ONCE HUNDREDS OF GRAIN ELEVATORS DOTTED THE LENGTH OF THE CANAL. TODAY THOSE REMAINING STRUCTURES
ARE TESTAMENT TO THE ECONOMIC
VITALITY OF THE CORRIDOR.
TODAY, THE OLDEST REMAINING
GRAIN ELEVATOR IS IN SENECA, AND
IT IS OPENED FOR TOURS.
JOHN ARMOR IS THE GENTLEMAN THAT STARTED IT. HE CAME OVER HERE FROM SCOTT
LAND WITH THREE OTHER BROTHERS
AND A SISTER.
HE WAS ONE OF OUR CONTRACTORS.
HE WAS PROBABLY IN CHARGE OF
ABOUT 25, 30 MEN.
WE DO KNOW THAT HE BUILT TWELVE
AND SEVERAL DIFFERENT SECTIONS
OF THE CANAL.
WE HAVE RECORDS WHERE HE HAS
BOUGHT DIFFERENT PIECES OF LAND
HERE IN SENECA.
THERE IS STILL KNOWN A SECTION
OF THIS LAND IN TOWN CALLED
ARMOR'S ADDITION.
THERE IS ARMOR'S ADDITION THAT
IS IN OTTOWA WHICH HIM AND HIS
BROTHER, GEORGE, BOUGHT
TOGETHER.
HIS NAME IS REALLY COMMON AROUND
HERE.
>> IN ADDITION TO THIS GRAIN
ELEVATOR, HE HAD ANOTHER IN
OTTOWA, EVIDENCE OF THE
AGRICULTURAL BOONE.
PEEK TONNAGE TRANSPORTED ON THE
CANAL OCCURRED IN 1881 WITH
APPROXIMATELY 300 BOATS MOVING
OVER A MILLION TONS OF CARGO,
CARGO THAT MOVED IN BOTH
DIRECTIONS.
>> HE HAD A LUMBER COMPANY.
WHAT HE DID WAS THIS JOHN ARMOR
THAT HAD IT BUILT, HE TURNE
AROUND AND HE DECIDED TO MAKE A
SLIP INTO THE CANAL.
THE SLIP OF THE CANAL WAS DONE
FOR TWO BIG REASONS: ONE
WAS FOR ALL THE OTHER CAPTAINS
TO TURN THEIR BOATS AROUND AT SO
THEY WOULD SAVE THEMSELVES EXTRA
FEE CHARGES ON THEIR FREIGHT
CHARGES, AND ONE FOR HIMSELF
BECAUSE WHEN HE LEFT AND WENT TO
CHICAGO, HE WOULD TURN AROUND
AND TAKE HIS GRAIN TO CHICAGO,
COME ON BACK, LOAD IT UP WITH
LUMBER AND THEN GO INTO THE
SLIP, TURN HIMSELF AROUND,
DEPOSIT ALL OF HIS GOODS HE
BROUGHT BACK.
>> DURING THE CANAL YEARS WATER
LAPPED AGAINST THE ELEVATOR'S
FOUNDATION SO BOATS COULD TIE UP
TO THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
A BUILDING THAT AREA FARMERS
WOULD BRING THEIR HARVEST TO BY
HORSE AND WAGON.
>> IF YOUR WAGON OPENED FROM THE
BOTTOM WHICH IT DID SOMETIMES IN
THE EARLY DAYS, THEN YOU COULD
TURN AROUND AND JUST BY GRAVITY
IT WOULD GO RIGHT DOWN INTO THE
DUMP AREA.
NOW IF IT OPENED FROM THE BACK,
IF YOUR WAGON OPENED FROM THE
BACK, YOU HAD TO TAKE AND PUT IT
ON THE AIR LIFT, TWO FRONT TIRES
TIRES, TAKEN AND REMOVED THE
HORSES FROM IT, AND IT WAS
ACTUALLY LIFT UP TO A POINT
WHERE YOU ARE SLANTED.
IT WAS ACTUALLY DUMPED INTO AN
AREA THAT WOULD TAKE IT THEN
DOWNSTAIRS TO THE HOPPER.
FROM THE HOPPER, IT WOULD GO UP
ON THE LEG WHICH IS A FANCY WORD
OR A WORD THEY WOULD USE IN A
BUSINESS FOR CONVEYOR BELT.
SO THE LEG WOULD TAKE IT
UPSTAIRS TO THE HEAD, AND IN THE
HEAD THERE IS A FEW PEOPLE THAT
ARE WORKING IN THERE.
THEY CAN ACTUALLY SEND IT TO
WHEREVER THEY WANT TO.
IT GOES TO DIFFERENT BINS INSIDE
OF THE GRAIN ELEVATOR.
THE GRAIN ELEVATOR WAS POWERED
BY STEAM POWER WHICH WOULD BE
MANUFACTURED BY A COAL AND CORN
COBS BURNING IN THE BOILER ROOM.
CORNCOBS WERE USED TO IG NIEPT
THE FIRE.
AFTER ARMOR'S DEATH IN 1868, THE
ELEVATOR WAS OWNED BY A SERIES
OF PROMINENT BUSINESSMEN UNTIL
IT WAS PURCHASED BY MJ HOGAN
WHOSE NAME IS STILL ON THE
BUILDING.
HE OWNED AND OPERATED THE GRAIN
HEELEVATOR FOR 63 YEARS.
>> MR. HOGAN WAS ACTUALLY A
GRAIN DEALER IN MARSEILLES
BEFORE HE CAME HERE.
HE CAME HERE FOR ONE REASON:
HIS FAMILY WAS CATHOLIC, AND HE
WANTED A CATHOLIC PRIEST THAT
LIVED IN TOWN WITH HIS FAMILY
AROUND.
MARSEILLES AT THE TIME DID NOT
HAVE A CATHOLIC PRIEST THAT
LIVED THERE.
>> ON DISPLAY IS A COPY OF THE
OWNERSHIP PAPERS OF A CANAL BOAT
IN WHICH HE BOUGHT HALF INTEREST
INTEREST.
INTERESTING TO NOTE THE PLACE OF
BIRTH ON HIS DAUGHTER'S BIRTH
CERTIFICATE IS LISTED AS CANAL
BOAT WEST MADISON BRIDGE,
CHICAGO.
>> IN 1888, THERE WAS AN
EXTREMELY GOOD YEAR FOR CORN
AROUND THIS AREA.
MR. HOGAN AT THE TIME HAD TWO
STEAMERS THAT WERE OUTSIDE, AND
THEY WOULD PULL THREE BOATS
APIECE THAT WOULD GO UP TOWARDS
CHICAGO.
>> TODAY THE HOGAN GRAIN ELEVATOR IS MAINTAINED BY THE STATE.
OF THE HUNDREDS THAT ONCE LINED
THE CANAL, IT IS THE LAST.
WHERE GRAIN WAS ONCE COLLECTED,
VISITORS ARE NOW REMINDED OF THE
CHANNEL'S IMPORTANCE TO GROWTH.
AT (815)588-1100. TO REACH THE HOGAN GRAIN ELEVATOR IN SENECA CALL
(815)357-6197.