Hayden Flour Mill, Tempe Travel Guide

The Hayden Flour Mill, situated at the north end of Mill Avenue in Tempe, Arizona, serves as a reminder of the city's agricultural heritage. Founded in 1874 by Charles T. Hayden, a businessman and judge from Tucson, the mill was established on the Salt River to provide a crucial service to local farmers: milling their grain into flour. The settlement was initially known as “Hayden's Ferry”.Hayden's mill quickly gained prominence, producing high-quality flour that was distributed throughout the West. The mill's success led to the growth of Hayden's other businesses, including freighting and a general store. The Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad reached Tempe in 1887, further connecting the mill to regional and national markets. The current mill building, constructed in 1918, replaced two earlier mills that were destroyed by fire. The architects used techniques developed after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake to make the building fire-resistant. The grain elevator and silos were added in 1951 and were the tallest structures in Tempe until 2007.Though the mill ceased operations in 1998, it remains a significant landmark. In 2022, the city of Tempe approved a plan to restore and redevelop the Hayden Flour Mill. The redevelopment project includes new restaurants and shops, a public park, and an improved trailhead to A Mountain. Today, the grounds are open for picnics and casual recreation.