Anatomy of a prairie giant
The Inglis Grain elevators are examples of industrial design, constructed with a technique called "crib" construction. This method involved stacking layers of 2x6 or 2x8 inch lumber flat, overlapping at the corners much like a log cabin. This created exceptionally strong, solid timber walls capable of withstanding the immense pressure exerted by thousands of bushels of grain. Steel rods were run through the structure to provide additional reinforcement. The average prairie elevator was about 23 meters (75 feet) high and could hold between 30,000 to 40,000 bushels of grain. Wood was the material of choice for its availability but also for its ability to absorb moisture from the grain, which helped in preservation.
The operation of these elevators relied on a simple and effective vertical conveyor system. A farmer's truck or wagon would pull into the driveway and onto a large platform scale. After weighing, the grain was dumped into a receiving pit, sometimes called the "boot". From here, an endless belt equipped with a series of cups or buckets, known as the "leg," would scoop up the grain. Powered first by steam or gasoline engines and later by electric motors, the leg lifted the grain to the very top of the elevator into a small structure called the cupola. Inside the cupola, a distributor, or "gerber," directed the grain down a spout into a specific storage bin. To ship the grain, the process was reversed: gravity fed the grain from the bin back into the pit, and the leg would elevate it again, this time directing it through a spout into a waiting railway boxcar.
A competitive skyline
The arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in Inglis in 1922 immediately transformed the town. The railway company's policy was to have elevators built every 11 to 16 kilometers (seven to ten miles) along its tracks, creating intense competition among grain companies. Within the first year, four of the five elevators that form the historic row were constructed. The N.M. Paterson & Son elevator, the Northern Elevator Company building, and the Matheson-Lindsay elevator all went up in 1922. The United Grain Growers (UGG) elevator was originally built in 1922 but was destroyed by fire and replaced in 1925. The final structure, the Reliance "twin" elevator, was added in 1941.
This side-by-side arrangement of competing elevators was once a common sight across the prairies. Each company, large corporations and farmer-owned co-operatives like UGG vied for the business of local farmers. Over the decades, ownership of the elevators changed hands through acquisitions. The Northern Elevator was eventually taken over by National Grain and later Cargill, while the Matheson-Lindsay elevator became part of the Reliance Grain Company. The entire row operated until 1995, when the CPR rail line was discontinued, ending the era of grain shipping from Inglis. The site was designated a National Historic Site in 1997, protecting Canada's last intact elevator row.