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M E M O R I E S O F T H E W O O D E N G R A I N ELEVATOR Doris Kornfeld
MEMORIES OF THE WOODEN GRAIN ELEVATOR Doris Kornfeld
n the early 1900s, grain elevators in Saskatchewan numbered in the thousands. Today there are just a few hundred left across the province. The early designed elevators, like the heritage elevator in Val Marie, are few and far between now. These elevators have been fondly referred to as “prairie sentinels.”
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When we try to imagine how these elevators were constructed without, power tools, electric lights, electronic gadgets, etc., we should be amazed at the engineering talent and the craftsmanship of the people who designed these structures, and the hard work of the men who sawed the boards and pounded the nails.
My brother and I were about six and seven years old when we accompanied our father to the elevator with a load of grain. What a thrilling and exciting trip! I remember driving up the ramp into the elevator and we had to get out of the truck and stand out of the way. After the truck was weighed, the elevator agent went to the office where he started a motor, which had a unique “popping sound” and this motor produced the power to lift the truck up on the hoist. My heart nearly stopped when the metal frame that the front wheels were parked on began coming up out of the floor and gradually raised the truck up in the air. The elevator agent then opened a small chute door at the end of the truck box and the grain emptied out and disappeared down into a big hole. I was mystified and scared to death that our truck would fall off the hoist.
At this point, the agent magically lowered our truck down to the floor and I was very relieved that our truck was now safe and sound. The motor in the office basement kept popping along and waiting for another load of grain!
In my adult years, I had the privilege of hauling many loads of grain to these types of elevators and I never lost the thrill of driving into an elevator and unloading the grain. When electric power became available, many elevators phased out their “pop sounding motors,” but I shall never forget the sound that they produced. Continued on page 27
