General Mills traces its roots to the banks of the Mississippi River in what is now Minneapolis. Harnessing the power of St. Anthony Falls, Cadwallader Washburn built one of the leading milling companies in the world; and through a merger of regional millers, the Washburn Crosby Company became General Mills in 1928.

General Mills was a broadcasting pioneer, purchasing a fledgling radio station in Minneapolis in 1924, and using the new medium to advertise and promote its products in innovative ways. The company's radio programs included the Betty Crocker Cooking School of the Air, Jack Armstrong, The All-American Boy and The Lone Ranger. A Wheaties radio baseball sponsorship even helped a young broadcaster from WHO in Des Moines, Iowa, named Ronald "Dutch" Reagan find his way to Hollywood.

From flour to submarines, from toys to restaurants, General Mills has been making a difference in people's lives for over 75 years.