Sapphire Flour History

Hi Lori, I found this info on the net by doing a search on sapphire flour. Hope it helps.
Having observed the success of other milling companies in the region, the 5-year-old Montana Flour Mills Co. made a strong commitment to the future in 1916 by initiating plans to erect a 1,100-barrel flour mill in Great Falls. During the next year, the decision was made to employ the firm of Nordyke & Marmon to provide a turn-key installation of the complete facility, including the relocation of the headquarters office from Lewiston, where the firm had first organized in 1911.

The pioneer Montana families that established Montana Flour Mills Co. loved their state and its recreational opportunities as much as they loved the milling business. To this end, western photographs and descriptions of the natural beauty found in Blue-Sky country often accompanied advertising in trade journals for the firm's flagship brand - Sapphire Flour.

Another aspect of the firm's advertising was directly linked to the rapid expansion of wheat farming in Montana after 1910. "It's the Wheat" was a slogan used to imply that Sapphire Flour, made from Montana wheat, was superior in quality due to that fact alone! Note the slogan's use on the recipe folder.

In 1969, after almost 60 years of continuous progress, the Great Falls mill was acquired, along with the other facilities of Montana Flour Mills, by the Nebraska Consolidated Mills. Then, in 1974, that firm reorganized as ConAgra. From that point in time, we again follow a familiar path to the acquisition by Cereal Food Processors in 1984.

Today, our Great Falls Mill continues with the 88-year tradition of producing high quality flours from Montana wheat.