- Thread starter TimWafer
- Start date
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
Ours was built roughly 1950, replaced a wooden silo. I would wager it is a good chance yours was built after WW2
notjustair
Well-known Member
In KS it would have. This dairy started in 1930. The concrete silo that's here is the only one that's ever been here. It wasn't up to start with but shortly after. The concrete around the bottom is dated - I want to say it is 1936 but I can't recall. It is under a three foot drift right now.
The outfit that put most of these in my area up did not put doorways in them (walk through). They were all what I call window silos - all openings were window size. Where I grew up in out west they all had a walk door at the bottom with a silo house.
The practice was to go to the sale and buy an old horse and lead it into the silo. As the silo was filled the horse would pack it. When the silo was full they would shoot the horse and throw it off the side. After it was cut up they had feed for the dogs for the winter. I only know of one farm in the county that still uses a tower silo. I don't ever remember using ours. Always used the trench.
The outfit that put most of these in my area up did not put doorways in them (walk through). They were all what I call window silos - all openings were window size. Where I grew up in out west they all had a walk door at the bottom with a silo house.
The practice was to go to the sale and buy an old horse and lead it into the silo. As the silo was filled the horse would pack it. When the silo was full they would shoot the horse and throw it off the side. After it was cut up they had feed for the dogs for the winter. I only know of one farm in the county that still uses a tower silo. I don't ever remember using ours. Always used the trench.
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
most around Mn and SD were put up from the 50's to the mid 70's
Once again,a web search came up with this.
In the 1890s, FH King of Wisconsin’s state agricultural experiment station developed the first successful round vertical silo. It was made of two layers of horizontally placed wood boards. Wooden silos were prone to deterioration, so silos began to be constructed from brick and concrete. By the early 1900s, silos were constructed of reinforced concrete, structural clay tile, cement staves, and galvanized metal.
The cement stave silo was introduced to the state in 1905 and was the most common silo type built in Minnesota. Cement staves are masonry units that hook together with interlocking edges, with mortar applied between the joints. The staves are reinforced by either flat or round metal bands or rods, and reinforce the silo against outward pressure. The inside of the silo was sealed by a thin layer of concrete
In the 1890s, FH King of Wisconsin’s state agricultural experiment station developed the first successful round vertical silo. It was made of two layers of horizontally placed wood boards. Wooden silos were prone to deterioration, so silos began to be constructed from brick and concrete. By the early 1900s, silos were constructed of reinforced concrete, structural clay tile, cement staves, and galvanized metal.
The cement stave silo was introduced to the state in 1905 and was the most common silo type built in Minnesota. Cement staves are masonry units that hook together with interlocking edges, with mortar applied between the joints. The staves are reinforced by either flat or round metal bands or rods, and reinforce the silo against outward pressure. The inside of the silo was sealed by a thin layer of concrete
GeneMO
Well-known Member
- Location
- Pilot Grove, Mo.
Around home they put up a lot of the slip formed, solid concrete ones. I know they had a small "factory" near home that made the blocks during WWII. We also have quite a few of the old tile silos still around.
We put ours up in 1969, bought it from an Amish man who was a dealer for White Star Silos out of St. Genevieve Mo.
Gene
We put ours up in 1969, bought it from an Amish man who was a dealer for White Star Silos out of St. Genevieve Mo.
Gene
I doubt the OP's was built immediately post WW2. There was a shortage of building materials for a few years after the war. Portland cement is one of the things that were in short supply. It wasn't unusual for them to skimp on the amount of portland in concrete during that time.
I'd guess it's pre war or mid fifties or later. All of that style silo that I've seen are pre war.
I'd guess it's pre war or mid fifties or later. All of that style silo that I've seen are pre war.
I was born in 1937 and dad had a "Rib Stone " concrete stave silo built several yrs before I was born. It had a wooden,"hip roof" on it. It was not the first one in the area.
Some where I have a pic of a " poured concrete" silo being filled with a steam engine running the silo filler and horses pulling the bundle wagons. I think it was taken about 1915 or 1920.clint
Some where I have a pic of a " poured concrete" silo being filled with a steam engine running the silo filler and horses pulling the bundle wagons. I think it was taken about 1915 or 1920.clint
A picture of a Mason & Lawrence,Rib Stone silo being taken down in Wi. about three yrs ago. This silo was put up in the late 40 s or early 50 s.
