The exact page text, read by your browser's voice.
Founders & CEOs
founded 1901 · died 1927
John B. Franke established the Wayne Biscuit Company in Fort Wayne in 1901, at 350 Pearl Street — the company that became Perfection Biscuit, then Perfection Bakeries, and in time the Aunt Millie's Bakeries of the Business record. In 1923 his company put out the first wrapped bread in Indiana. Franke died in a car accident in 1927. The 80-acre farm he donated to the city became Franke Park, the north-side park that still carries his name. The company stayed in the family: the Aunt Millie's brand was created in 1991, and Franke's grandson John F. Popp led the firm in the 2000s.
Sources:
- Businesses — "Perfection Biscuit Company — Perfection Bakeries — Aunt Millie's" (the 1901 founding at 350 Pearl Street, the 1923 wrapped bread, the 1991 brand, John F. Popp's leadership).
- The company's and the History Center's accounts, as carried in the Business entry — Franke's 1927 death and the Franke Park gift.