Darlene Ghosen posted three photos with the comment: "H Lee White unloading wheat @General Mills, Buffalo NY 1/7/2023"
Dennis DeBruler: It is nice to see a General Mills facility still operating. I know of a big mill on the Calumet River in Chicago that made "flour, cereals, cake mixes, and pie crusts" that closed in 1995. And General Mills has closed plants in St. Charles and West Chicago, IL.
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On the left is what this elevator used to look like.
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| Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted The freighters James Gayley (center) and Schuylkill (right) in the Old Ship Canal at Buffalo, N.Y., circa 1910-1920 (Image Source: Library of Congress – Detroit Publishing Co. Collection). Based on the history of the vessels, the image is circa 1902-1912. On the left is the steel Dakota Elevator (1901), which was part of Washburn-Crosby, later General Mills. The name of the photographer is not included in the notes for the image. Historical Sources: [The description continues with a history of the freighters.] |
2 of 10 photos posted by Brian R. Wroblewski with the comment: "Adventure Time! Here’s H. Lee White on her first grain run to Buffalo & the first new grain boat for the Frontier Elevator in about 10 years. Full disclosure policy: I asked at the front office to take pics. They said it’s ok, as long as you go talk to them first & they said stay off the travel lift tracks."
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| b 250' [76m] boom |
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| General Mills’ Buffalo cereal plant. (Mark Mulville/Buffalo News) (source) General Mills plant facing reduced CSX rail service Dennis DeBruler "CSX and General Mills have developed a new plan to continue to meet its freight service needs at the Buffalo facility." This is a quote of a CSX spokesman. But it sounds like General Mills does not agree that they have a plan that will meet its needs. If there is a viable plan, no one has informed the representatives of the new plan. |
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| Brian R. Wroblewski posted General Mills on the City Ship Canal in Buffalo with the American Mariner unloading grain & the old PRR Connecting Terminal elevator lit up with the new lighting system. |
Brian R. Wroblewski posted three photos with the comment: "Here's a few shots of the Frontier Elevator in Buffalo over the last 25 years showing some of the different lake boats that have uoaded there."
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| Jim Gates posted April 2018, General Mills, Cheerio plant, on the Buffalo river, in Buffalo NY. Please note the E.M. Cotter, the oldest working Fireboat, in the world! |
The Buffalo History Museum posted two photos with the comment:
It was during this week in 1900 that the world's oldest working fireboat, Buffalo's Edward M. Cotter, was first constructed! The 118-foot ship has battled countless fires and survived three name changes, three engine conversions, and two overhauls since the Crescent Shipbuilding of Elizabeth City, NJ first built it 123 years ago.Along with her firefighting duties, during the winter the boat is used as an icebreaker on Buffalo's rivers. The Cotter has been a fixture on our waterfront for generations and can be seen moored by Buffalo Fire Department Engine 20 at 157 Ohio Street.From our collection... this 1958 photo shows the Cotter battling a blaze at General Mills. And this handcrafted wooden model of The Cotter was built by Richard Kirchner around 1925 based on photographs he took. Browse for more vintage photos of Buffalo at our picture store: https://buffalohistory.smugmug.com/
Brian R. Wroblewski shared
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| Nathan Jaynes posted I feel like a lot of people will know what this boat is the Edward Cotter fire boat that's been part of the Buffalo fire department since 1900 in the oldest operating fire boat in the world! Took this with my drone and I couldn't be happier! |
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| 1 of 3 photos posted by Brian R. Wroblewski I've been patiently waiting for this & it was worth every minute. Here's 3 of the White all nestled in for a long winter's nap at the Frontier elevator this evening. She arrived yesterday morning from Superior, WI. This is her 1st ever winter storage load & only the 4th self-unloader to lay up in Buffalo with grain. Brian also posted |
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| Mark Jeffe posted AMrican Mariner off loading wheat from Thunder Bay in Buffalo 0700hrs 11Oct23 |
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| Matt Northern posted American Mariner laid up for the season at General Mills Buffalo, New York. Thomas: The last freighter to traverse the soo locks for the 2024/2025 shipping season!! Matt Northern also posted Brian R. Wroblewski: Looks like they got the de-icers running strong. PD Cappola: How's the fishing near the deicers? [I think the deicers bubble water along the hull.] |
This is where the freighter was loaded.
