The flour milling industry of Lowell is the oldest manufacturing industry in Lowell, also the longest operated continuously by one organization—42 years.

The first dam across Flat river was built in 1847 where the Forest Mills now stand, by C. S. hooker, who also built the first flour mill on the same site, which was operated by water power derived from the dam and was what was called a stone mill, having one run of stone with a capacity of about four bushels of grain per hour. The building was a timber frame building, the timbers being hewn out by hand. It was called Forest Mills, and a portion of the old mill was utilized when it was rebuilt in 1880 and still stands.

Mr. Hooker operated these mills for some years as what is called a grist mill, that is, it is largely used for the local grinding of wheat for the farmers, grinding their identical wheat into flour for them. The practice was quite general in flour mills, as it is impossible to grind the farmer’s own wheat for him in the larger capacity mills of today and the practice of exchanging flour for their wheat was established. Mr. Hooker was not only a pioneer in a new country but he was a pioneer of very strong character and played an important part in the political and social activities of his time.

In 1854 Mr. Hooker sold the mill to Tolford & Chapin, of Grand Rapids. In 1865 Wm. W. Hatch purchased a third interest in the concern. Before this another run of stone had been added, the water power increased, and an era of improvement entered upon. Tolford disposed of his interest to Chapin about 1857, when Chapin & Hatch became the proprietors. In 1858 James O. Fitch purchased half of Chapin’s interest, and in 1859 Chapin disposed the remainder of his interest to E. R. Craw, who then became partners with Mr. Hatch and Mr. Fitch. Towards the close of 1859 Fitch sold his interest to Hatch & Craw who continued to conduct the industry until January 9, 1880, when Mr. Craw retired, selling his interest to Mr. Hatch. In 1867, while Craw and Hatch were operating in the old Forest mills, they became of more importance in the milling industry when they erected on the west side of Flat river the flour mill now know as Superior Mills, then called Lowell Mills.

Mr. Craw was a fine technical mechanic and it was the plan of the firm under his supervision, to erect a mill to be the latest and best word in million. Consequently Mr. Craw gave this mill his best thought and endeavor and when it was completed it was known as a model mill of some 200 barrels capacity.

They also ground the wheat by the old stone process as the grinding by rolls was not yet perfected. Hatch & Craw operated these mills some 20 yaers and the capacity and trade of the mills was largely increased, and upon retiring both Hatch & Craw had served the community well, had done a large merchant business and the mills were the important industry in the community. Both men stood very high for their integrity in the community, and were important factors in the history of the community at that time, both financially and socially and were in fact, largely responsible for the first bank established in Lowell.

In 1880 Mr. Hatch sold the Forest Mills and water power on the east side of Flat river to E. E. Wisner, who immediately rebuilt the mill, equipped it with the new roller process for grinding flour, which was at that time just out of the experimental stage, and the new mill proved to be highly successful and grinding by rolls no longer an experiment. Mr. E. E. Wisner died in 1887, at which time Mr. Charles W. Wisner took over the management of the mills, the style of the firm being Wisner Brothers.

Wisner Bros. Operated the Forest Mills for some twenty years, and, as their predecessors, were men of character and served their community well as millers and were prominent financially and socially.

The Lowell Mills on the west side of the river were purchased by Stiff & Stiff in 1881 and were operated by them only a few years. Later on Mr. J. C. Train operated the mills for a year or two and then they were operated by the Wisner Bros. For a year, when they were purchased at a mortgage sale by the King Milling Company, a corporation composed of Francis King, Charles McCarty, Reuben Quick and Frank T. King, who immediately rebuilt the mills at a cost of some $20,000, making them full roller process of 200 barrels capacity and modern in every respect.

In 1896 Wisner Bros. Consolidated with the King Milling Company under the name of King Milling Company, and thus the Forest Mills ownership passed to the King Milling Company. The stockholders were Francis King, Chas. McCarty, C. W. Wisner and Frank T. King, with Francis King, president; Chas. McCarty, vice president; Frank T. King, secretary and manager, and C. W. Wisner, treasurer. The Forest Mills were then converted into a buckwheat, corn meal and feed grinding mill. Mr. Francis King passed away in 1900 and Frank T. King became president.

In 1911 Mr. T. F. Doyle purchased the interest of Charles McCarty and Charles Wisner became vice president and continued in that capacity until his death in 1920, at which time Charles Doyle became vice president.

Charles Doyle entered the employ of the company in 1903 as bookkeeper, and William Doyle came to the company in 1909 and T. M. Doyle in 1913. These boys, Charles, Will and Renis, have gradually worked up in the milling industry the management now falls upon Charles; Renis in charge of the office and Will giving his attention largely to the poultry and dairy feed business and the president, Mr. King, largely for consultation.

Mr. T. F. Doyle passed away in 1915 and at that time his stock passed to his children, Charles, Bertha, Renis and William, and in 1906 Mrs. Flora Lee King became a director in the corporation, which office she held until her death in 1927.

After the death of Mr. Chas. Wisner, his stock passed to his nieces, Mrs. Nina Fisher and Mrs. Donna Lyons, who later disposed of their stock to the other stockholders of the corporation.

The stockholders at the present time are Frank T. King, Charles Renis and William Doyle, Bertha Doyle Shivel and Florence King, with the officers Frank T. King, president; Charles Doyle, vice president; Renis Doyle, treasurer, and William Doyle, secretary.

The company at the time of this writing has two men in their employ who are especially worthy of mention. Mr. John Callier has been employed at these mills 51 years as miller, and Mr. Jake Mattern ahs been employed 49 years as superintendent.

The King Milling Company purchased the property of the Peckham Furniture Company, with water power, in 1927. This was immediately converted into a chick and stock feed manufacturing plant. The King Milling Company now has a flour mill with a capacity of 250 barrels per day, doing largely a merchant milling business, consuming around 250,000 bushels of wheat a year. The Forest Mills are doing a buckwheat and granulated meal and feed business, consuming around 250,000 bushels of wheat a year. The Forest Mills are doing a buckwheat and granulated mean and feed business with a capacity of around 150 cars a year, and the poultry and dairy feed plant has a capacity of around 250 to 300 cars a year, enabling the combined plants to handle, including both in and out shipments total around 1,000 cars per year. The last year their turnover was around 800 cars, and they employed some 26 people in these plants.

The King Milling Company has endeavored for 42 years to give the best service to the people of Lowell and the country at large, and give them only the very highest quality of products.