This is one of several big grain elevators in Superior, WI.
I got the previous owner name of ConAgra from eBook-ports and eBook-warehouses.
Elevator O burned in 1984 and Elevator M had a fire in 1986. (See Dan Mackey's comment below.)
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| Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted via Dennis DeBruler [The elevator on the left was obviously elevator "M", and the brick building in the background was the flour mill.] |
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| Street View, Aug 2008 |
I finally learned the proper location of Elevator M from a press release about Hansen-Mueller buying General Mills A: "Owned previously by General Mills and inactive since 2015, Elevator A becomes the second Hansen-Mueller-owned grain complex in the Twin Ports, joining the Daisy Elevator and Elevator M complex in Superior, Wisconsin."
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| Street View, Aug 2008 |
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| David Schauer posted This view in Superior's East End shows an extremely rare unloading of grain (oats?) at Elevator M in Superior. Algoma Sault loaded its cargo at the Viterra B elevator in Thunder Bay yesterday and arrived in Superior early this morning. This is the first time in decades a ship has called at Elevator M with grain. It was mentioned the cargo might be shipped to Cedar Rapids. I'm not sure if the cars (many CN) in the foreground will handle this shipment, and if so, then why didn't they just ship CN all-rail from Thunder Bay? Interesting to say the least. Credit Gus with this aerial view. 11/28/2021 Paul Meier: A likely reason is a capacity issue at Cedar Rapids. The customer (I think it is one of the major cereal companies) my not have the bin space to store a larger than expected corp. The elevator may be a convenient wide space in the supply chain. More expensive but what do you do? Ron Atherton: If it is Oats headed for Cedar Rapids, IA it most likely going to Quaker Oats Co. for cereal. They are in the middle of the Corn/Soybean belt and get all their Oats for Canada. David Jordan: Ron Atherton Treehouse Foods in Cedar Rapids is another possible destination, and CN serves it directly. I've seen Richardson-marked cars at TreeHouse Foods, so I figure oats are of Canadian origin. Quaker is bigger, so that does seem more likely, though TreeHouse's Cedar Rapids plant used to be a ConAgra facility. Daniel Nied: Can anybody shed light on who owns Daisy Mill/Elevator M currently? I know it was owned by Peavy (I think themselves owned by ConAgra) when it was sold to an investment firm in 2008. That firm was part of the consortium that invested in/formed Gavilon, but I don't know if these elevators became part of that or remained a separate entity. Thanks. David Schauer: Daniel Nied At last check it was operated by Hansen Mueller. Tim Smith: CN serves the Quaker Oats plant at Cedar Rapids, so this is certainly plausible. Dennis Haugen: I deal in commodities, and I’m scratching my head on this one myself. Logistically rail all the way for the distance involved would been the easiest. Perhaps Viterra B had the oats, but no capacity to load outbound rail? Just throwing it out there. Dan Mackey: Dennis Haugen My guess would be the end user doesn't need a whole shipload at once and Hansen-Mueller offers a convenient storage option. purely speculation on my part based on previously stored barley here for Anheuser Busch. Harold J. Krewer: They also could have got a hell of a deal from Algoma for what would otherwise have been down time for the boat. Where's she bound from Superior? Doug Garn: David Schauer mentions its been decades since Elevator M was called upon. I wonder how much work was needed to get it back in order to accept product? David Schauer: Doug Garn Cranes were noted there recently working on the elevator. Tom Dethmers: Probably because the railroad ripped them off on the all rail rate. |
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| David Schauer posted Our Sunday group banner change is timely to show an extremely rare unloading of grain (oats?) at Elevator M in Superior today. Algoma Sault loaded its cargo at the Viterra B elevator in Thunder Bay yesterday and arrived in Superior early this morning. While the Manitoulin unloaded a similar cargo at Riverland B2 in 2017, this is the first time in decades a ship has called at Elevator M with grain. Credit Gus with this aerial view. 11/28/2021 |
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| David Schauer posted Algoma Sault unloading at Elevator M in Superior during blue hour this early evening. 11/28/2021 Dan Mackey: looks like they're dumping direct into a surge bin, they used to have a hopper but that appears to be gone. David Schauer: Dan Mackey It sure does look that way. Kay Wales VanDosen: Blue hour? David Schauer: Kay Wales VanDosen The hour after sunset when the sky has a nice blue hue. |
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| Nicholas Stamper posted Grain dust covers Old Town as Algoma Conveyor unloads at Elevator M. 10/02/23 Dennis DeBruler shared Unloading grain at this elevator in Superior, WI, is rare. A ship unloaded in Nov 2021 for the first time in decades. Since unloading is rare, it appears that they haven't bothered to install dust collection equipment. Kevin Priest: Honestly, I'd love to see a dust collection system that works as it should. My pet peeve actually.. 🙄 Lynn Carrington: As my Dad told me dust equals weight. Depending on the allowance in the contract you might add dust back in to increase the weight. John Harker: Lynn Carrington yep. As well as fines also. Lynn Carrington: John Harker that's why you read the contract as to what is allowed. |
Again, unloading in the Twin Ports is unusual, so it attracts the boatnerds, which gives us multiple views of the unloading operation.
