As long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with grain elevators. Aesthetically, I find that there’s a beauty in their utilitarian design. But they also represent so much more to me. When I see a grain elevator, I think of the generations who have toiled to feed a nation. Several years ago I decided to pursue a project documenting the grain elevators I came across — in Colorado as well as the other states I visit. While my focus has mostly been on the disappearing wood elevators that speak to another era of farm life in America, I also photograph more modern steel and concrete elevators as well.
Grain Elevator and Clouds - Haxtun, CO
The sky provided quite a dramatic backdrop for this concrete elevator in Haxtun, CO on March 24th, 2012.
Foggy Elevator Sunrise - Clinton, WI
It's the day after Christmas in 2018 and the sun's morning light is just starting to cut through the fog that has enshrouded one of the old, wood grain elevators in Clinton, WI.
Grain Bin Interior - Kit Carson, CO
The interior of one of the grain bins is lit only by the light streaming through an open door on November 30, 2012.
Sunset - Hyde, CO
The elevator in Hyde, CO sits a little west of Yuma, CO. When I saw this elevator with this sunset brewing on January 6, 2013, I knew I had to find a place to get a shot of the two together. This is what I got from County Road ZZ.
Grain Elevator Sunset - Meriden, IL
The unique grain elevator with the twin headhouses in Meriden, IL witnesses a nice sunset on the tail end of a low pressure system that moved through earlier in the day on September 11th, 2022.
The Leaning Grain Elevator of Adams, OK
Adams, OK featured an elevator that came to be something of a roadside curiosity for those willing to explore off the beaten track in the panhandle of that state. Sadly, this elevator succumbed to fire in 2018 and leans no more. It's seen here on November 13th, 2017.
Storm at Sugar City
Severe weather is an ever present threat on Colorado's Eastern plains in May and such is the case at Sugar City, CO on May 26, 2019.
Towering - Amherst, CO
A shot looking straight up the concrete grain elevator in Amherst, CO on March 24, 2012.
Morning Light - Keenesburg, CO
Soft and warm morning light illuminates some corrugated steel bins in Keenesburg, CO on April 21st, 2012.
Elevator Leg - Matheson, CO
A glimpse at the leg of the elevator -- the part of the elevator that is responsible for moving grain around -- in Matheson, Colorado on April 28th, 2012.
Moon Over Vona Elevator
A gibbous moon is rising over the old wooden elevator in Vona, CO on December 15th, 2013.
Senior Center and Elevator - Clinton, WI
The Clinton, Wisconsin Senior Center is quiet in the early morning hours of November 23rd, 2019. Across the street, lights are turning on in the office of the DeLong Company grain elevator. Harvest season is here and shortly after sunrise, the elevator will be a hive of activity even if the senior center stays quiet for a few more hours.
Grain Elevator and Old Truck - Tasco, KS
Old trucks are a fixture at grain elevators. This truck at Tasco, KS is but one of the hundreds that I've come across during the course of this project. It's seen here on December 14th, 2013.
Steel Tile Details - Broomfield, Colorado
Weathered textures are abundant on the old steel tile grain elevator in Broomfield, Colorado. Photo taken February 25th, 2012.
Crescent Moon Over Eastlake Elevator
The first shades of pink are starting to show up on the southeastern horizon as a crescent moon rises over the Eastlake elevator in Thornton, CO on February 18th, 2012.
Ladder - Sterling, CO
A study in tones and shapes of a ladder on the side of a grain elevator in Sterling, CO as seen on March 24th, 2012
The End is Near - Cozad, NE
The Nutrien Ag elevator in Cozad, NE is being torn down as the owners decided it had become a liability. This shot was taken early on the morning of December 23rd, 2018. Most of the elevator was gone as the moon set into the soft colors of the western sky.
