By Ronald Ahrens
The Farmers’ Co-operative of Newell, Iowa needed a replacement for their wood elevator, which had burned in September of 1953. When Tillotson Construction Co. built a concrete giant for them the next spring, the need for a replacement was met.
It happened when the trend across Iowa was to increase storage.
The Farmers Grain Dealers Association reported 10.5 million bushels of new capacity were being added statewide.
In Des Moines, the state capital, a 5.0-million-bushel structure was under construction.
Twenty-five other locations from Albert City to Woodstock accounted for the other 5.25 million bushels. Among them, the largest job was at Ellsworth: a 500,000-bushel concrete elevator.
Besides Newell, Tillotson was busy in Albert City, Iowa Falls, Pocahontas, Rockwell City, Dayton, and Goldfield. With capacity of 150,000 bushels, the Newell elevator was one of the smallest projects in the state. Smaller still, two locations, Titonka and Sutherland, were building wood annexes of 75,000 and 70,000 bushels respectively.
Newell measurements and dimensions:
Built on the Manson plan with five tanks, each measuring 16 feet in diameter and reaching 120 feet in height for a capacity of 150,000 bushels, 15 bins and overflow, dust bin over driveway. A special note says bin #9 was split.
- 1,515 cubic yards of reinforced concrete
- 37 more yards for hopper
- 68.69 tons of reinforcing steel