Unifine Milling Company Records, 1950-1999

The Unifine process of milling flour was the idea of an Englishman, John Wright. This process of milling flour produced a whole wheat flour with a lengthier period of rancid-free storage than ordinary whole wheat flour. Moreover, the flour had baking properties similar to enriched white flour. Wright approached the Washington State College Division of Industrial Research with his idea in the late 1940s, and period of experimentation with the mill soon began. The mill could not be patented, but Washington State College controlled the registration of the name "Unifine" until 1975.

One commercial application of the unifine technology was the Unifine Milling Company of Pullman. In 1981 this company began producing flour for sale to the public under the name "Flourgirls." This firm continued in operation until about 1995.