by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Curator
At one time a grain elevator, along with the train depot, was an important part of a town.
Located near railroad tracks, elevators stored the grain brought in by area farmers.
The tall wood structure is often the only remaining building of a town long gone.
At the turn of the century, many of the wood structures were replaced with concrete silos with more storage capacity and less susceptible to fire.
![](https://hchm.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Picture12-1-208x300.png)
Farmers Co-op Elevator, Halstead, Ks, 2002.
Today, the grain elevator, once a common part of the rural Kansas landscape, is disappearing.