The Kelloggs: The Battling Brothers Of Battle Creek

The Kellogg brothers, John Harvey and Will Keith, are two names that resonate with the history of the American breakfast cereal industry. They are the pioneers of a brand that has become a household name worldwide - Kellogg's. But behind the global empire lies a fascinating story of rivalry, success, and entrepreneurship.

Early Life and Childhood

John Harvey and Will Keith Kellogg were born in the mid-1800s in Tyrone Township, Michigan. Their father, John Preston Kellogg, was a struggling farmer, and their mother, Ann Janette Kellogg, was a dedicated homemaker. The family lived a humble life, and the brothers had to face numerous challenges from an early age.

Despite the hardships, both brothers showed a keen interest in the field of health and nutrition from an early age. John Harvey, the older of the two, studied medicine and became a successful medical doctor. Will, on the other hand, developed a passion for business and marketing.

The Kelloggs: The Battling Brothers of Battle Creek

by Howard Markel(Kindle Edition)

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	248927 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	510 pages

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The Road to Success

It was during their time at the Battle Creek Sanitarium, a health resort focused on holistic healing, that the Kellogg brothers found the inspiration to revolutionize the breakfast cereal industry. With John Harvey's medical expertise and Will's marketing genius, they created a unique flaked cereal made from wheat.

Their first creation, known as "Granose," was a success. However, it was their second attempt, called "Corn Flakes," that truly revolutionized the industry. The brothers developed a process that enabled them to produce crispy flakes of corn, making it a convenient and healthy breakfast option.

The Battling Brothers

Despite building a successful business together, the Kellogg brothers were known for their constant disagreements and clashes. Their conflicting personalities often resulted in heated arguments over business decisions, leading to a strained relationship. This rivalry reached its peak when Will Keith decided to break away and start his own company, which he called "Kellogg Toasted Corn Flakes Company."

Both brothers fiercely competed against each other, using aggressive marketing strategies and legal battles to gain an edge in the market. Will Keith's company eventually transformed into the global brand we know today as Kellogg's, dominating the breakfast cereal industry.

Legacy and Impact

The Kellogg brothers' influence on the breakfast cereal industry cannot be overstated. Their dedication to the promotion of healthy eating through convenient and nutritious breakfast options laid the foundation for modern-day cereal giants.

Furthermore, their advancements in cereal manufacturing processes and packaging techniques set new standards for the industry. John Harvey Kellogg's medical background played a crucial role in developing cereals that improve digestion and promote overall well-being.

Today, the Kellogg Company continues to innovate and introduce new cereal products, catering to a wide range of consumer preferences and dietary needs. The breakfast table of millions of households around the world is graced with the presence of Kellogg's iconic brands.

The story of the Kellogg brothers is a captivating tale of sibling rivalry, determination, and success. Their journey from a small town in Michigan to revolutionizing the breakfast cereal industry serves as an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Despite their differences, the Kellogg brothers shared a common vision - to promote health and nutrition through their cereal products. Their legacy lives on as Kellogg's continues to shape the breakfast habits of millions.

So, the next time you enjoy a bowl of Kellogg's cereal with your morning coffee, remember the battling brothers of Battle Creek whose innovative creations changed the way we eat breakfast.

The Kelloggs: The Battling Brothers of Battle Creek

by Howard Markel(Kindle Edition)

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	248927 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	510 pages

FREE

***2017 National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist for Nonfiction***

"What's more American than Corn Flakes?" —Bing Crosby

From the much admired medical historian (“Markel shows just how compelling the medical history can be”—Andrea Barrett) and author of An Anatomy of Addiction (“Absorbing, vivid”—Sherwin Nuland, The New York Times Book Review, front page)—the story of America’s empire builders: John and Will Kellogg.
 
John Harvey Kellogg was one of America’s most beloved physicians; a best-selling author, lecturer, and health-magazine publisher; founder of the Battle Creek Sanitarium; and patron saint of the pursuit of wellness. His youngest brother, Will, was the founder of the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company, which revolutionized the mass production of food and what we eat for breakfast.
 
In The Kelloggs, Howard Markel tells the sweeping saga of these two extraordinary men, whose lifelong competition and enmity toward one another changed America’s notion of health and wellness from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, and who helped change the course of American medicine, nutrition, wellness, and diet.
 
The Kelloggs were of Puritan stock, a family that came to the shores of New England in the mid-seventeenth century, that became one of the biggest in the county, and then renounced it all for the religious calling of Ellen Harmon White, a self-proclaimed prophetess, and James White, whose new Seventh-day Adventist theology was based on Christian principles and sound body, mind, and hygiene rules—Ellen called it “health reform.”
 
The Whites groomed the young John Kellogg for a central role in the Seventh-day Adventist Church and sent him to America’s finest Medical College. Kellogg’s main medical focus—and America’s number one malady: indigestion (Walt Whitman described it as “the great American evil”).
 
Markel gives us the life and times of the Kellogg brothers of Battle Creek: Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his world-famous Battle Creek Sanitarium medical center, spa, and grand hotel attracted thousands actively pursuing health and well-being. Among the guests: Mary Todd Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, Booker T. Washington, Johnny Weissmuller, Dale Carnegie, Sojourner Truth, Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and George Bernard Shaw. And the presidents he advised: Taft, Harding, Hoover, and Roosevelt, with first lady Eleanor. The brothers Kellogg experimented on malt, wheat, and corn meal, and, tinkering with special ovens and toasting devices, came up with a ready-to-eat, easily digested cereal they called Corn Flakes.
 
As Markel chronicles the Kelloggs’ fascinating, Magnificent Ambersons–like ascent into the pantheon of American industrialists, we see the vast changes in American social mores that took shape in diet, health, medicine, philanthropy, and food manufacturing during seven decades—changing the lives of millions and helping to shape our industrial age.