The Aftermath - Brighton Elevator
One of the sad ancillaries that comes with my grain elevator project is seeing the end that these buildings meet. Sometimes it's deliberate demolition when an elevator is deemed a hazard. Sometimes it's lightning that will light up an old wood elevator. And sometimes, it's accidentally human influenced. Such was the case for the old Arthur Grain Mill elevator in Brighton, Colorado. On February 8th, 2019, I noticed on social media that this elevator was burning. When I found some live feeds from area new helicopters, I knew it would be a total loss. The cause was later determined to be a carelessly discarded cigarette from a transient that had taken up residence during a cold snap that hit northern Colorado. I was up in the Denver area on April 21st of that year for Easter and decided to swing by Brighton to see what was left of the elevator. I was actually surprised that there were still some walls standing, both because of the intensity of the flames I saw on television and because quite a bit of time had passed since the burn. One of the outer walls of an addition had fallen down revealing this old signage that had been covered up when the addition was built. A last look into the past before the remaining bits of the elevator would be torn down.
Grain Elevators - Broomfield, CO
Morning blue hour surrounds the two old elevators in Broomfield, CO on February 25th, 2012.
Wheat and Grain Elevator - Amherst, CO
New wheat sprouting up in a field near the Amherst, CO grain elevator on March 24th, 2012.
Loading Dock - Peckham, CO
The loading dock of the grain elevator in Peckham, CO hearkens back to another era on June 2nd, 2012.
Giambrocco Grain Elevator - Denver, CO
Union Pacific Locomotives idle quietly beneath the Giambrocco Foods grain elevator in Denver, CO on April 6, 2014.
Scale Window View - First View, CO
The First View Elevator as seen through the window of the scale house on December 1st, 2012.
Morning Light - Bethune, CO
Golden hour light illuminates the old wooden grain elevator in Bethune, CO on December 15, 2013.
Truck and Elevator - Nunn, CO
Black and white study of a truck parked in front of the steel elevator in Nunn, CO on November 24, 2012.
Early Morning Coal Empty - Pueblo Grain Elevator
A northbound coal empty passes the grain elevator in Pueblo, CO as the first light of day on December 15, 2018 lights up the scene in spectacular fashion.
Grain Elevator Color Field
With the grain elevator project nearing a decade's worth of work, sometimes I find myself looking for new ways to interpret these wonderful buildings. Don't get me wrong, I love the simple, documentary pictures that occupy much of my work in this project. The buildings themselves are the essence of utilitarian beauty to me and sometimes it's nice to just showcase that without any manner of artistic interpretation. Then, there are other times. Such was the case on October 29th, 2017 when I happened across this scene near Las Animas, CO. The transition from blue to orange on the horizon reminded me of a Rothko painting and I tried to capture that feeling in this photograph.
Steel and Concrete - Horace, KS
Contrasting building grain elevator building materials are framed together in this shot taken on December 1st, 2012 in Horace, KS.
Road to the Elevator - Seguin, KS
The centerline of Route 188 leads us right into this photo of the grain elevator in Seguin, KS on December 15th, 2013.
Surrounded - Colby, KS
This old wood elevator in Colby, KS is pretty much surrounded by newer concrete elevators. I tried to show that in this image taken on December 15th, 2013.
Sunset - Platteville, CO
The clouds in the sky had proved problematic for me all day on November 24th, 2012 but they lit up like a Christmas tree at sunset and I was able to get this shot of the elevator in Platteville, CO showcasing the amazing scene.
Coors Grain Elevator - Golden, CO
Golden, low level light illuminates the concrete silos of one of the grain elevators on the sprawling Coors complex in Golden Colorado on May 2nd, 2014.
End of an Elevator - Gothenburg, NE
The old, wooden grain elevator in Gothenburg, NE was in the beginning stages of its demolition on December 20th, 2012. I was passing through the area on my way home for Christmas and had to document this elevator one last time.
Moving the Grain - Cozad, NE
Hopper cars streak past one of the big, concrete grain elevators in Cozad, NE on January 3rd, 2012. Cozad's claim to fame is that it's the 100th meridian city, a fact that was a pretty significant milestone when the mark was reached during the building of the first transcontinental railroad.
Westbound at Dusk - Kirkland, TX
Evening falls as a westbound train approaches the steel grain elevator at Kirkland, TX on November 9th, 2017.
Eastbound Manifest at Sunset - Willow Island, NE
There aren't too many wood elevators left along the Union Pacific's main line in Nebraska. The old elevator at Willow Island, NE is probably my favorite. It's silhouetted here as an eastbound manifest train passes in the evening of April 28, 2018.