This was a 14'x 47&1/2 ft.tall silo, with a metal roof.
One side was shot out till the ammo was gone , then it was pushed over with a Hi-Lift. I looked at it after it was flat on the ground, Every stave was cracked. I was hoping to find one good stave for a souvenir. No one was injured! clint
This was a 14'x 47&1/2 ft.tall silo, with a metal roof.
One side was shot out till the ammo was gone , then it was pushed over with a Hi-Lift. I looked at it after it was flat on the ground, Every stave was cracked. I was hoping to find one good stave for a souvenir. No one was injured! clint
Two major players in the upright silo industry were near Willmar, MN. Actually Hanson Bros. at Lake Lillian, and another outfit by Svea. I think Hanson at one time had three plants, and also got into the NE US market.....NY, PA area? They sold many unloaders out that way in the 70s-80s. Hanson even had little "houses" on site where some of their workers lived.<They survived the 80s by getting into other mfg, and powder coating parts for other mfgrs.p> Used to be other small silo companies around central MN. Every brand had their own unique insignia, with the colored blocks in a particular pattern, near the top of the silo. Some were later extended in height, so had two sets of insignia.
tractorkrum
Member
We had a silo that my grandfather built in the
early 1910"s. The staves were more like a
concrete block. It had a real nice texture on the
outside. I think these blocks would make a real
neat retaining wall today. My grandfather bought
the machine for making the blocks and built three
silos before selling the machine. The silo we had
on the farm had the window like openings as was
stated before. The hard part was the silo had a
pit that was about 12 feet deep. I remember
carrying a basket up a ladder full of silage and
then you had to carry it to each stall in the
barn. That was sure one way of getting your daily
exercise. A little trivia: I was told that when
silos were first introduced people thought that if
you fed silage from a silo that the cows tails
would fall off.
early 1910"s. The staves were more like a
concrete block. It had a real nice texture on the
outside. I think these blocks would make a real
neat retaining wall today. My grandfather bought
the machine for making the blocks and built three
silos before selling the machine. The silo we had
on the farm had the window like openings as was
stated before. The hard part was the silo had a
pit that was about 12 feet deep. I remember
carrying a basket up a ladder full of silage and
then you had to carry it to each stall in the
barn. That was sure one way of getting your daily
exercise. A little trivia: I was told that when
silos were first introduced people thought that if
you fed silage from a silo that the cows tails
would fall off.
(quoted from post at 20:03:38 02/06/14) A picture of a Mason & Lawrence,Rib Stone silo being taken down in Wi. about three yrs ago. This silo was put up in the late 40 s or early 50 s.
This was a 14'x 47&1/2 ft.tall silo, with a metal roof.
One side was shot out till the ammo was gone , then it was pushed over with a Hi-Lift. I looked at it after it was flat on the ground, Every stave was cracked. I was hoping to find one good stave for a souvenir. No one was injured! clint
Always boggles the mind that someone would destroy a good bit of money rather than sell it. There are people that will come from several hundred miles away and take down a stave silo and pay good money for it, then sell it to the Amish. Ive seen the Amish locally travel 50-75 miles or more to take downa good silo and have it trucked home. Seems a waste to knock one over.
Kate Cassidy
New User
I recently found an invoice and contract from Mason & Lawrence Rib-Stone Silos in Elgin, Illinois dated Nov. 25, 1946. It was in a letter from M&R signed "E. Rogers" to my grandmother. The size was 14' diameter x 50' hgt. The labor was $31.50. which included transferring the silo from Elgin to Gurnee, Illinois, where it was erected on my grandparents farm. Also noted: "The purchaser to furnish the gravel and cement for the foundation, and room and board the men while the silo is being erected."
The cement stave length was 42 feet.
Total Cost: $1,110.30 (including above room and board costs).
Kate Cassidy - Granddaughter Re:
Sponenburg Farm - Gurnee, Illinois
The cement stave length was 42 feet.
Total Cost: $1,110.30 (including above room and board costs).
