| A History of STRUM and the TOWN OF UNITY by Roy Matson |
| THIS IS PAGE 68 | TABLE OF CONTENTS | PAGE BACK | PAGE FORWARD |
| The Age of the Grain Elevator There have been several statements in this story about the early pioneers, their need of cash and that wheat provided this need. Plus it could be ground into flour for baking bread. The matter of breaking the new ground for planting, the first harvests requiring considerable hand labor, the equally slow threshing and finally a trip to a far off market place was a risky venture. Trempealeau, pronounced “Tromelo” by the early norwegians, was the earliest market place. Karelis Wenberg, the first permanent settler in Chimney Rock township, has written that a trip to deliver wheat required three days with oxen. Neighbors timed their homeward trips simultaneously to avoid robberies which were frequent. When the WRR reached Augusta in 1869, that place became a shipping point for upper Beef River settlers. Eau Claire became a terminal the next year. During the 1880’s wheat prices dropped drastically, but by that time acreage of tillable land had increased, the meager farm equipment had become more efficient and oats had replaced wheat somewhat as a cash crop. All big city drayage was horse drawn at that time and the number of these animals required large amounts of hay, straw and grain continually. Advent of Foster’s spur down this valley in 1890 provided access to ready markets for about all the farmers could produce. A 1903 norwegian newspaper quotes wheat at 69 cents per bushel, oats at 36 cents. It was expected that an elevator to facilitate grain loading would grace the local spur at an early date. Northern Grain & Seed was the first, with John Clemenson as manager. The large Cargill Company built shortly afterward and installed big Ole Thomasgaard as buyer. Neither company can furnish the date of their first operation here and as property on railroad land was not assessable, one can only guess that the first carloads were loaded out during the very early 1890’s. Business was good. Hay, straw and grain moved to Chicago markets that first year from two dealers in each of Eleva, Strum and Osseo. Young T. M. Olson had been dabbling in farm implements for a short time and soon was |
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