The Fisher-Fallgatter Mill of Waupaca, Wisconsin was originally constructed in 1884 as the Crescent Roller Mills by Robert N. Roberts and Samuel Oborn. They constructed a flume from an existing millpond to the Waupaca River as well as a three-story frame mill building. The mill was constructed on a fieldstone foundation with a forty-five inch Monitor turbine to power the machinery that was located in the flume under the basement. Original machinery in the mill included six double sets of Stevens rollers, four George Smith middlings purifiers, a Prinz dust collector, and a variety of other equipment.
The mill originally processed a variety of local grains including several types of wheat, oats, buckwheat, and rye. Most of the flour was sold locally, but Roberts and Oborn also contracted with the Wisconsin Central Railroad to lay a spur track to the mill so that their flour could be delivered to more distant markets in Wisconsin and other states. After operating the mill for 17 years, in 1901 Roberts and Oborn sold it to J.C. Eilertson, who changed the name to the Waupaca Roller Mills. In the following year Eilertson sold the business to Walter and Victor Fallgatter, from Marshalltown, Iowa. Several changes in ownership ensued over the next few years, but by 1905 the mill was owned by a third Fallgatter brother, Ward, in partnership with Fred Fisher. Fisher (d. 1959), a native of Waupaca County, had originally been hired by the brothers to manage their Iowa mill. In Waupaca Fisher supervised the milling operations and Fallgatter did the selling and bookkeeping. Fisher and Fallgatter continued operations as a general mill, primarily serving the local trade. Their partnership made a number of notable improvements to the mill, including installation of electric lighting and several structural additions including the construction of an elevator capable of storing 5000 barrels of grain. They also operated a boarding house for the mill employees until the 1940s. From 1910 to 1915 the partners shifted from a local retail business to a commercial operation based on high volume and wide distribution. New equipment increased the mill's capacity from 100 barrels of flour to 150 barrels per day. The partners also decided to concentrate on milling rye flour to the exclusion of other grains. This decision was based primarily on the preponderance of rye cultivation in central Wisconsin. During this period the mill produced several different grades of rye flour and livestock feed. An additional turbine was installed to power a separate feed mill constructed on the property.
The mill operated successfully during the 1920s and 1930s, although with some reductions during the Depression. During this period the partners sold most of their flour to Jewish merchants in New York City. In 1927 the firm patented its “Acme” flour trademark.
As a result of the death of Ward Fallgatter and Fred Fisher's increasing interest in politics (which eventually included serving as mayor of Waupaca and two terms in the State Senate, 1939-1942), the mill was put up for sale in 1936. After two years without a buyer, Ward's son Don (born in 1907), who had originally worked for Hobart Manufacturing Company, returned to operate the mill in partnership with Fisher. In 1943 he bought out Fisher's interest, but retained the Fisher-Fallgatter name. Once Fisher was no longer involved, Don Fallgatter abandoned the local feed business and concentrated on flour milling.
As the years passed and the local farmers ceased raising rye, Fallgatter began purchasing grain from the Dakotas through the Minneapolis Grain Market. The resulting variability in color and consistency of this product created difficulties. The mill produced white, medium, and dark rye flour, as well as ground coarse rye meal for use in making pumpernickel bread.
Fisher and Fallgatter mill sold its flour in railroad carloads to large bakeries or jobbers who resold it to smaller bakeries. The buyer would make a contract with a 120-day window for performance, and sometimes price fluctuation during the contract period resulted in losses for the mill. Railroad shipping rates were also variable. Most of the flour sold in this way went to bakers and jobbers in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Cleveland. During the 1940s and 1950s business with Jewish bakers who had been the heart of the New York market began to wane, although, at least initially, the other markets picked up the slack. Fallgatter also sold a significant amount of industrial grade flour to E. I. Dupont & Company for use as a base in the manufacture of dynamite. Although Dupont bought at a lower price, they were not as concerned about quality because the flour was not for human consumption.
By the early 1960s, Fallgatter had lost most of his eastern markets, and the markets in Chicago and Cleveland were also faltering. The primary reason for the loss of markets was the change in transportation technology. The Fisher-Fallgatter mill was designed to pack flour in 100 and 140 pound burlap or paper bags. As the shipment of commodities such as flour moved toward bulk railroad cars in the 1960s, Fallgatter realized that it would not be cost effective to convert the mill to accommodate this new reality. In May 1969 he made his final shipment and closed the mill. Fallgatter left the building and machinery intact, however, and in 1978 Waupaca residents Robert and Marjorie Paske purchased the mill. In 1979 they arranged to have the mill placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and they began operating the mill as a private museum. In 2002 when these records were processed, the museum was closed.
