Passed down since 1894
1853
How it started
At 33, Levi Igleheart left the farming industry and moved to Evansville, Indiana, to start a sawmill. He then turned to grinding wheat grain.
1856
A growing enterprise
With profits growing, Levi’s brothers Asa and William joined him in Evansville. Levi and William ran the business and named it Igleheart Brothers, Millers.
1892
Incorporation
The brothers became incorporated. William passed away, leaving Levi and his three sons, Lesli, Addison, and John, to run the business.
1894
New discoveries
Addison discovered a new way of milling wheat that made a flour ideal for cake baking. He named it Swans Down because it was so light and soft.
1898
Advertising
Ladies’ Home Journal featured the first advertisements for Swans Down.
1904
A winning brand
Swans Down won the grand prize for cake flour at the World’s Fair.
1905
A household name
With fame came more business, and the brothers outgrew their mill, relocating to a bigger facility.
1909
A new start
A fire burned down the new mill, so an even newer mill was built – this time with the most modern machinery on the market. Production rose by 1,000 barrels a day.
1926
Growing the brand
The Igleheart brothers joined General Foods.
1945
Competing in the market
General Foods introduced the first cake mix under the Swans Down name, also sparking new competition.
1970s
Back to scratch
By the early 1970s, marketing by other competitors forced Swans Down Cake Mix out of business, but Swans Down Cake Flour survived because of the loyal generations of scratch bakers who refused to bake with anything else.
1985
A Reily brand
Wm. B. Reily & Company purchased the Swans Down brand, and it is now manufactured and marketed by Reily Foods.
2025
Modern and fresh
A fresh look for the flour that’s been passed down through generations of bakers like you.
Baked with Love
since 1894.
