Then & Now
September 12, 2012 7:36PM
The Oliver Oat Mill at the dawn of the Twentieth Century. From the Adelmann Regional History Collection.
Article Extras
Updated: October 14, 2012 12:10PM
In 1856, Ferdinard Schumacher organized his German Mills American Oatmeal Factory in Akron, Ohio. His plan was to introduce steel-cut oats to the American diet at a time when oats were considered inappropriate for anything but horses. By the 1880s, there were established markets throughout the Midwest, especially in Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit. These photographs, circa 1900, show views of the Oliver Oat Mill, which was located along the west bank of the Illinois & Michigan Canal, just south the intersection of Jasper and South Center streets in Joliet.
The Now photo shows the former mill site today.
Photos are from David Belden and the Local History Project digital collections. If you are interested in contributing a postcard image, email him at dbelden@mchs.net.
