Pillsbury

Pillsbury, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The famous Pillsbury A Mill in Minneapolis. Viewed from across the famous Stone Arch Bridge.

This was the best shot I managed to get of the iconic neon sign.

North Star Blankets

North Star Blankets, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The former North Star Woolen Mill, near St. Anthony Falls. Built in 1864, by the mid 1920's the North Star mill was the nation's largest producer of wool blankets. Part of an effort to make Minneapolis a center for textile manufacture, the North Star mill remained in use until the 1940's when production was moved to Ohio. The building sat empty until 1998, when it was re-developed into lofts.

Pillsbury A-Mill

Pillsbury A Mill, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The former Pillsbury A-Mill, along St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Built in 1881, the A-Mill was at one time the largest flour mill in the world and also ran two of the largest direct drive water wheels, at 1200 horsepower each. Built with load bearing stone walls with internal wood bracing, the A-Mill is six stories, with each floor originally having a specific use. Due to the vibrations of the milling machines, in 1905 the building was partially rebuilt and fortified, and the walls still bow out noticeably at the top. Unlike a lot of other older flour mills, the A-Mill never had a fire, and still retains it's original wood framing (and an excellent neon sign atop the silos).

Production finally ceased at the A-Mill in 2003, and the building has been empty ever since. Plans are currently afoot to turn the complex into lofts and studio spaces, while retaining the historic exterior of the mill.