Our Monday McCarter Museum Memory looks back at one of Tonkawa’s earliest industries; the Tonkawa Milling Company. Located on Grand Ave. east of the railroad track, the business was built by Rudolph Finley and managed by E.E. Ensley, grandfather of Gladys Jones Kreger and Dorothy Moore Impson.The “Home of the White Wonder Flour” contributed to bringing electricity to town. People were buying Wichita’s bleached flour so to keep up with competition, Mr. Ensley ordered generating equipment for electricity which was used in the bleaching process.The Tonkawa Milling Co. flour sold in 24 lb sacks, hard wheat for bread was $1.01 for pure white and $1.15 for Tonkawa Chief. Soft wheat flour for pastry and biscuits was marketed under the brand names of White Wonder, the company’s premium brand and sold for $1.25 per bag.As you read more history located under the attached photo posted in our Tonkawa Historical Society Facebook page, you’ll see that Alex. J. Esch bought the company along with Tonkawa’s first major elevator. These locations are now occupied by the Farmer’s Co-op.Sources: Tonkawa News, 1901; Pieces of the Past article in Tonkawa News by Marilee Helton.
