This 1940 photo of the Searle Grain Elevator in Nora, Saskatchewan is from the photo albums of Lillian and Petrus Johnson of Nora. Petrus was the Searle Grain Buyer at Nora from 1940 to 1946. The first Searle Grain Buyer at Nora was Ben Sundell, followed by Petrus Johnson, Thorben Bjerland, Clayton Bakke, Art Talon and Danny Hoff.
The elevator was built by the Searle Grain Company in 1933 and it stood tall for 51 years, until Oct. 29, 1984, when it was demolished. It operated as a Searle Grain Elevator until 1967 when the Searle Grain Company merged with the Federal Grain Company. It operated as a Federal Grain Elevator until 1972 when Federal Grain Elevators were sold to the three Provincial Wheat Pools (Alberta Wheat Pool, Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, and Manitoba Wheat Pool) and it operated as a Pool Elevator after that.
There were two grain elevators in Nora, Saskatchewan. The Searle Grain Elevator was the second one built. The first was the Saskatchewan Co-operative Grain Elevator built in 1924. It was taken over by the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool in 1929. Mr, Janusson was the first Grain Buyer. