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The story begins in 1826 with George VanderDusen, born into a family in New York. During America’s westward expansion, VanderDusen's journey into commerce started humbly as a grain buyer in the early 1850s. His career took root in Paddockville, Wisconsin, where he transported grain nearly 90 miles to Milwaukee, riding the wave of a thriving midwestern wheat boom.
By 1865, VanderDusen had established a store in Rochester, Minnesota, strategically situated along expanding railroad lines, which allowed him to build grain storage facilities across the region. His company, GW Van Dusen & Company, capitalized on the agricultural boom, eventually merging with others to form VanderDusen-Harlinton Company in 1889, cementing itself as one of the world's largest grain distributors.