HISTORY OF THE FARMERS'

CO-OOPERATIVE ELEVATOR COMPANY AND THE WHEATON-DUMONT COOP ELEVATOR

1905    Farmers' Co-operative Elevator organized a charter for twenty years.

1921    April:  Board of Directors voted to receive orders for lumbers, shingles, lath, fence posts, cement and all kinds of building materials.  When materials arrive for proper parties, direct them to unload direct from rail cars.

            Welch Commission Company declares insolvency.  Elevator expenses were in the range of $200.00 to $230.00 per month.

1922    September:  Manager reported some difficulty in securing rail cars for shipment of grain.  An unfair distribution of available cars was also noted.  These complaints were filed with the State Railroad Warehouse Commission.  Relief was anticipated.

1923    Barett & Lackey Commission Company.  The Board of Directors approved to receive and store, grade and treat grain with great care to prevent loss to elevator.

1935    Board of Directors voted to build a corncrib.  Also purchased south addition of Hammond Elevator at a cost of $125.00.  Eastman of White Rock moved in place for $200.00.

1937    May:  Voted to ship 50% of grain to Atwood-Larson, Company.

1938    September:  Board of Directors voted to become a Storage Warehouse.

1939    May:  Board of Directors had discussion and voted for 50% of grain to be shipped to Farmers' Union.

1941    June:  Purchased Hanson Elevator in Wheaton, Minnesota, from Kellogg Commission Company.  Alvin Hennen was hired to manage the Hanson Elevator.

1943    Purchased new cleaning mill in elevator.

1947    July:  Purchased Arid-Aire grain dryer.

1950    February:  Board of Directors voted to build new concrete elevator using Hogenson Construction Company.

1951    The grand opening of the new elevator took place on February 3, 1951.

1954    March:  The Board of Directors voted to build a 130,000-bushel annex to the elevator at a cost of $106,000.00.

1959    March:  Purchased fertilizer property and bulk facilities from Wheaton Coop Creamery.  Also purchased new International truck, with fertilizer spreader.

1965    Purchased new Clipper dryer for north side of elevator.  Also built fertilizer plant - both for $73,000.00.  The wiring was not included.

1974    Discussion was held with the Board of Directors from the Herman Elevator about building a terminal on Burlington Northern Railroad.

1975    Herman decided to build their own elevator.

1978    April:  Board of Directors voted to build load-out site at Tenney, Minnesota, on the SOO Line Railroad, which included four 10,000 bushel hopper bins and two 42,000 bushel bins.

1980    June:  Railroad tracks were removed through Wheaton.

            November:  Merger proposal passed to merge with Dumont.

1981    January:  The Wheaton-Dumont Coop Elevator was established.

1983    Purchased fertilizer plant in Dumont from Land O'Lakes.

1986    Added two 88,000.00-bushel storage bins in Wheaton.  Also added three 68,000.00-bushel bins at Tenney, together with 10,000-bph leg to load twenty-five unit trains (Ross-Ko Construction).

1988    Purchased Land O'Lakes North Chemical Plant in Wheaton from Traverse Coop Oil.  Also closed the feed mill in Wheaton.

1989    January:  Purchased Kalger Estech Fertilizer plant in Dumont, Minnesota.

1990    Built a 105,000.00-bushel bin, office and scale (Ross-Ko Construction).  April:  Purchased Harvest Data computer system.

1991    Bulk chemical and rinse pad added to the Dumont Fertilizer plant.

1992    A 90,000.00-bushel storage bin was added at Dumont.  Also, added track at Tenney for loading fifty-car unit trains.

1993    180,000.00-bushel concrete elevator built at Tenney, with bulk-weigh load-out system and Meyer 3000.00-bushel per hour dryer (SMA and Ross-Ko Construction).   

1996    June:  New Westrap cleaner purchased for Dumont Cleaning Plant.

1997    Purchased new TM 4500 trackmobile for moving and loading grain cars.

1998    Trackage was added at Tenney for loading 100-car unit trains.  Also built 4700-ton fertilizer plant in Wheaton at a cost of $1,000,000.00.

            December:  Contract was made with Hurley & Associates for their producer-marketing program.

1999    Purchase LaMars Farmers Elevator at LaMars, North Dakota.  Built a 500,000.00-bushel storage complex.

2000     Storage bin holding 200,000 bushels built at Tenney.  A 10,000.00-bushel per hour leg was also added.  A 500,000.00-bushel corn bunker was added to Dumont.

2002    Purchased Campbell Farmers Elevator Company.  Three 500,000.00-bushel storage bins were built in Tenney, along with 60,000.00-bushel per hour bulk weigh load-out system and 20,000.00-bushel per hour receiving pit.  LaMars had the addition of two 500,000.00-bushel bunkers for corn storage (J & D Construction).

2004    New Delux Dryers were installed in Wheaton and LaMars elevators.

2005    August:  Wind damage at Dumont consisted of two roofs and conveyor on the south plant.  A bin also ruptured at the wood elevator in Dumont.  All damage was repaired for harvest.