Oliver Evans’ mill vastly lowered the cost while increasing the quality of flour. These mills automated the milling of flour much like Arkwright automated the creation of fabric. The automatic mills were popular with farmers.
Evans automated mill reduced the time and increased the quality and consistency of flour. George Washington purchased one that is still in use, for demonstration purposes, today.
Evans was a prolific innovator and also created a high power steam engine (concurrently with Trevithick) and also designed the core concepts of refrigeration.
Evans had trouble enforcing his patents but, eventually, did make a living from automated mills.
Evans is also, arguably, the innovator of the grain elevator. In an odd twist ー opposite of what usually happens (where people steal and patent the ideas of others) ー Joseph Dart created a grain elevator in 1842 but credits the innovation to Evans.
Washington’s automated Evans Mill is still operational.