1894 • William H. Danforth and two partners create the Robinson-Danforth Commission Co. in St. Louis to mill and sell animal feed. Danforth dies in 1955 at age 85. Former U.S. Senator John C. Danforth and former Washington University chancellor William H. Danforth are grandsons.
1896 • The company mill, near 12th Street (Tucker Boulevard) and Chouteau Avenue, is wrecked during the Great Cyclone, a massive tornado that kills 255 in the St. Louis area. It is part of the future site of Checkerboard Square, now headquarters of Nestle Purina PetCare Co.
1902 • The company changes its name to Ralston Purina after its products were endorsed by a “Dr. Ralston.” (Purina is a play on the word “pure.”) Soon afterward, Danforth begins putting the distinctive checkerboard on the company’s feed bags. By then, the company also is selling breakfast cereal, hominy grits and pancake flour.
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1926 • Ralston begins testing pet and other animal foods at its research farm near Gray Summit. The existing visitor center at the farm was built in 1986.
1937 • The company introduces Wheat Chex breakfast cereal. (Brand later sold to General Mills in 1996.)
1962 • An explosion and general-alarm fire on a frigid January afternoon kills two employees and guts the mill on Chouteau Avenue. A fire captain dies of a heart attack. The company demolishes the remains but rebuilds its office complex. The 15-story headquarters on Chouteau was finished in 1968.
1968 • Ralston buys Jack in the Box restaurants. (It sells the restaurant chain in 1985.)
1977 • Ralston buys the St. Louis Blues and the Arena at 5700 Oakland Avenue, renaming the building the Checkerdome. (It sells both to Harry Ornest in 1983 after having announced plans to sell the team to a group in Saskatoon, Canada.)
1984 • Ralston buys Continental Baking Co., maker of Hostess snacks. (It sells Continental in 1995.)
1986 • Ralston buys Eveready Battery Co. and sells Purina Mills, its animal-feed business. (The battery business, renamed Energizer, is spun off in 2000.)
1994 • Ralston spins off cereal and other grocery items to Ralcorp, a separate company.
1997 • Ralston sells Protein Technologies International to DuPont.
1998 • Ralston spins off Agribrands, its international feed business. (Ralcorp later tries to acquire business in 2000, but Cargill outbids St. Louis-based company.)
2001 • Ralston is bought by Nestle S.A. of Switzerland, which creates Nestle Purina Petcare Co., based at Checkerboard Square.
2008 • Ralcorp completes purchase of Post cereal business from Kraft Foods.
2010 • Ralcorp purchases American Italian Pasta for $1.2 billion.
March 2011 • ConAgra makes unsolicited bid, which Ralcorp rejects.
August 2011 • Ralcorp Holdings agrees to buy Sara Lee’s North American refrigerated dough business.
September 2011 • ConAgra withdraws after Ralcorp rejects its latest sweetened bid.
February 2012 • Ralcorp spins off Post Holdings.
Tuesday • Ralcorp agrees to be sold to ConAgra Foods of Omaha.
