This is one of the grain elevators that is still standing on Rice's Point.
The entire facility.
At the interesting turn of the century, the slip that serves this elevator used to have four wooden elevators along the north side. They were built by the Lake Superior Elevator Co. in the 1800s. The south side of the slip had three wooden elevators built by the Union Improvement & Elevator Co. [photo caption] In 1900, Lake Superior and Union merged to become Consolidated Elevator Co. [substreet-concrete]
A 1.2 million bushel Elevator "D" was built in 1884 where the tile covered General Mills A now stands. [photo caption] The current elevator was built by Consolidated in 1908 when the original "D" burned. [photo caption]
 |
| 3D Satellite |
The entire facility.
 |
| 3D Satellite |
 |
| Michael Konczak posted John A. France loading grain at General Mills ‘’A’’ in Duluth, June 1989. Photo by Michael Konczak Mike Harlan shared |
This photo pushes the hands of time even further back.
 |
| Brendon Bailod posted Here's a really cool and very seldom seen image of the steamer Winslow taken at Duluth's Elevator A dock in 1870 while she was owned by the Evans Line. I'm guessing the view was made around the 4th of July owing to the large number of American flags and pennants flying. I acquired this vintage reproduction taken from the original glass plate negative, which is held by the University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library. The Winslow is notable for the giant eagle atop her cupola style pilothouse as well as her frequency of being photographed. She was involved heavily in trans-Lake commerce from Buffalo to Duluth and Chicago, carrying many passengers between her construction in 1863 and her loss by fire at Duluth in October of 1891. She is one of my favorite passenger and package freight steamers of the golden age of steam travel on the Lakes due to her classic appearance with high arches. I own several other archival views of her, but this is by far the most detailed. For more on the Winslow including photos of her loss, see: https://greatlakeships.org/2895058/data?n=2 Brandon Adams: Nice! Is that a log raft in the foreground on the right? Brendon Baillod: Brandon Adams Yep...a small log boom. M David Smith: Now I know this is getting picky but - the raft contains timber, logs that have been squared. If the timber is the correct size it can then be cut into lumber. But as seen these relatively short lengths will probably be used in building construction or ship building. Brendon Baillod shared |
 |
| One half of a stereoscopic image Gaylord, Paul B., 1848-1936,Thompson, Edward A.. 1873?. "View in Duluth, Minnesota." University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections, Accessed May 26, 2022. https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/nemhc:1398 |
.jpg) | |
|
.jpg) |
| Gaylord, Paul B.. 1869 - 1890. "View in Duluth Harbor, Outer Harbor and Elevator A, Duluth, Minnesota." Duluth Public Library, Accessed May 26, 2022. https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/p16022coll6:2032 |
.jpg) |
| One half of a stereoscopic image Gaylord, Paul B., 1848-1936,Thompson, Edward A.. 1872?. "View of Lake Superior scenery, Duluth, Minnesota." University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections, Accessed May 26, 2022. https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/nemhc:1407 |
.jpg) |
| One half of a stereoscopic image Gaylord, Paul B., 1848-1936,Thompson, Edward A.. 1869. "Constructing Elevator A, Duluth, Minnesota." University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections, Accessed May 26, 2022. https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/nemhc:2826 |
 |
| Greg Mross commented on a post |
 |
| Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted The freighter Thomas Adams being loaded with grain, circa 1911(Image Source: University of Wisconsin Madison Libraries Digital Collection – The Great Lakes Maritime History Project). The location is not included in the notes for the image. The photographer was Hugh McKenzie (1879-1957), which would indicate the location is either Duluth, Minn. or Superior, Wis. The image is part of the Kenneth E. Thro Collection of the Jim Dan Hill Library at the University of Wisconsin Superior and was created from a glass plate negative. [The description continues with a history of the freighter.] Kent Rengo shared Any guess as to which Twin Ports elevator? |
 |
| David Schauer commented on Kent's share A? [Other commentors agree with him.] |
 |
| David Schauer posted A view from the summer of 1977 as the Lake Nipigon loads at Cargill berth 1 while a pair of Kinsman boats are at General Mills Elevator A. 7/13/1977 Basgen Photography Steve Miller: Is that General Mills elevator still active? David Schauer: Steve Miller No, dormant for the past few years. Was handling beet pulp but that shifted to Gavilon. Last boat loaded on 12/10/2013. Al Miller: Love the Kinsman boats and those Northern Pacific boxcars. David Schauer: Indeed, back when some grain still moved in boxcars. [Some comments identify the boats: It's the Frank R. Denton at General Mills with the Merle M. McCurdy to the right. The other vessel in the picture is the Canadian vessel called the Lake Nipigon.] |
