California's Second "Gold Rush"
In many ways, the history of the Sperry Flour Co. mirrors the early agricultural and economic development of the region as a whole. Like many other mid-nineteenth century prospectors who moved to the area after the 1848-49 Gold Rush, Austin Sperry came out west in 1950 in the hopes of making his fortune as a miner. However, after a brief stint panning for gold, he joined the ranks of businessmen who profited off the gold rush by providing food and resources to the mining camps.
By 1852, he established a grist mill, “Sperry Mill,” with a partner on the corner of Commerce and Main Streets that provided to feed the miners' livestock. The partner used the single-story wooden building to grind barley for animal feed, but quickly expanding the process to include graham flour milling producing up to 70 barrels a day. At the time, most wheat was imported, as farmers had only recently begun growing significant quantities of wheat in the delta region by the 1850s. (McComb, 1)