The Architecture of the New Railroads

The railroads played an important part in the settlement of western Canada, as they carried the newcomers and supplies to the prairies, while transporting rural produce back east. As the tracks were laid for the railway, train stations and grain elevators were also built across the expanse of the west.

Elevators were designed to grade, weigh, store, and ship grain.

Communities were developed around the train stations and grain elevators because many businesses needed to transport goods in and out of their communities. The railroads were the only form of transportation that linked the communities in the west to the eastern markets and supply centres.

Other sources to search that tell about the prairie elevator are as follows:

Grain Elevators Youth Source Link:

Read a student's report on the decline of the grain elevator

More information about grain elevators can be found at the following websites:
Saving the elevators
Researching elevators
Elevator inventory
Grain Elevators: An Endangered Species