Opened in 1881, the mill operated intermittently for several different owners during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

A 1956 fire led to the site's demolition, leaving the ruins that stand today.

When it opened on October 25, 1881, the mill could process 1200 barrels of grain per day, and its elevator could hold 130,000 bushels;[2] it also had connections to all five of the city's rail lines through a spur of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway.

Despite the mill's high capacity, it suffered from weaker than expected water power and a poor supply of wheat, and it was financially unsuccessful.

The elevator was shorter than the mill at four stories high, and it measured 142 by 50 feet (43 m × 15 m) at its base.