Demolition 1988

rusty6 · Jan 29, 2020

I might have posted this video link here some time ago but the subject came up on another forum so I thought I'd post it here too. Wooden grain elevator demolition is something I've been watching since 1988 when I recorded this on vhs. At the time it was just the oldest elevator in the row but we had no idea it was the beginning of the end of the whole line in town. By 2003 or so I think the last one came down. I've watched them 2 of them built and seen them come down or moved away. This picture was from early 1976 when the U.G.G. annex was being built. Video is from 88 when the Federal came down.

Federal Elevator

unc · Jan 29, 2020

Stavely, Alberta has one elevator left, and it is owned by a local farm family. The Wheat Pool built it in the early 80s, and it's still in good shape. A double boot type, used for storage. Everything has to be trucked in and out as the rail line was ripped up in 2000.
In the 80s and 90s, I hauled wheat to the Pool elevators in High River, Alberta in a 3 ton. That rail line is also gone, as are the elevators. unc

wanabefarmer · Jan 29, 2020

Why were storage building for farm products named Federal? I grew up in Mississippi delta and we had Federal compresses and buildings.

rusty6 · Jan 29, 2020

(quoted from post at 10:51:40 01/29/20) Why were storage building for farm products named Federal? I grew up in Mississippi delta and we had Federal compresses and buildings.

Federal is just another grain company name that disappeared or was bought up by a bigger company. Same as Sask Wheat Pool and United Grain Growers who became part of Viterra. The U.G.G. elevator was originally a "North Star" elevator in the early 1900s.
Our last new elevator was built by SWP in 1984. By 2004 it was gone. What a waste of good lumber.

Bruce from Can. · Jan 29, 2020

Part of our history disappearing, just the same as the disappearing bank barns that were on every 100 acre farm here. Buildings that out lasted their usefulness is what most would say. And if you ever had to work with one of those grain elevators compared to modern grain terminals, you probably wouldn?t wish them back. But for the rest of us , the feeling of loss from seeing the iconic form of the prairie grain elevator , standing tall against the horizon, isn?t something we want to forget. Just like the big bank barns, with their familiar shape dominating the landscape. But I don?t see anyone rushing out to build new ones in that style anytime soon. No money in it.

ThadS · Jan 29, 2020

The wood COOP elevator in my home town burned down in 2007. I guess it was hot enough to start melting glass in the nearby buildings. I still think the skyline looks weird with it gone whenever I visit.

SETX · Jan 29, 2020

We still have ours in Raywood. And several more within 25-30 miles.

JK-NY · Jan 29, 2020

Good video and good music along with it. Do you know if any of the lumber from the elevator was salvaged?

Wheat47 · Jan 29, 2020

So sad!! I love old elevators.
I know of one a guy converted into a home. Came out OK.
I know of one for sale, but as is usually the case, it sits on
railroad land, and they keep increasing the lease every year, to make
them tear it down.
Yes they can be moved, BUT, that's another story.

rusty6 · Jan 29, 2020

(quoted from post at 15:02:31 01/29/20) So sad!! I love old elevators.

Yes they can be moved, BUT, that's another story.

Yes, one was bought and moved a few miles down the highway back in 2002. I've posted videos of that before.
And yes, some salvaging went on. I can't find the good photos of it but here is a poor one showing how they cut the holes in the roof. Then used a crane to lift out some of the equipment and hauled it away before taking the elevator down. This was the one built in 84.

tomstractorsandtoys · Jan 29, 2020

Find a large Amish community as they still build plenty of bank barns. Here in my area of WI 6-12 new ones built each year. They still use small square bales of hay so the bank barn with hay and equipment storage up above and livestock below works great. Tom

fixerupper · Jan 29, 2020

Those old wooden elevators just exude history whenever I am around one. I can just about see the old trucks from the 20 s, 30 s, 40 s and 50 s tipped up on the hoist dumping grain. I got in on the tail end of it when I was a kid riding to town with my dad in the 49 International pickup. Thinking of Canada, the last time I was in Kamsack SK the local elevator was owned by the farmer we were cutting for. I was in that elevator but I never hauled into it.

55 50 Ron · Jan 29, 2020

Do you have info as to when Bob Wills recorded "All Night Long"? (tune on your video) I have a 4 CD set of his songs from 1932 to 1950 and it's not included in that set. Very possible that there are other recordings available. I goggled "All Night Long" and it listed that tune on a 45 RPM record from 1964 called "A Tribute To Wills". I listened to that tribute and it doesn't sound like Wills, although he could have been singing yet in 1964 because he didn't die until May 15, 1975.

rusty6 · Jan 29, 2020

(quoted from post at 18:18:54 01/29/20) Do you have info as to when Bob Wills recorded "All Night Long"?

Ron that song is off a Bob Wills cassette tape that has quite a selection of his songs. Of course I got a copyright strike against me from youtube but since my channel is not monetized it does not hurt me. I just thought it was a nice background tune for the subject.
Fixerupper, I hauled to those elevators all my years of farming right up til the last one closed about 2000.

Paul from MI · Jan 29, 2020

Wife and I travelled across Saskatchewan and Manitoba 10 years ago. I remember seeing one of those old wooden elevators on the horizon standing against the sky. It was nine miles away!! Wow. Think of that pioneer farmer hauling a wagon load of wheat to the elevator at 2-1/2 miles per hour. He could see the elevator when he left his farm, but wouldn't get there for 4 hours, or get home until dark. Sure impressed this old Michigan farmer.

casecollectorsc · Jan 29, 2020

Took the old Peavey elevator in town down about 4 years ago. Used a track hoe till it fell over then hauled it out and burned it. Couple others came down long ago. last one is the Castlewood Grain elevator, Castlewood SD, built in 1957 after the previous one burned. Talk is that it will come down this year or next. End of a era.

Demolition 1988

rusty6

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unc

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wanabefarmer

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rusty6

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Bruce from Can.

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ThadS

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SETX

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JK-NY

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Wheat47

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rusty6

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tomstractorsandtoys

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55 50 Ron

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