Milling

Title: Man Packing Flour
Type: Photograph
Date: ca. 1875
Source: Minnesota Historical Society

Description: Barrels were used in the packaging of flour by the Washburn A Mill in Minneapolis.

Activities:

1. Does this photograph give you any details about what this man's job might have been like?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: You can tell he worked in a large building, and that he probably had to do some heavy lifting, but other than those details, the photograph does not tell us much about his job or responsibilities.
2. What relationship do you think the packaging materials for flour and the way in which flour was measured might have?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: Flour was measured and sold in bbls (barrels), so there was a definite relationship between how the flour was weighed and how it was packaged.
3. Why do you think we don't buy our flour in barrels today?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: Our flour today is packaged in bags, which are easier to transport and more convenient for the buyer. Theyare also cheaper to produce.
4. What can you tell about the construction of this mill from the photograph?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: The mill appears to be built with wooden rafters and floorboards, but it looks as if there are stone pillarsor outside walls.