The American Grain Elevator:
Function and Form
Linda Laird
$23
Beautiful New Paperback with over 150 illustrations tells the story of how grain storage began and elevators were invented. Includes sections on a variety materials used in the mid-west from the 1800s to today with many historic photos and 90 full color examples of these wonderful and fascinating buildings that are integral to our farm heritage.
About the author
Linda Laird was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. She was always fascinated with the shapes of the grain elevators that define the horizon in that flat place. She became a historic preservation consultant and community planner, moved back to Kansas and married a John Deere loving, ex-farmboy from rural Reno County.
In 1992 the Kansas state legislature revised the tax code to include taxing the historic wooden elevators used primarily for storage or remaining empty. Many of the oldest wood frame elevators have been torn down or burned since then to avoid taxes. Laird and her husband, Larry Haney, were determined to at least photographically document each elevator in Kansas before the destruction was complete. They were encouraged by The James Marsden Fitch Charitable Trust, a New York foundation that provides mid-career grants to historic preservation projects. The grant allowed them to travel through the mid-west researching and photographing elevators in a multi-state area. This book is a product of that grant.
The original goal of photographing all of the elevators in Kansas was achieved in 2003 when over 1200 elevators had been photographed and documented in a searchable index. It is now possible for the first time to write a history of grain elevators in the state.
Laird's next book will focus on the historic significance of the documented elevators with attention to the various architectural styles and materials used in the continuous development of Kansas elevators.
Book Details
Paperback: 120 pages. 161 illustrations, 90 full color. Bibliography.
Dimensions: 11x8 inches.
Shipping weight: 1.5 lbs.
Shipping: media rate USPS unless otherwise requested
ISBN: 9780984759118
Wholesale price: Call 520-393-0623 or email: sales@grainelevatorpress.com