Magrath grain elevator

Magrath is a town in Cardston County, Alberta, Canada. Its population was 2,217 in 2011. Magrath is located near the Canadian Rockies and is 32 km (20 mi) south of Lethbridge and 242 km (150 mi) south of Calgary. There are three remaining grain elevators at Magrath. The green one in the foreground, the yellow one with a red annex on the right in the background, and the buffalo bin in the background to the left, still stand. This was a drive-by shot taken on 28 August 2014, the last day of a 3-day trip with friends. Cathy and Terry, to Waterton Lakes National Park and then further east.

“The Buffalo Slope was a design created by the Alberta Wheat Pool using precast concrete. Somewhat of an experiment in design and materials by the Wheat Pool, only a few of this type were built in the late 1970s. These elevators were capable of holding around 170,000 bushels of grain. It wasn't the design of this elevator so much as the timing which resulted in such small numbers being built. Railway spur lines were being closed and along with them, small town elevators. Grain companies were beginning to realize the necessity of concentrating their resources, doing away with small elevators and building much larger inland terminals, spaced much further apart than were wooden elevators of yore. It simply wasn't a good time to be building smaller elevators.”

www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMKTKT_Alberta_Wheat_Pool_Buf...

“Alberta’s first grain elevator was built in 1895, by Brackman-Ker Milling Co. at Strathcona. The last traditional wooden elevators were erected 90 years later, by Alberta Wheat Pool in 1985 at Willingdon and Dapp. Those intervening years of the twentieth century saw ups and downs. Rail lines rapidly expanded, but then miles of branch lines were ripped up. Grain elevator companies came and went. There were lean years and years of plenty in the harvest and in prices realized on the grain markets. The story of grain elevators in Alberta follows these trends, as they progressed from novelty to ubiquitous landmark, to vanishing symbol.

Progress in grain elevator construction in Alberta was slow at the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1906, the province still had only a total of 43 elevators. This figure had jumped to 109 by the season of 1908, and to 229 by the end of 1909. By 1912 Alberta boasted a total of 279 elevators. These were operated by seventy-two grain companies, individuals or organisations. The number of country elevators in Alberta reached an all time high in 1934 at 1,781.”

www.grainelevatorsalberta.ca/articles/HRM-history.pdf