Kate Cassidy - Granddaughter Re:
Sponenburg Farm - Gurnee, Illinois
cumminspuller
Member
That is very interesting numbers and story. Thanks for posting.
farmerwithmutt
Well-known Member
Old timer told me they had a poured cement
silo installed the crew always showed up
and we're done with the days pour just
before breakfast . As he said I knew my
wife was a good cook but now I have proof.
it also seemed to take a long time to
finish. Thanks for the memories
silo installed the crew always showed up
and we're done with the days pour just
before breakfast . As he said I knew my
wife was a good cook but now I have proof.
it also seemed to take a long time to
finish. Thanks for the memories
farmerwithmutt
Well-known Member
Armstrong unloader was even cheaper than that.
Our 11x35 stave silo cost $850 in 1958 (odd size as site was determined by existing barns) I had an aluminium roof installed in 1971 for $1150 , armstrong unloader. Sons and custom cutter bagged the equivalent volume in 4 1/2 hrs. Silo would have taken a little over a day, with 8 or 10 men in 1958!!
When I was a kid on the farm we had a wooden silo and it usually blew over every year or so after it was empty. The old man and the neighbors got real good at setting it back up. The old man had 2 silos and two silo unloaders and two barn cleaners. Me and my brother. Then he wondered why I left the farm and ran away to drive truck all my life. I thought that at least I could set on my butt and push pedals. I never pailed another cow.
Farm related prices are a little different these days.
Always an eye opener to relate the cost of something (tractor, combine, silo, etc) to the cost of the commodity on the farm (bu of corn, gallon of
milk, etc).
Have to account for size differences, a 12 row combine vs a 2 row combine and so on, but it still is an eye opener!
For example, your grand dad might have been able to buy a 50hp tractor for 4000bu of corn, but now a days you'd have to spend 16,000 bu, or
whatever.
Paul
Always an eye opener to relate the cost of something (tractor, combine, silo, etc) to the cost of the commodity on the farm (bu of corn, gallon of
milk, etc).
Have to account for size differences, a 12 row combine vs a 2 row combine and so on, but it still is an eye opener!
For example, your grand dad might have been able to buy a 50hp tractor for 4000bu of corn, but now a days you'd have to spend 16,000 bu, or
whatever.
Paul
Kate Cassidy
New User
I will try to upload invoice to this site when I can figure out how it's done. I loved the room and board part of invoice. Brings back great memories of my life on the farm as a child for 21 years. I wouldn't trade it.
bwillett
Member
- Location
- West Central Ohio
Mason and Lawrence Ribstone Silos are still manufactured in the county seat where I live. Urbana, Ohio.
DennisinWI
Member
Would that be the Sponenburg farm on Dilley Rd? I was raised very near there.
Andy Martin
Well-known Member
Some people are so important they can't conceive that if they don't want something, then nobody would want it. I realize this is true but it is hard to understand. It always gripes me to see these home improvement shows where they take pleasure in breaking perfectly good fixtures instead of removing them carefully and then selling them. A lot of time willful destruction is done in the name of speed, we don't have time to salvage, but then the site may sit empty for years.
fixerupper
Well-known Member
Andy I share the same sentiment. When I tore down houses I carefully pried every board off and cleaned the nails and I could do it all day long. If I would have bashed things with a sledge hammer I would have lasted five minutes max. I realize it's all for show when the do it yourself shows have the camera on people wailing away at countertops with sledgehammers, but I wonder how many folks think that is really the way it's done. The cameras don't show the sledge hammer wielder crumpled in a corner tired and panting after his little tirade. And yes it pains me to watch them throw perfectly good counter tops and sinks out the window and into the dumpster.
Kate, This is very interesting to me as My father went to school with Mr. Mason at Elgin, Il. They were neighbors at one time.
Dad had three of M and L silos.
I remember seeing there stave making plant located on Brook st. in Elgin. Went by it hundreds of times going to the Case tractor dealer just up the street. clint
Dad had three of M and L silos.
I remember seeing there stave making plant located on Brook st. in Elgin. Went by it hundreds of times going to the Case tractor dealer just up the street. clint
BarryfromIA
Well-known Member
Around here there are 6 or more that could be bought for rebuilding some where else. But they probably get knocked down and buried. Some staves get reused for retaining walls.
My dad had 2 built by R J Hoffman from Cissna Park, IL. They were 12 X 42, concrete rib. Later he bought a farm in NC Iowa that had glazed blocks that was 16 X 50 and the doors faced north. Of all places to have done this. When I worked for my brother there in the early 60s, it got down to -32 below and the doors froze.
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