Moseley & Motley Milling Company Records
Content Description
Records of a Rochester flour mill include daybooks, ledgers, journals, cash books, ledgers, wheat purchase books, shipping books, sales records, order books, time books, and miscellaneous records of the last flour milling firm in Rochester.
Dates
- Creation: 1855-1935
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions regarding access to this collection.
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish, reproduce, distribute, or use in any current or future manifestations must be obtained in writing from the Rochester Public Library Local History & Genealogy Division.
Biographical / Historical
Moseley and Motley operated the last flour mill in the city of Rochester. Founded in 1863, Moseley and Motley originally operated the historic Mill A and Mill B buildings on Brown's Race near Brown Street in Rochester. Originally formed by Araunah Moseley and Smith Chapman, the young George Motley entered the firm in 1857 and became Moseley's partner upon Chapman's death. A noted innovator and technologist, Motley led the updating of the mill in the 1870s. His work included the invention of the "wheat splitter," for removing the white wheat center from the wheat berry, in 1871; the introduction of steel roller milling to the Rochester industry in 1880; and the first export shipment of bagged flour to Britain in 1878. After his passing in 1881, the family continued to operate what were known as the "Flour City Mills" for generations. Unable to weather the Great Depression, the company closed in February of 1936 and sold its trademarks and brands to Federal Mills of Lockport.
Extent
23 Cubic Feet (2 boxes of loose materials; 83 individual bound volumes.)
Language of Materials
English
Physical Location
Currently located in old digitizing room.
Condition Description
Good
- 83 bound volumes and 2 boxes of papers from Moseley & Motley Milling Company, the final flour milling company to operate within the City of Rochester. The materials date between 1855 and 1935. Approval for the deaccession was provided by the Rochester Public Library board in its meeting of October 27, 2021.
- Title
- Moseley & Motley Milling Company Records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Brandon Fess
- Date
- August 18, 2016
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Local History & Genealogy Division Repository
115 South Ave.
Rochester 14604 USA
585-428-8370
585-428-8353 (Fax)
lochistref@libraryweb.org