When the Soo Line Railroad arrived in Comertown in
1913, it carried with it visions of a much different future.
Some settlers enticed by railroad advertisements toting the
fertile farmland of northeast Montana, homesteaded
nearby. Others who moved to town built hotels, schools, a
hardware store, a livery, a grocery, a post office, saloons
and lumberyards.
One early entrepreneur, George Onstad of Westby, MT, built the town's first
grain elevator. It was a 12,000-bushel cribbed structure with a manual manlift
and a wood leg powered by a 1-cylinder gas engine. It stood alone along the
tracks until 1916 when area farmers united to build the Farmers Elevator. That
year Onstad sold to the Atlantic Elevator Co., a large and well-known grain
conglomerate of that era. He could not have known that his elevator would
continue to tower over the community for 87 years.
The Farmers Elevator burned in 1924 and in its place the Occident Company, a
division of Russell-Miller Milling of Valley City, ND, built an 18,000-bushel
cribbed facility. It also had a manual lift and wood leg powered by gas engine
and "Occident Flour, Cost More Worth It" was painted proudly on its side.
Eventually Occident acquired the original 1913 Onstad elevator too and
operated both until 1954 when Russell-Miller Milling including its country
elevators was sold to the Peavey Co. of Minneapolis. Jim Syme, an area
farmer, purchased the Comertown elevators from Peavey.
Jim's first manager was Don Fink and his first bookkeeper was Zelda Fink,
Don's wife. In 1957, Don & Jim moved the Onstad elevator closer to the larger
Occident structure and turned it 90 degrees. They removed the manlift and leg
and installed augers to and from the main house thus transforming the old
elevator into an annex. They replaced the "one-lung" gas engines with electric
motors.
Don and Zelda continued to work for Jim until 1960. By then Comertown was
already declining and had closed its high school. The Finks who had
school-aged children, moved on to work for an elevator in Raymond, MT. At that
time they had no idea that they would one day own the Comertown elevators
themselves.
In 1977, Jim sold out to his brothers Tim and Howard who would use the facility
to store and merchandise their own harvests. Tim reflects positively on his
involvement. "The elevator had 18 bins and it provided a very good system for
handling grain," he said. "We could receive, ship, blend, clean and move
different types of grain as the extra bins allowed for more types of storage. The
elevator still had its original Fairbanks scale and wagon hoist, and the flooring
showed traces of how the horses would dig away on the platform trying to pull
their loads."
In the early 80s, Tim sold his share to Howard who continued to ship by rail
east to Minnesota and west to Washington and Oregon for a few years. His
memories are not quite so pleasant as Tim's. Ultimately Howard was forced to
close the elevator in the mid-1980s as competition from bigger grain
companies drove independents out of business. The Comertown elevators
were never used again. Don and Zelda Fink who had visions of renovating the
buildings bought them in 1987 but never fulfilled their dream. Two years later
they sold to a nephew, Vic Johansen, who planned to move the elevator to his
farm near Antelope, MT. He never made the move and in 1991-92, he allowed
the railroad lease to lapse.
1913, it carried with it visions of a much different future.
Some settlers enticed by railroad advertisements toting the
fertile farmland of northeast Montana, homesteaded
nearby. Others who moved to town built hotels, schools, a
hardware store, a livery, a grocery, a post office, saloons
and lumberyards.
One early entrepreneur, George Onstad of Westby, MT, built the town's first
grain elevator. It was a 12,000-bushel cribbed structure with a manual manlift
and a wood leg powered by a 1-cylinder gas engine. It stood alone along the
tracks until 1916 when area farmers united to build the Farmers Elevator. That
year Onstad sold to the Atlantic Elevator Co., a large and well-known grain
conglomerate of that era. He could not have known that his elevator would
continue to tower over the community for 87 years.
The Farmers Elevator burned in 1924 and in its place the Occident Company, a
division of Russell-Miller Milling of Valley City, ND, built an 18,000-bushel
cribbed facility. It also had a manual lift and wood leg powered by gas engine
and "Occident Flour, Cost More Worth It" was painted proudly on its side.
Eventually Occident acquired the original 1913 Onstad elevator too and
operated both until 1954 when Russell-Miller Milling including its country
elevators was sold to the Peavey Co. of Minneapolis. Jim Syme, an area
farmer, purchased the Comertown elevators from Peavey.
Jim's first manager was Don Fink and his first bookkeeper was Zelda Fink,
Don's wife. In 1957, Don & Jim moved the Onstad elevator closer to the larger
Occident structure and turned it 90 degrees. They removed the manlift and leg
and installed augers to and from the main house thus transforming the old
elevator into an annex. They replaced the "one-lung" gas engines with electric
motors.
Don and Zelda continued to work for Jim until 1960. By then Comertown was
already declining and had closed its high school. The Finks who had
school-aged children, moved on to work for an elevator in Raymond, MT. At that
time they had no idea that they would one day own the Comertown elevators
themselves.
