Grain Elevators - need tear down dates

​Gray had five grain elevators before 1930. Company names changed over the years, but the service remained until the rail-line was discontinued in 1995.

• Atlas Elevator Co. (30,000 BU) (1912) → Bunn Munro Ltd. (1916) → Bunn Brothers Ltd. (1921) → Northern Grain Co. Ltd. (1926) → National Grain Co. Ltd. (1940) → Cargill Grain Ltd. (1974) → Pioneer Grain Co. Ltd. No. 3 (1978) → Closed (1981)
• Saskatchewan Co-operative Elevator Co. (30,000 BU) (1912) → Saskatchewan Wheat Pool No. 244 "A" (1926) → Rebuilt (1946 became 65,000 BU )→ Closed (1996)
• Reliance Grain Co. Ltd. (39,000 BU) (1914) → Province Elevator Co. Ltd. (1923) → Reliance Grain Co. Ltd. → Burnt down (1923 and rebuilt 1924) Parrish and Heimbecker (1948) → Pioneer Grain Co. Ltd. No. 2 (1954) → Closed (1981).
• Western Elevator Co. (30,000 BU) (1914) → Pioneer Grain Co. Ltd. No. 1 (1951) → Saskatchewan Wheat Pool "C" (1981) → Merged with Pool "A" (1984)
• Federal Grain Co. Ltd. (30,000 BU) (1928) → Saskatchewan Wheat Pool "B" (1972) → Merged with Pool "A" (1984)

In the early days, these ‘sentinels of the prairie’ were constructed to a standard 25,000 bushels and painted white. Over the years two bulk oil stations, coal sheds, annexes, gear houses, storage warehouses, loading platforms and stock yards were added and elevator paint represented grain company colours.

Some history;

• When pioneers were farming in the Bratt's Lake district (then known as Buck Lake) the first elevator was built in Regina in 1891. The building was more of a warehouse, all the grain was handled in bags. 100 bushels were hauled at a time, more than 20 miles one way. 
• In the early 1900's the cost of a 'standard' 25,000 bushel elevator was $6200. The 60,000 bushel size would have been about $11,000.
• Original layouts would have included; loading platform (timbered structure with earthen ramps), flat storage warehouse, elevator, engine shed and office (3.6m X 6m) located 20' from the elevator.
• Wood crib construction - this means 2" X 8", and then 2" X 6" lumber would be stacked on top of each other to form the walls. Further up size would decrease to 2" X 4". The whole structure would then have wood siding applied.
• The Bunn Munro Company was formed with Charles and George Munro (majority owners) joining John R. Bunn (a homesteader from the Milestone area who also had relatives near Riceton). They had elevators in Diana, Gray, Lewvan, Riceton and Wilcox. In 1922 Charles Munro died of a brain tumor and after a small bequest to a sister had left his remaining estate to the Salvation Army. In order to settle the estate the assets had to be liquidated and that determined the end of Bunn Munro Company.
• When the Reliance elevator burnt to the ground in 1923 it was almost full of grain at the time and was quite a mess to clean up. The elevator was rebuilt the next year.
• Elevator companies were also coal (the major form of heat in those days) retailers.
• When the Pool elevator was rebuilt in 1946 (and increased from 30,000 BU to 65,000 BU) Don and Clifford Lewis hauled the first load of wheat to the new facility.
• In the 1930's there were 6000 elevators in Saskatchewan - this was peak. In 1950 this had decreased to 3,035 and by 1970 only 2,750 remained.
• By 1960 average capacity had doubled to 60,000 bushels. Then, by 1990, doubled again to 168,000 bushels.
• On October 24 2005 the railway discontinued our branch line. Rails and ties were removed in 2009.