The original flour mill was built in 1891 south of the North Canadian River, south of Shawnee, and moved to its present site in 1895. On April 20, 1906, J. Loyd Ford purchased the mill. He became a leader in Oklahoma flour milling for over 50 years and played an important part in building the local community and Oklahoma Baptist University. The mill burned in 1934 and was rebuilt in 1935.