In this photo from 1962, we see two of the three elevators that stood at Cracknell, about nine kilometres (six miles) northeast of Russell, at that time. Off camera to the right was United Grain Growers’ first elevator, built in 1921. Beside it was an elevator constructed in 1922 by the Matheson-Lindsay Grain Company and owned successively by the Province Elevator Company (1928-36), Reliance Grain (1936-48), and Manitoba Pool (1948-66) before becoming UGG’s second elevator. Both were closed in September 1973 and demolished. The Paterson elevator at left was built in 1921 using materials salvaged from an elevator at Sintaluta, Saskatchewan. It closed in 2000 and was later demolished.
Photo: University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections
In 1965, the provincial government bought two elevators and annexes at Fortier, about 24 kilometres (15 miles) southeast of Portage la Prairie, from Manitoba Pool. The “A” elevator had been built by Pool in 1928 while the “B” elevator dated from 1913 and had been bought from Ogilvie Flour Mills in 1959. The government used the abandoned right-of-way for the CN railway line beside the elevators to expand the Trans-Canada Highway from two to four lanes. By the time of this 1973 photo, the former A elevator had been moved to a nearby Hutterite colony.
Photo: S. J. McKee Archives, Brandon University
An elevator at Rorketon was built in 1924 by United Grain Growers. At the time of this 1962 photo, it had a balloon annex on one side and a small coal shed on the other, and stood across from the train station. UGG cited increasing costs of operation and impending abandonment of the CN rail line from Ste. Rose du Lac when it closed the elevator in August 1980.
Photo: University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections
An elevator at Pope, on the CNR Rivers Subdivision about seven miles southwest of Hamiota, was built around 1905 for the Security Elevator Company. Later owners included the Northern Elevator Company (1929-40), National Grain (1940-74), and Cargill Grain (1975-79). A balloon annex built in 1957 increased its capacity from 25,000 to 53,000 bushels. It closed in October 1979, when Cargill opened a high-throughput facility at nearby Oakner, and was later demolished.
Photo: S.J. McKee Archives, Brandon University
In the 1950s, there were over 700 grain elevators in Manitoba. Today, there are fewer than 200. You can help to preserve the legacy of these disappearing “Prairie sentinels.”
The Manitoba Historical Society (MHS) is gathering information about all elevators that ever stood in Manitoba, regardless of their present status. Collaborating with the Manitoba Co-operator it is supplying these images of a grain elevator each week in hopes readers will be able to tell the society more about it, or any other elevator they know of.
MHS Gordon Goldsborough webmaster and Journal editor has developed a website to post your replies to a series of questions about elevators. The MHS is interested in all grain elevators that have served the farm community.
Your contributions will help gather historical information such as present status of elevators, names of companies, owners and agents, rail lines, year elevators were built — and dates when they were torn down (if applicable).
There is room on the website to post personal recollections and stories related to grain elevators. The MHS presently also has only a partial list of all elevators that have been demolished. You can help by updating that list if you know of one not included on that list.
Your contributions are greatly appreciated and will help the MHS develop a comprehensive, searchable database to preserve the farm community’s collective knowledge of what was once a vast network of grain elevators across Manitoba.
Please contribute to This Old Grain Elevator website here.
You will receive a response, by email or phone call, confirming that your submission was received.
Goldsborough is interested in hearing all sorts of experiences about the elevators — funny, sad, or anything in between. Readers willing to share their stories can leave messages at 204-474-7469.
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