During the 1800s, flour was very important in Minnesota’s economy. It provided money, food, and jobs to hundreds of people. The basic cooking ingredient made from wheat was not only popular, but was also plentiful. The flour industry in Minnesota started off as small and were not very profitable. The mills were tiny and locally owned, and didn't make very much money. That all changed, however, when a man named Charles Pillsbury came to Minnesota from New Hampshire. He was not rich when he came. He went to live with an uncle. Later, he and his uncle invested about $10,000 into a failing flour mill. Everyone saw this as a bad move at the time, but it paid off in the end when the mill began to make a profit. The mill grew to be Pillsbury