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| David Schauer posted A water level view from a few days ago of the Algoma Conveyor unloading oats(?) from Thunder Bay at Elevator M. Superior, WI - October 3, 2023 |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on his share https://maps.app.goo.gl/uTsxrveUS2RmYNvr8 |
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| Dan Mackey posted With all the buzz of the Algoma Sault unloading at Elevator M in Superior, I dug out this one from around 40 years ago of the Federal Danube loading there, back when it still had a wooden head house. Osbourne-McMillan had two Elevators in East End Elevator O which is long gone and Elevator M which is now part of the Hansen-Mueller complex that also includes the old King Midas Flout structures. [The headhouse is] the tall structure at the end of the white silos, it was torn down and replaced with a steel leg exposed to the elements. Scott Swanson: Was this what burned? Dan Mackey: Scott Swanson yes, back in ‘86. From a December, 2018 Duluth News Tribune article about fire at the old Globe Elevator in Superior: "For some, the incident brought back memories of October 1986, when Superior saw a blaze strike another wooden grain elevator, necessitating nearly a full week of firefighting efforts. The then-functional Elevator M, located at the foot of 21st Avenue East, was rocked by an explosion that sparked a massive fire and threw debris 300 feet, according to News Tribune and Superior Telegram archives. No injuries were reported, but damages at the time were estimated to be $1 million, destroying three buildings. That elevator was owned by ConAgra’s Peavey Co., a sister company of the Globe Elevator Co. Another building, Elevator O, sat adjacent to Elevator M before burning in July 1984." |
We can see that the entire wood elevator was removed from the north end of the elevator. This also shows the uncovered steel leg that replaced the headhouse function. This elevator is no longer used to load freighters so the slip is used to "park" surplus freighters. Judging from a photo I saw on Google Maps, this satellite image caught the American Victory. You can tell that it is an old ship because it has a pilothouse on the bow.
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| 3D Satellite |
A topo map shows that they added the three steel bins before the 1986 fire.
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| 1969 Superior Quad 2 1:24,000 |
I notice that there was a third elevator further west and there was a small slip next to Elevator M. The slip next to Elevator M was opened up by 1975. The third elevator still was in a 1983 map, but it was gone in a 1993 map. It is now a pipeline dock.
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| 1975 Superior Quad 2 1:24,000 |
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| 1 of 6 photos posted by Kent Rengo 1000 footer American Century taking a delay at Elevator M in Superior WI. This is where the American Victory sat until late last year. The Victory is now at the scrapyard in Turkey after arriving earlier there this month [Sep 2018]. |
They must do a good job of dredging that slip because it is now used for Winter layup by Footers.
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| David Schauer posted USCGC WLB-214 Hollyhock breaks ice in the Superior Front Channel as Helen H and Missouri work to free the Burns Harbor from her ice jacket at Elevator M. 3/24/2022 |
Now some "time machine" photos from back when Elevator M still had its wood headhouse.
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| David Schauer posted There is so much to see in this aerial of the Superior-Duluth harbor. My guess is 1983 given the Bong Bridge is under construction (opened in Oct 1984) and CRH cement silo (opened in 1983). A saltie is loading at Elevator M in the lower left while the elevator on the adjacent dock is being torn down. Lots of older lakers still occupying various slips before being scrapped. Enjoy this Friday Basgen flashback. Basgen Photography Kent Rengo: Looks like a boat at DM&IR Dock 5. By that time maybe would've been rare? David Schauer: Kent Rengo Stopped shipping in 1985 so the end was in sight. Aaron Barthel: Anyone know when salties (or vessels in general) stopped loading at Elevator M? Eric Holst: Aaron Barthel Believe the wooden head-house of Elevator M suffered an explosion and fire in October 1986 that either destroyed the structure or led to its demolition. From what I understand ships were loading there right up until the fire. Might have been part of what caused Peavey to cease operations at their other old wooden elevator, the Globe Elevator in north Superior in 1987 or '88, and take over operation of the Continental Grain/C&NW elevator on Connors Point. |
Note that the loading of ships is done from the wood headhouse that burned in 1986. That is why this elevator no longer loads ships.
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| Gary Putney posted Ziemia Suwalska loading at Elevator "M" in Superior. 1984. |
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| Gary Putney posted Ziemia Suwalska loading at Elevator "M" in Superior. 11/20/85. Photo by Gary A. Putney. |
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| Gary Putney posted Loading at Elevator "M", Superior, in the early 80's. |
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| Gary Putney posted Canadian Ambassador taking on a partial load of grain at Elevator "M" in Superior. 1983. |
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| Gary Putney posted Can't help myself. This will be the final Elevator "M" shot. C. Tahsin early 80's. First came on the Lakes as the Federal St. Laurent. Think I first saw her in the mid 70's unloading pet coke at the USS Steel/South Works, North dock. She was unloading at the outer end of the dock with one unloading rig and they put the other 3 on the Clarke so we could unload. |
The M/V Burns Harbor is 1000' long. Since they are empty when put in winter layup, the slip does not have to be deep enough to hold its midsummer draft of 34.75'.
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| Gary Putney posted With Gary's great shots from Elevator M I thought this one would be fitting. Although ships haven't loaded here in decades, the Burns Harbor makes good use of the dock for its winter layup berth. Even a cameo from the elevator's SW-1. March 15, 2018 |
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| Photo of "M" provided by Jacob Wickman |
Jacob Wickman provided three photos of the Daisy Elevator.
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