In 1977, Jim sold out to his brothers Tim and Howard who would use the facility
to store and merchandise their own harvests. Tim reflects positively on his
involvement. "The elevator had 18 bins and it provided a very good system for
handling grain," he said. "We could receive, ship, blend, clean and move
different types of grain as the extra bins allowed for more types of storage. The
elevator still had its original Fairbanks scale and wagon hoist, and the flooring
showed traces of how the horses would dig away on the platform trying to pull
their loads."
In the early 80s, Tim sold his share to Howard who continued to ship by rail
east to Minnesota and west to Washington and Oregon for a few years. His
memories are not quite so pleasant as Tim's. Ultimately Howard was forced to
close the elevator in the mid-1980s as competition from bigger grain
companies drove independents out of business. The Comertown elevators
were never used again. Don and Zelda Fink who had visions of renovating the
buildings bought them in 1987 but never fulfilled their dream. Two years later
they sold to a nephew, Vic Johansen, who planned to move the elevator to his
farm near Antelope, MT. He never made the move and in 1991-92, he allowed
the railroad lease to lapse.
Comertown:
Montana's Grain Elevator Heritage
by Barbara Krupp Selyem
The roads have no formal names here where farmers give directions by section lines, farm houses and
grain elevators. An arrow on a crossroad fence points the way to Comertown and the railroad siding
marks the place. The houses are gone now - some moved, some burned, some slumped silently in
thigh-high grasses next to farm implements long hidden and forgotten. There is an old, weathered
railcar with broken windows and a few frayed curtains. A concrete stairway with massive posts sits
unattached next to lilac bushes. There are no businesses, no schools, no churches; only a few shells of
abandoned buildings remain. The grain elevator, once a stately symbol of a prosperous community,
rests in ashes on its foundation.
Montana's Grain Elevator Heritage
by Barbara Krupp Selyem
The roads have no formal names here where farmers give directions by section lines, farm houses and
grain elevators. An arrow on a crossroad fence points the way to Comertown and the railroad siding
marks the place. The houses are gone now - some moved, some burned, some slumped silently in
thigh-high grasses next to farm implements long hidden and forgotten. There is an old, weathered
railcar with broken windows and a few frayed curtains. A concrete stairway with massive posts sits
unattached next to lilac bushes. There are no businesses, no schools, no churches; only a few shells of
abandoned buildings remain. The grain elevator, once a stately symbol of a prosperous community,
rests in ashes on its foundation.
The Soo Line never forced the demolition or
removal of the buildings nor did the title of
ownership ever change. On June 23, 2000
the Comertown elevators burned to the
ground. The fire was so intense that it could
be seen 12 miles away in Westby. No effort
was made to save the buildings and though
lightening was cited, no final determination
was ever made about the probable cause.
Now only the rubble remains.
On a summer day if you perch on those
massive concrete stairs that lead no where,
you can hear the sounds of the wind as it
stirs the long grass and turns the old,
squeaking windmill across the road. You will
hear the popping of the tree-high carragana
bushes as they spread their seeds, the
hollow cooing of the mourning doves and the
flutelike songs of the meadowlarks. If you are
very still, you can imagine the sounds of past
generations as they worked, played and
prayed together here. And you may lament
the passage of simpler time.
For more about Montana's grain elevators
contact The Country Grain Elevator Historical
Society. The society web site is
http://www.cgehs.org
removal of the buildings nor did the title of
ownership ever change. On June 23, 2000
the Comertown elevators burned to the
ground. The fire was so intense that it could
be seen 12 miles away in Westby. No effort
was made to save the buildings and though
lightening was cited, no final determination
was ever made about the probable cause.
Now only the rubble remains.
On a summer day if you perch on those
massive concrete stairs that lead no where,
you can hear the sounds of the wind as it
stirs the long grass and turns the old,
squeaking windmill across the road. You will
hear the popping of the tree-high carragana
bushes as they spread their seeds, the
hollow cooing of the mourning doves and the
flutelike songs of the meadowlarks. If you are
very still, you can imagine the sounds of past
generations as they worked, played and
prayed together here. And you may lament
the passage of simpler time.
For more about Montana's grain elevators
contact The Country Grain Elevator Historical
Society. The society web site is
http://www.cgehs.org
The old dining car is one of the few structures in
Comertown indicating a town was once here.
Comertown indicating a town was once here.
A commerative rock with plaque was placed at the
entrance of Comertown in 1973 as a reminder of
what was.
entrance of Comertown in 1973 as a reminder of
what was.
The church is the tallest structure in the area
located in Dooley just up the road from Comertown
located in Dooley just up the road from Comertown
Click on photos
for larger view
for larger view
Crumbling foundation is all that remains of the
Comertown elevator
Comertown elevator
On June 23, 2000 the Comertown
elevators burned to the ground.
elevators burned to the ground.
