Spotting an old grain elevator rising above the rooftops of a small town is fun. Once the lifeblood of local agriculture, the towering structures served as anchors to many rural communities! Unfortunately, time hasn’t been kind to most old grain elevators. Fires claimed many, neglect eroded others, and the steady march of agricultural consolidation funneled business away to larger, centralized operations that left the small-town landmarks obsolete.

Today, it’s a rare treat to come across a grain elevator that’s still standing. That said, I’m lucky- several sturdy elevators still stand within a short drive from my house. Some are tucked beside sleepy rail spurs. Others still anchor crossroads communities long after the trains stopped coming. Each one is a tangible reminder of rural Indiana’s agricultural heartbeat.

Medford 

The original grain elevator at Medford, a small, unincorporated community just west of Delaware County’s Prairie Creek Reservoir, was destroyed by fire in 1957¹. The extant structure -long disused- was completed the following year². Today, it towers above the old C&O line, now the Cardinal Greenway rail trail. 

Farmland

The Randolph County community of Farmland has a historic downtown dominated by its 1919 grain elevator. The facility was used up until the early 1980s³, but the town has struggled to adapt it in recent years. The Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana awarded a $1244 grant to study modern uses back in 1997⁴, but I don’t think it was successful. That’s a shame! The elevator can be seen from several miles away.

Selma

Only 750 people call Selma, Indiana, home, but that makes it the biggest community in Delaware County’s Liberty Township. Selma’s skyline is defined not by church steeples or water towers, but by the old grain elevator that’s loomed over town since 1956⁵. By the very next year, it helped boost Selma’s property tax rolls by nearly $50,000⁶– a massive leap for such a tiny town.

Cammack

The town of Cammack was first known as “Switch A” thanks to its location on the Erie and Western Railroad. Today, it’s part of Yorktown in western Delaware County. The hamlet’s landmark elevator appears to have been built in 1930 by the Farmers Co-Operative Company of Cammack⁷. instead of concrete or wood, its silo was composed of clay tiles, a method that had already fallen out of favor by the early 20th century⁸.

Shideler 

Back in 1919, the Indiana Farmers’ Grain Dealers’ Association announced plans to invest $50,000 to $60,000 in building four large facilities across Delaware County. That was a ton of money in those days! One was built in the village of Shideler. Completed in 1920, the enormous 90-foot structure⁹ dwarfed its peers. In fact, it probably became the tallest building in Delaware County! Fritz Schnepf purchased the elevator in 1968¹⁰. Today, remarkably, it remains a going concern. 

Carlos 

The unincorporated community of Carlos, Indiana, sits in Randolph County’s Washington Township. The place is home to a surprising range of old buildings, but none are as imposing as the old grain elevator there. Its distinctive crenellated roofline is visible for miles across the countryside! Built around 1920¹¹ by the Farmers Grain Company during a period of rapid regional expansion¹², the elevator was once considered state-of-the-art.

It’s easy to take these elevators for granted as you pass them on a drive, but they tell a story and remind us of a time when farming was localized, when towns revolved around the seasonal rhythms of planting and harvest, and when a single towering structure could symbolize prosperity and progress. In towns like Medford, Farmland, Selma, Cammack, Shideler, and Carlos, those elevators aren’t just relics. Instead, they’re landmarks that keep the history of small-town agriculture alive.

Sources Cited
1 Junk, B. (1957, October 16). Elevator at Medford Destroyed by Fire. The Muncie Evening Press. p. 1. 
2 Delaware County Office of Information & GIS Services. (2025). Parcel ID: 1606378001000. Delaware County, Indiana Assessor. map, Muncie, IN.
3 Shucker, D. (1997, August 7). Grant might be answer for Farmland elevator. The Muncie Star Press. p. 9.
4 (See footnote 3). 
5 Delaware County Office of Information & GIS Services. (2025). Parcel ID: 1215176001000. Delaware County, Indiana Assessor. map, Muncie, IN.
6 Selma Property Values Increase (1957, June 14). The Muncie Star. p. 12. 
7 Delaware County Office of Information & GIS Services. (2025). Parcel ID: 1003302007000. Delaware County, Indiana Assessor. map, Muncie, IN.
8 BUILDING OF THE DAY #PresMonth (2014, May 24). Indiana DNR DIvision of HIstoric Preservation & Archaeology. Facebook. Retriebed February 9, 2025. 
9 Russell, J. & Shideler, T. (2024, October 22). Personal communication.
10 Shideler Grain Elevator Sold (1968, July 9). The Muncie Star. p. 2. 
11 (2024). Office of the Assessor. Randolph County [Winchester]. Web. Retrieved December 25, 2024. 
12 Plan Erection of 4 Elevators In This County (1919, March 7). The Muncie Evening Press. p. 16.