, Joseph Critchfield Barron Jr., began to work in the mill immediately after he graduated from high school in 1927; and he took it over completely when his father died in 1955.

During the mill’s heyday in the first third of the 20th century, the Barrons milled and sold a variety of animal feeds and grain flours, serving both farmers and consumers. Barron carefully maintained the original machinery, which was made of hardwood and steel. As American life modernized, however, the business suffered. It had difficulty competing with larger mills in Spokane, and people preferred to buy flour and cereal from grocery stores instead of directly from mills.

Nevertheless, the Barrons managed to keep their mill running through the Great Depression and World War II, during which the younger Joseph received a draft deferment as his occupation was considered “critical civilian work.” The Barrons also sold coal and stored wheat. After the war, they became pioneers in the whole-wheat industry. They were particularly known for trusting their customers; the door was always unlocked, and buyers could help themselves and leave the money on the counter.

The four-story mill is along McCoy Creek, at First and Jackson streets in Oakesdale. It is considered the best-preserved example of a 19th century grain mill in eastern Washington. The main building, made of rough, sawed timber, was originally part of a complex consisting of three semi-attached buildings — the mill, the steam plant, and the warehouse. The steam plant was necessary because the nearby creek was not large enough to provide a strong enough current to power the mill all year. Waste products from area lumber mills were used to generate the steam. A crib elevator was added in 1898, and the steam plant was turned into living quarters for the Barron family after they purchased the mill and converted it to electricity in 1907. Joseph Barron Jr., who was born in the living quarters in 1909, was fond of saying that he was born to be a miller. “It gets into your blood,” he would declare.

Nevertheless, in 1960, Barron reluctantly closed the big mill’s doors only five years after he assumed its management. It has not operated commercially since. He continued to mill grain, however, using small specialty equipment in his garage. He produced a variety of organic flours, as well as cracked wheat, which he produced by using centrifugal force — exploding it instead of crushing it. This extends the shelf life of flour by preventing rancidity for two years, which makes it possible to omit artificial preservatives. He also invented a three-grain hot cereal — which he ate for breakfast every day. In 1980, he sold the Barron trademark, “Nutri-Grain,” to the Kellogg Company, after which he started producing “Joseph’s Flour.” He died in 2000, at the age of 91.

Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, the mill was purchased 20 years later by Mary Jane Butters, the owner of Paradise Farm Organics outside Moscow. She retained its name and attempted to restore it, but removed all of the machinery and tore down the former powerhouse. Today, the mill — which is for sale — is so iconic that Oakesdale has named its town festival in its honor. Old Mill Days this year are scheduled for July 14 and 15.

Meyer taught history at Washington State University for 25 years. She has been active in Whitman County Historical Society since 1992.