09/09/2026
America 250: The 1890s 🌾🚂
By the 1890s, grain elevators were becoming a familiar sight along America’s rail lines.
These elevators gave farmers a place to store wheat after harvest until it could be loaded onto railcars and shipped to mills and markets across the country. Together, grain elevators and railroads helped connect wheat-growing communities to a rapidly expanding national food system.
More than a century later, you can still find reminders of that history standing beside railroad tracks in communities across wheat country.
We want to hear from you: Is there a grain elevator still standing along the railroad tracks near you? Tell us the town — and share a photo in the comments if you have one!
As America celebrates 250 years, we’re looking back at the people, places and innovations that helped shape our wheat industry.
Learn more about wheat history. The link is in the first comment.
