GARDEN CITY ELEVATOR HISTORY

The first elevator owned by the Garden City Co-op was a wood frame elevator purchased in August 1919 from J. E. Kirk. The Kirk Elevator only had a 10,000 bushel storage capacity but it was equipped to handle grain. It was purchased at a cost of $10,750. This elevator, located in Garden City, was sold in 1948.

The first addition to the Garden City elevator was a 60,000 bushel wood elevator in 1924.

In July 1947, the Garden City Co-op built its first concrete elevator. The headhouse and west storage tanks had a storage capacity of 625,000 bushels. In 1948, an additional 700,000 bushels of storage was built. It has two 8,000 bushel per hour legs, one 10,000 bushel per hour leg, and a 1,500 bushel per hour dryer. Total storage capacity of the Garden City Elevator is 1,325,000 bushels. In 1948, it was declared the world’s largest country elevator receiving grain directly from farmers.

Garden City Elevator B was purchased from Cargill, Inc. in April 1998. It has a licensed capacity of 256,000 bushels, and one 12,000 bushel per hour leg. It is used for the storage of soybeans and hard white wheat. It has also been used for the transfer of grain to during harvest as other elevators fill.