Oakford Grain Business Page 15     Soon after Oakford had been surveyed and rail traffic was operating demands were made by the farmers for an elevator to ship their grains. In 1877 Low&Foster erected a one story elevator operated by horse power on the site of the present north elevator. They hired a local school teacher, Oscar Hubbard as manager. At the same time. Hubbard opened an implement business employing John Armstrong of Revis Springs Mason County as clerk in 1878. Hubbard managed these businesses until 1894 then moved to Petersburg. Robert Anderson purchased grain for McFadden & Company for some time. Robert Dick also worked here until his death in 1904. In the early 1890s George Sloan came to Oakford to manage Turner Hudnut's new elevator at the south crossing. he too, entered the implement business Later, he took in a Mr. Shankland as a partner. Shankland eventually sold to Henry Baker; thus it became known as Sloan & Baker. Sloan moved to Havana in 1901. Ryal Armstrong took Sloan's place at the elevator and the implement business. Around 1900. both elevators burned and new ones were built which are still standing although obsolete. Our new elevator has replaced them. For a time Elmer Hameline operated the Hudnut elevator and an implement store in the Lutes building at the same time. After Robert Dick's death the McFadden elevator was operated by John Armstrong along with his implement store. In the early 1920s Cecil Taylor took over the management until 1956. Since operators have been Virgil Combs Leo Reiser and the O.K. Grain Company. In 1916 Walter McFadden became manager of Turner Hudnut elevator. Since the new wagon bridge was built connecting Menard and Mason Counties all the Hergert Bottom grain came to Oakford making us one of the leading grain centers in central Illinois. McFadden continued until the elevator closed in 1940. Later, Paul Friend obtained the elevator hiring George EilksSr., operator. Later through an exchange ownership went to Leo Reiser. Today O.K. Grains owns the property. Next Previous Index Copyright © 2007 Jeanie Lowe & contributors All rights reserved Illinois Ancestors Home