the flour mill to Captain Jesse Ames and his sons, John and Adelbert. Ames and the Archibalds perfected flour milling processes that produced what was recognized as the best flour in the nation with higher yields at the mills. The Ames Mill was the basis of the Malt-O-Meal company. In 1866, Wheaton was elected to the House of the Minnesota State Legislature, where he served one term, from 1867-1868. That same year, Wheaton and Charles M. Goodsell each gave a plot of land to the fledgling Northfield College to establish the college campus just north of the main part of town. Wheaton later became editor of the Northfield Standard newspaper and later the Rice County Journal, long considered one of the first and finest weekly newspapers published in the Midwest in the 1800s. He regularly wrote a column, "Sunday's Doings," that reviewed the sermons of local ministers. He also reported on congregations, noting the attendance (or lack) of prominent church members. To prepare his column, Wheaton visited up to three local churches on any given Sunday. When Wheaton died in 1882 at the age of 72, the bank and businesses of Northfield closed for the funeral as a sign of respect. A tribute of the time read, "In Northfield his editorial pen was ever at the disposal of any good cause, and he was a leader in all progressive causes." References External links Members of the Minnesota House of Representatives New York (state) Free Soilers 1809 births 1882 deaths New York (state) Democrats Underground Railroad people