Humboldt's milling history dates back to over a century but for 55 years the prominent proof of the industry, the Humboldt Flour Mill stood tall on 5th Avenue.

On March 1st, that history became stories and memories for long time residents of the east-central Saskatchewan city once the old mill finally succumbed to a demolition crew that afternoon.

One Humboldt resident has many memories of the mill, that's Art Ulkiski who was employed at the mill for 33 years.

"When I started there in 1965 my job was to pack the flour, pack your cream of wheats and all the other stuff," Uliski said Monday from his home. Ironically enough he was still wearing an old Humboldt Flour Mill that had definitely seen better days.

"We only didn't package flour in bags, we packaged peas, beans and rice."

The Humboldt Flour Mill was opened by a former employee of the McNab Flour Mill that was located on the same lot that burned down in January of 1956. That man was Wilf Chamney who became known as "The Mustard Man" due to his success in the mustard seed industry.

"Wilf was an employee working there at the time, he decided to to go out on his own and establish his only flour mill in about 1957," the curator of the Humboldt and District Museum, Jennifer Hoesgen explained.

For almost six decades, hard working Humboldtians like Uliski helped sent flour and goods world wide including to both Russia and Africa.

"We worked a lot of extended hours, sometimes we were going 24 hours a day," Ukliski continued to quip. "People came from all over Saskatchewan, even a few from Alberta and some out of Manitoba would come for flour."

Uliski stated that there was mills speckled across the prairies but he couldn't find a clear answer in why their mill was an industry leader or why producers traveled the extra distance.

Hoesgen mentioned that there was more than just a mill where local farmers could bring 50 bushels of wheat and trade it for flour. There was also a general store that many residents may recall.

"Mr. Chamney himself also had what many Humboldt residents would remember as the Humboldt Flour Mill Store. It was a place where people could stop in and buy a whole lot of things. I was chatting to somebody today who remembered the orange tapioca you could buy at the store, I am sure there is a lot of memories around that."

Chamney retired in 1995 and sold the mill to Viterra. It eventually changed hands to Don Foods. Most recently the building was purchased by Darryl Klassen.

The building stood since 1961 but didn't serve a need anymore and despite the memories and spending a large portion of his working life inside those walls, Uliski knows it's time to move on.

"It was hard to see that it shut down but the farming thing changed so much, the business was gone. The farmers well, they weren't coming and trading wheat and stuff anymore."

There is no word on what the now vacant plot of land will become, but for folks like Uliski, that white and green trimmed building that cut into the modest Humboldt sky line carved many life long memories that can't be demolished in their minds.

You can hear more from Uliski in his interview with Bolt FM's Clark Stork below.

Angie Dukart's interview with Hoesgen can be heard below as well.