For Jim…

This here post is dedicated to a friend, gone almost a year now, whose obsession in what we’ll be looking at here bordered on the crazy. In a most beautiful way. This fellow, name of Jim Pearson, had a thing for grain elevators…and it was on a grand scale. You know those towering sentinels that in the past could be found in near any small prairie town but have mostly vanished…bingo. The de facto expert on the subject his enthusiasm was infectious and knowledge boundless. Author of many books (look up “Vanishing Sentinels” Jim A Pearson) it was on account his tireless work that we all came to know more about these amazing structures. Few have done more to advance the knowledge than he. The day of this posting happens to be his birthday.

And while there’s not a single thing we’ll say here that Jim didn’t already know, we hope it’s something that he’d appreciate. A little write up about something of which we also share a passion. These huge hunks of wood, towering above all, had a singular purpose, that of sending grain off to market. Hard to believe today there were thousands of them, just like the one, scattered all over the west. It’s here a farmer traded in all that toil and sweat for a slip of paper that could taken to the bank. This is what it’s all about.

Found in Heritage Park Calgary, an amazing living history museum, it’s the Security Grain Elevator, the focus of our attention this evening. Built 1909-1910-ish (records differ) in a tiny dot on the map called Shonts Alberta, Southeast of Edmonton, it’s been at the Park almost as long as it was in that town.

Dumping grain old school.

The Security Elevator Company was founded about the time this structure was built and in short order had a network of about seventy grain elevators across its network. In the early 1920s they acquired a competitor almost doubling their count. In the late 1920s, The firm then merged with or was acquired by Northern Elevator and with that the Security name ceased to be. Northern, along with some other smaller players in the industry, combined to become National Elevator about 1940.

National disposed of this building soon after World War Two, selling it the Alberta Wheat Pool, who had the largest elevator network in the province. And one of the biggest in the entire country. The “Pool” continued to use the building into the mid-1960s when it was closed. Suspect it was too old and small to continue to use. Soon after Heritage Park acquired it and moved it hundreds of clicks to where it stands today. That was one heck of a trip and no small undertaking. It took a couple years to restore and it’s been a major attraction at the Park ever since.

Incidentally, National was absorbed by Cargill Grain in the 1970s. But that’s another story. The Security Grain Elevator had a neighbour in Shonts, that amazingly still stands. See: This is Shonts (aka Dirty Shorts).

This building retains a lot of its original character, which no doubt was one reason why it was saved. Power comes from a Fairbanks Morse Model Z single cylinder engine (sometimes called a “one-lunger” or “hit & miss” engine). When running these make a distinctive off beat sound. As a fire mitigation measure it’s housed in a separate metal clad building and is connected to the elevator workings via a drive belt. It’s not clear if this was original to the elevator, but it is of the right era, however. Sharing this out building with this smoke belching monster is the elevator office.

Grain came in by way of horse drawn wagons or later trucks. These would be placed on a teeter-totter type device (proper load centring was critical) that would then tilt back, allowing grain to flow out into the receiving hopper below. The tilting mechanism was “Armstrong” and requited someone brawny to operate. From here, grain could be sent to a cleaner as needed, or to any one of the integral storage bins the the towering structure above. Gravity did a lot of the work.

The Security Elevator had a capacity of 25k bushels, on the small side but still pretty typical of the era. In form it’s much like any other grain elevator of old you may have seen. The overall design worked well and so was copied and copied again. Lots of wood in these too – huge amounts. And nails…tons of them! Next to the main driveway and centre to the building is the outbound hopper. It’s here grain was weighed prior to shipping out by rail. Nearly all these buildings were next to the railway, the grain then travelling to market via boxcars (after the ’60s/’70s, also grain hoppers).

Scattered about the building are all manner of relics one might find in a grain elevator. An “Emerson Kicker” is used to test grain for “dockage”. Cleaner grain got a better price and this tool was used to test for purity. An old map, showing all the railway lines in the province, hangs on the wall. Most of these are long gone. Jars on display show the different grains that might come into the elevator (wheat, oats, barley mostly). The chutes in the building are made of wood with a well worn piece on display demonstrating distinctive wear patterns from all that grain flowing past it over the years.

Heritage Parks’ Grain Elevator sits across from the railway shops at the edge of “town”. A track runs behind with many vintage rail cars found stored on the elevator siding. We take a break from shooting the building and wander about a bit. The Wainwright Hotel is particularly interesting. There’s so much to see. By the way, this visit was after hours, with Heritage Park graciously allowing us access. Such great hosts.

Seen near the elevator, an oldie of a steam locomotive getting a makeover. Dating from the early 1900s this little engine was built by the Vulcan Iron Works in Pennsylvania and once worked at a coal mine in the Crowsnest Pass.

We hang around till nightfall. The hoped for sunset kinda fizzled out with the forecast overcast skies turning clear. Plans thwarted! Since the Park is in the city (you’d never know it when there) no clouds means light pollution will kill most stars come dark. With clouds at least, we can run a long exposure and get that soft cottony feel which in itself is quite pleasing. Lighting up the elevator gives us that “they’re working late” vibe, a convincing illusion.

The “Armstrong” lift wheel.

Jim Pearson has been a “Vatorologist” (legend Johnnie Bachusky’s go-to phrase, but one coined by Jim) since the early years of this century. His passion was inspired by the mass demolition of these structures about that time due to changes in how the industry functioned. In one fell swoop over a few years hundred of elevators were demolished. Now there but a handful left, some in museums like this, some abandoned, some repurposed as storage facilitates for farmers. But most are gone. Jim prior to his untimely passing was part of this group of which Team BIGDoer also belongs: The Last Wood Ogilvie. Anyway…Jim, this one’s for you…

Heritage Park has been entertaining and enlightening visitors since the 1960s and is a Calgary institution. It’s here where history lives. It’s second only to Edmonton’s Fort Edmonton Park in size for museum of this type in all Canada.

Joining us this evening is photographer and friend Byron Robb. It’s more fun and we get better results when we shoot with others. Accidentally caught him in one photo.

They’re saying…

”I travelled through many of your chronicled places in the oil and gas service industry for years. Seeing them and recalling my observations is great fun. Thank you for the site. We can tell you enjoy the explorations and we honestly do vicariously!” Ted Cutlan.

More Heritage Park…
Calgary then and now – Heritage Park cemetery and NWMP barracks.
Coal Mine Locomotives.

Jim’s favourites on this site…
Forgotten Prairie: Fusilier.
Grain Elevators of DeWinton.

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date: June, 2019.
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Article references and thanks: All the helpful staff @ Heritage Park Calgary.

You are encouraged to visit the Security Grain Elavator at Heritage Park.

Little details here and there.

An “Emerson Kicker” seed cleaner.

Getting a makeover nearby this little steamer.

Map shows how many rail lines there once was.

Grain was weighed here before shipping.

Deep inside, this view.

Many different kinds.

In a separate building, the engine powering it all.

Oil to keep things well lubed.

A maker of noise and smoke.

Formerly of Shonts Alberta.

Down by the tracks.

From inside a chute, well worn wood.

Let’s play spot the photographer…

The elevator office also holds the drive engine.

The building is 110 years old…

…And has been at the Park since the 1960s.

Down the street at the Wainwright.

All quiet after hours.

Seems they’re working late…

Just one last load to dump.

Soon it’s click and lights out.