IN 1904 WHEN THE NEW GRAIN ELEVATOR OPENED IN ATLANTA, IT WAS STATE OF THE
ART, AND IT IS STILL OPEN TODAY.
BUT THIS TIME, IT IS ONLY FOR
TOURS.
THE PRODUCER WOULD DRIVE HIS TEAM AND HIS WAGON INTO THE ELEVATOR BRINGING IN HIS
PRODUCE, DRIVE THEM ACROSS THE
SCALES.
THE SCALE OPERATOR WOULD GO OUT WITH HIS PROBE, PROBE THAT GRAIN GRAIN, TEST IT THROUGH SIVES TO
DETERMINE THE CORN CONTENT THAT
MIGHT BE IN THE GRAIN.
THE FARMER DROVE THE TEAM OF
HORSES UP INTO THE GRAIN
ELEVATOR DRIVEWAY AND POSITIONED
THEM OVER WHAT WE CALL DUMP
LOGS.
THESE WERE TWO ONE FOOT WIDE
NARROW RAMPS WITH LENGTH OF THE
WHEEL BASE ON THE WAGON TO
POSITION THE REAR WHEELS AND
FRONT WHEELS BOTH ON THAT RAMP.
THEN HE WOULD TRIP THE DUMP LOG
AND TILT THAT WAGON BACK, BACK
END WOULD DROP, AND THE FRONT
WOULD RAISE SIMILAR TO A
PLAYGROUND TEETERTOTTER.
>>BACK 'EM UP A LITTLE, CHARLIE.
EASY!
>>WHEN THE GRAIN HAD ALL FLOWN
OUT OF THE WAGON, THE TEAM WOULD
DRIVE FORWARD PULLING THOSE DUMP
LOGS BACK ONTO A LEVEL
HORIZONTALLY AND THE OPERATOR OF
THE ELEVATOR WOULD LOCK THOSE
BACK IN POSITION HORIZONTALLY.
LOCATED IN A BRICK BUILDING, ADJACENT TO THE ELEVATOR, POWER SHED IS THE TEN HORSEPOWER OLD
GASOLINE ENG ENGINE THAT DRIVES
A LINE SHAFT THAT GOES THROUGH
TO THE BUILDING WALL THROUGH THE
FOUNDATION OF THE GRAIN ELEVATOR
INTO THE BASEMENT WHERE IT IS
COUPLED TO A ROPE DRIVE THAT
EXTENDS UP THROUGHOUT ELEVATOR
SHAFT TO A JACK SHAFT AT THE TOP
ELEVATING THE GRAIN UP WHICH
ELEVATES IT UP TO THE HEAD HOUSE
AND THE DISTRIBUTOR FLOOR
UPSTAIRS.
THE OPERATOR OF THE ELEVATOR
CONTROLS THE FLOW OF THE GRAIN
COMING UP THAT GRAIN LEG THROUGH
THIS SPOUT BY ROTATING IT FROM
THE WORKING FLOOR DOWN BELOW BY
RAISING THIS SHAFT UP ATTACHED
TO THE QUADRANT ON THE WORKING
FLOOR, PULLING THIS SPOUT UP OUT
OF THE HOLE AND ROTATING IT
AROUND WHICH EVER HOLE HE
CHOOSES TO PUT THE GRAIN IN.
LATER WHEN AGRICULTURE AND
FARMERS WENT TO HAULING GRAIN IN
WITH THEIR PICKUP TRUCKS, THEY
COULDN'T USE THIS DOOR OPENING
SO THEY PUT ANOTHER OPENING IN
THE THE RECEIVING PIT UP HERE,
AND THEN THEY LOCATED THIS
MECHANISM -- THIS CRADLE HERE
ACROSS THE DRIVEWAY FLOOR AND
PULLED IT UP WITH THIS WINCH TO
DUMP THE GRAIN, TILT THE TRUCK
AND DUMP THE GRAIN.
PRIOR TO THIS ELEVATOR HERE,
THERE WAS WHAT IS CALLED AN
ELEVATED GRANARY WHICH WAS
NOTHING MORE THAN A BUILDING
ELEVATED ABOVE GROUND.
THEY HAD LONG WOODEN RAMP GOING
UP INTO THAT ELEVATOR FROM THE
END AND EXIT RAMP ON THE OTHER
END, MAYBE HALF A BLOCK LONG.
THE HORSES WOULD PULL THE WAGONS
OF GRAIN UP THERE, AND OFF LOAD
THE GRAIN INTO A CAR ON THE RAIL
SIDING ADJACENT TO THE BUILDING.
THIS BUILDING WAS ERECTED IN 1904 WHEN I FOUND THAT THE CITY WAS GOING TO LET THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT PRACTICE ON IT, I
THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE SAVED AND
SALVAGED AND TURNED INTO A
MUSEUM DEPICTING THE EARLY
METHODS AND SYSTEMS OF HANDLING,
SHIPPING, AND MARKETING GRAIN.
THIS TOWN IS LOCATED RIGHT IN
THE CORNER OF THREE OR FOUR
DIFFERENT COUNTIES.
PRODUCERS FROM TAZEWELL COUNTY
AND MC LEAN COUNTY, DEWITT
COUNTY, AS WELL AS LOGAN COUNTY
WOULD BRING THEIR GRAIN IN HERE
TO BE SHIPPED ON THESE TWO
RAILROADS.
THIS WAS THE LARGEST GRAIN
MARKETING CENTER ON THESE
RAILROADS BETWEEN ST. LOUIS AND
CHICAGO IN THE EARLY 1900'S.
IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS
IS THE ONLY ONE IN THIS STATE
THAT IS LISTED ON THE NATIONAL
REGISTRY OF HISTORIC PLACES WITH
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
FOR DATES AND TIMES ATLANTA'S GRAIN ELEVATOR MUSEUM IS OPEN CALL (217)648-5077.