Charbonneau, North Dakota Abandoned Grain Elevator

Wood-crib grain elevators like this one were built by farm cooperatives and independent grain companies across North Dakota from the early 1900s through the mid-20th century. Grain cribbing construction stacked dimensional lumber horizontally, plank by plank, to form the walls, a method chosen for its strength in holding the outward pressure of stored grain. Elevators of this type typically stood two to three stories tall with a peaked cupola or headhouse above for the conveying machinery, though many, including this one, have lost those upper features over time. Small-town elevators like this served as the local collection point where farmers hauled wheat and other grain to be weighed, stored, and loaded onto rail cars. Rail line closures and the consolidation of grain handling into larger regional facilities left many of these small-town elevators obsolete by the late 20th century.

Photo taken in July 2015.