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| Scott's Canal Captures posted via Dennis DeBruler Our last cargo of the season, wheat, left on the American Mariner (1980) late on January 14th. Here, they were loading that cargo at General Mills Elevator S. as Helen H. (1967) broke up the ice around them. The Mariner laid up for winter with this storage cargo for eventual unloading at General Mill's Frontier Elevator in Buffalo, NY (January 13th, 2025). |
Brian R. Wroblewski posted two photos with the comment:
Winter storage loadsA member of the group asked why they store winter cargoes of wheat here. It's because grain elevators have always had winter storage loads here in Buffalo except for only a short time (comparatively speaking) a few years back. This way, a boat load of wheat is sitting there ready to go in the Spring when the elevator is getting low before the shipping season opens. Then they can unload the boat & basically skate (operationally) into Spring until the boats can start back up again. It's a good option because then they don't have to pay more for it by rail.Another question is: are there ever other storage cargoes here. The answer to that one is- not that I've seen since the later 1980s, but I have heard in years past (before my time on scene) that they used to have cement & maybe steel mill materials too. I can't confirm that but I've seen evidence of it in old pics before.Laying up a boat in Buffalo isn't always a favorable thing for the shipping company. The ice on our end of the lake doesn't melt until much later than normal because of the ice boom & sometimes a boat can be "trapped" here later than anywhere else until it's gone. I don't know what the internal logistics of getting one here for lay up is, but it has a lot to do with factors from - priorities for needed repairs, maintenance scheduling, shipyard availabilities, required Coast Guard surveys, local repair facilities & know how, all balanced against the dock wanting the cargo here bad enough.Here in Buffalo, the boat goes into layup with a winter storage cargo on board. When they tie up, the bridge & deck gang wraps up their stuff & heads home in a few days. Then the engineering staff stays behind & does repair work. Contractors come & go & do their thing. Then after a few weeks of all that stuff getting done, the boat's systems are all shut down, she's drained of water & hooked up to shore power. Everyone leaves until Spring & de-icers are used to keep the ice pressure off the hull. A ship keeper comes to check on things over winter & she's protected inside the elevator's maritime security zone at the dock with no way to approach the ship from public property. When they need the cargo, the elevator will have a partial crew report back, power up, unload & then begin their routine for Spring Fit Out & they'l slowly bring her back to operational condition. When the ice melts enough to depart, the full crew will come back & away she goes.
Murray Hadfield: The prevailing wind from the west and northwest send the ice from the entire lake towards Buffalo. Ships at the west end of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are operational sooner.
Martin Malecki: The only wintering loads here recently have been for grain. During the regular shipping year Buffalo and Lackawanna harbors get loads sand grain rock salt cement windmill parts and much more. Wintering in the Buffalo River has been done in the past however can bring consequences because during the spring with large amounts of ice and debris coming from the spring thaws and rain.
Ted Respet: I recall that during the late 70s they would also load lakers with grain and position them so they could immediately get underway when the locks opened to deliver grain to the down river Canadian elevators that had no rail service.
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| Jude Endres posted Mariner in Buffalo yesterday. She should be heading to Calcite early next week, take that load to Duluth, and come right back with more wheat. Patrick Nicosia: How do they switch from carrying stone or ore and then back to grain? Jude Endres: Patrick Nicosia they wash the cargo holds out when on the open lake to prepare to take on different cargos. |
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| Amy Daggett posted American Mariner has started to dispatch her winter storage load of wheat at General Mills. It's shaping up to be a busy week in Buffalo. March 30, 2025 Jeff Pederson: Hope the wheat hasn’t gained weevils, soured, or had hot spots in the holds. |
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