.jpg) |
| safe_image for Hansen-Mueller Company purchases Duluth’s Elevator A Some great news today for rail and sail activity in Duluth as Elevator A will be returned to active service. Hansen-Mueller also operates Elevator M in Superior. 3.5m bushels that has been inactive since 2015. It has a slip depth of 28', which is more than the Seaway depth. |
 |
| Bjornberg Photography posted Morning light: One of my favorites so far this season! Yesterday morning, the Eeborg was moored at the Hansen-Mueller Elevator A terminal, getting ready to begin loading beet pellets, while the Algoma Innovator was finishing up its salt unload at Compass Minerals. Just as the sun broke through a gap in the clouds over Lake Superior, a burst of direct light lit up the hulls of both vessels. Right place at the right time. |
 |
| Kent Gengo commented on the safe_image post I got the Sarah Spencer unloading there years ago. |
 |
| David Schauer commented on the safe_image post The press release says the facility has been inactive since 2015 but I believe this was the last vessel to load at Elevator A under General Mills operation (beet pulp). 12/10/2013 |
 |
| Mike Curnow commented on the safe_image post Taken from internet |
.jpg) |
| safe_image for Hansen-Mueller Company purchases Duluth’s Elevator A [It appears to be a copy&paste of the same news announcement. But it is a different file photo.] |
 |
| David Schauer posted Jeff Milligan: https://kdal610.com/2022/06/14/elevator-a-in-duluth-will-return-to-service/ David Schauer shared |
 |
| David Schauer posted Although the former General Mills Elevator A (now owned by Hansen-Mueller) didn't have any boat traffic last year after reopening, it was nice to see rail cars there. Today, a number of grain trucks were lined up waiting to unload at the elevator, just like the "old" days. Duluth - 2/18/2023 Ragnar Bergendahl: No, as an old day hauler, I can tell you there would have been 100 trucks waiting in line all night for it to open. country elevators see more action. David Schauer: Ragnar Bergendahl Oh yes, I recall it well. Back in those years trucks were everywhere before railroads won the vast majority of traffic. I wasn't referring to quantity, simply to see trucks at all was a memory flashback. I usually only see limited truck traffic at Viterra (Peavey) in Superior. |
Four of the several photos from a BNSF press release. The elevator has a 3.5m bushel capacity.
"The reactivation of the elevator significantly increases grain tonnage through the port of Duluth-Superior and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway. Cargo moving on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System supports $46 billion in economic activity and nearly 330,000 jobs. If it was its own country, the region’s economic output would rank as the world’s third largest, according to the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. In a typical year, three quarters of all Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System traffic travels North American trade routes. The remainder travels to and from overseas ports....To start, approximately 500 carloads of grain are anticipated to be moved annually to this location."
 |
| a Duluth’s original “elevator row” off Rice’s Point around 1887. Image: Duluth Public Library. |
 |
| b |
 |
| c The Atlantic Hope berthed at General Mills Elevator, Duluth, Minnesota, 1969. Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections. |
 |
| d Duluth’s Elevator A welcomed its first grain delivery last fall [2022] after the facility was purchased. |
 |
| David Schauer posted First Ship in 10 Years... Wagenborg vessel Maxima backing toward Elevator A this morning to load beet pulp pellets. Tug Kentucky assisting. This is the first boat to load at this elevator in nearly 10 years and the first under new owner Hansen-Mueller. The last to load here was also a Wagenborg vessel, the Elbeborg on December 10, 2013 (see image in comment section). Welcome back to life Elevator A! Duluth, MN - June 5, 2023. John G. Prifrel: Is there any documented Rail Action to that Elavator? |
 |
| David replied to John's question Yes, a number of moves. |
 |
| Kent Rengo commented on David's post Image of mine from 15 plus years ago when the Sarah Spencer took on a load from there. |
 |
| David Schauer commented on his post The last to load at Elevator A in 2013 before its rebirth in 2022-23. |
 |
| David Schauer posted I know Duluth has a reputation for being cold, but the individual looking into the hold of the Maxima is dressed like it is forty below zero. Old school parka and then some! Beet pulp pellets is the cargo being loaded. Duluth, MN - June 5, 2023 |
 |
| David Schauer posted Josh Hansen, president of the Omaha-based Hansen-Mueller Company, briefs media on the reopening of Elevator A and the first ship to be loaded there -the Maxima with beet pulp pellets for Europe. Congratulations to Josh and his employees for a successful reopening and first waterborne shipment! Duluth, MN - June 6, 2023 |
