It all began in 1866 when C.C. Washburn began operating his first flour mill, which produced far more barrels of flour than area bakers needed and was nicknamed "Washburns Folly." Fourteen years later, Washburn entered his flour at the first Millers International Exhibition in Cincinnati, Ohio, where it took the "Gold Medal" grand prize as well as the name of its esteemed award. Today, Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour is Americas best-selling flour, making "Washburns Folly" a success. Gold Medal still mills its own flour, just as it did over 125 years ago, blending the best premium hard and soft wheats from the heartland, providing the Gold Medal difference and consistency that home bakers have counted on for generations