Grain Elevator - Merino, CO
The wooden elevator in Merino, Colorado has the quintessential look that defined many elevators on Colorado's eastern plains. It's pictured with a perfect sky on July 7th, 2013.
Harvest Panorama - Wiley, CO
Dust from harvest activities is rendered in glowing form as the sun sets on Wiley, CO on October 29th, 2017.
Fairbanks Morse Scale - Kit Carson, CO
The old Fairbanks Morse scale in the scalehouse of the grain elevator in Kit Carson, CO as seen on November 30th, 2012.
Grain Elevator and Chrysler Imperial
Golden morning light bathes a forgotten Chrysler Imperial and one of the old wooden elevators in Sterling, CO on March 24th, 2012.
Haswell, Colorado
Eastern Colorado is filled with some very open scenes and it's often easy and fun to picture the grain elevators of the area with other buildings around town. Such was the case with this elevator in Haswell, CO as seen on November 30th, 2012.
Grain Elevator Sunset - Coolidge, KS
The sky is putting on a show over the grain elevator in Coolidge, KS on October 22nd, 2017.
Sunrise on Elevator - Boone, CO
The sky is on fire over in Boone, Colorado on February 19th, 2017 and it made for a very compelling composition with the elevator there.
Waving Goodbye? - Arapahoe, CO
he headhouse of the old wooden elevator in Arapahoe, CO is starting to fail in this May 6th, 2018 photograph. Since then, even more has succumbed to the elements. Time is running out for this elevator. I thought it appropriate to compose the elevator with a silhouette of the town's mascot, as if he's waving goodbye to his companion of many years.
Grain Elevator and Clouds - Roggen, CO
While elevators are often the most dominant buildings on the plains, spring weather can still tower over them in dramatic fashion. Such is the case with the sky over the Roggen, CO elevator on May 19th, 2012.
Manna Pro Grain Elevator - Denver, CO
In September of 2013, much of Colorado saw 5 days of heavy rains that brough severe flooding. This image records sunset on the last day of the rains -- September 13th, 2013. Dramatic light ends a dramatic weather event.
The Reaper's Scythe - Chicago, IL
The last remaining bits of the ADM grain elevator in Chicago's Fulton Market neighborhood are still standing on June 20th, 2021 but the end is near for this venerable business. Demolition equipment from Heneghan Wrecking frame the last silos like the Grim Reaper's scythe sealing its fate.Fulton Market is one of the hottest development areas in Chicago at the moment and the old grain facility, parts of which dated back to 1897, was sold off in the name of new development.Nikon Z7Nikon Z Nikkor 24-70mm f4S
Elevator Sunset Panorama - Steward, IL
The old wood elevator in Steward, IL stands proudly as the sun sets on a cold January 19th, 2020.
Grain Elevator - Mazon, IL
Storm light illuminates the elevator in Mazon, IL on May 2nd, 2020.
Grand Ridge Elevators in Rain - Grand Ridge, IL
Rain is streaming down on the grain elevators in Grand Ridge, IL on May 17th, 2020.
Grain Elevator and Corn - Elva, IL
The corn is just about ready to be picked in Elva, Illinois on October 11th, 2020. The grain elevator looms over the soon to be harvested crop as it has done for many, many autumns.
5 Minutes of Light
A shot of the MJ Hogan grain elevator in Seneca, Illinois taken on the afternoon of May 2nd, 2020. The elevator dates to 1861 and has become a favorite of mine for my grain elevator project. On this particular afternoon, I set up to shoot the elevator just after a patch of nice light had passed over it. I was worried that I had missed my opportunity but one thing that John Fielder taught me is that sometimes, if you wait long enough, the light will come to you. It may be for a very short period, though, so you'll need to be ready. Indeed, that was the case on this evening. After waiting for about 45 minutes, I had a short break in the clouds that gave me about 5 minutes of very nice, late afternoon light. That was more than enough for me to get the shot that I wanted!
Logs, Truck and Grain Elevator - Yorkville, IL
It's New Year's Eve, 2020 and all is quiet in Yorkville, IL as the sun approaches the western horizon for the final time of the year. There is still enough light to illuminate the old grain elevator in town.
Forgotten Grain Doors - Hinckley, IL
Bushes are overtaking the platform leading to some forgotten grain elevator doors in Hinckley, IL on October 11th, 2020.