 |
| safe_image for Duluth's Elevator A sees first ship in nearly a decade |
 |
| DuluthNewsTribune, Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram "The 185-foot-tall structure has a 3.5 million-bushel storage capacity....The site includes a 1,900-foot dock with a slip depth of 28 feet — a foot deeper than the Seaway-depth minimum — and on-dock rail service from BNSF Railway....Last shipping season, the port moved the least amount of grain by ship since 1890 amid fewer ocean-going vessels coming in, higher transportation costs, a poor crop, the war in Ukraine and a strong dollar. Grain moved through the Twin Ports by rail instead." Hansen-Mueller also owns two elevators in Superior and "has a port in Houston." |
 |
| David Schauer updated Our Sunday banner change reflects the big news of Elevator A in Duluth loading its first vessel in nearly 10 years. Maxima loaded beet pulp pellets for the Netherlands |
 |
| David Schauer posted This is a rail and sail combo I never expected to get after Elevator A along Duluth's waterfront was shuttered after the 2013 shipping season. Hansen-Mueller reopened it last year and today they welcomed the first vessel to load there (Maxima loading beet pulp pellets). In the foreground are Riverland AG's ex-Cargill SW1 and their GE centercab. They also use a red former MKT SW1200. Duluth, MN - June 5, 2023. Doug Garn: Nice photo. I miss seeing all the salties as I used to live in the Soo. Had to look up "Beet pulp pellets." The fiber in beet pulp is highly digestible making it a good non-starch energy source for cattle and horses. David Schauer: Doug Garn Yes, these shipments typically go to the UK as animal feed. Lee Bratlie: Gary A. Smith yes, what remains of the sugar beet after most of the sugar is extracted. Beet pulp is pressed, then dried to a moisture content of 8%-10%, then pelletized. Riley Osborne: I believe I saw the same ship in burns harbor Indiana about a week or so ago |
 |
| Chris Mazzella posted Finnborg loading beet pulp pellets for Ireland at the Hansen-Mueller Elevator A in Duluth, MN. |
%20Fans%20of%20the%20Book%20Know%20Your%20Ships%20_%20Finnborg%20loading%20beet%20pulp%20pellets%20for%20.png) |
| Comments on Chris' post |
 |
| Max Keener posted Dennis DeBruler shared Another load of beet pulp is headed from Duluth to Europe. Dennis DeBruler: MAXIMA is a new EasyMax Freighter Class by Royal Wagenborg, The grain elevator used to be General Mills A, and it has recently been reopened, |
It is noteworthy that this elevator receives, as well as ships, grain.
 |
| David Schauer posted Missouri, with its first assist of the day, softens ice in the Elevator A slip for the arrival Algoma Sault with oats from Thunder Bay. Duluth, MN - December 22, 2024 |
 |
| David Schauer posted Union Pacific GP38-2 515 (built in 1974 as UP 2015) rolls past Elevator A where the Eeborg is loading beet pulp pellets (animal feed) for Northern Ireland. Duluth, MN - April 24, 2025— in Duluth, MN. Dennis DeBruler shared Another load of beet pulp pellets is going from Duluth to Europe. Bob Summers: Many agricultural products are pelletized so they can be handled in bulk like grain. Sam Walter: Bob Summers Beet pulp is a byproduct of sugar production. Makes wonderful cattle feed. |
 |
| Dennis DeBruler commented on this share The last I saw, this former General Mills elevator is now owned by Hansen-Mueller. https://maps.app.goo.gl/5RU9RzUQQvJAitJ16 |
 |
| David Schauer posted Eeborg waiting to finish loading beet pulp pellets (animal feed) at Elevator A last week. Duluth, MN - April 24, 2025 Dennis DeBruler shared This is another view of the freighter I posted Apr 27. It gives us a better look at an open hatch and the loading spout. Also, it looks like the elevator still has its smokestack from its steam-driven days. |
This is a new view.
 |
| David Schauer posted It was nice catching BNSF delivering covered hoppers to Elevator A on Monday morning. That might suggest a vessel is due in the near future, possibly for beet pulp. Duluth, MN - September 15, 2025 |
David Schauer posted two photos with the comment: "Hansen-Mueller's Elevator A has been receiving a steady stream of beet pulp pellets for shipment to Europe, where it is used as animal feed. Ocean Vessel Federal Clyde loaded earlier this month and more ships are expected to arrive through the fall. Gus was able to get a shot inside the unloading shed during a school tour. Duluth, MN - October 2025."
 |
| 1 |
 |
| 2 |
Mar 25, 2026:
 |
| David Schauer posted Last Loads? After the operators of Elevator A in Duluth, Hansen-Mueller, declared bankruptcy last year, they have been moving oats out by rail. I'm not aware of any company that has stepped forward to operate the facility, unlike H-M's Elevator M/Daisey complex in Superior's East End (Old Town), which is now owned and operated by the Redwood Group. The reactivation of Elevator A in 2022 was big news in Duluth, so hopefully a new operator can be found. Here BNSF Job 116 spots a single covered hopper for loading at the elevator (the open hopper was likely used as an idler car). Duluth, MN - March 23, 2026 |
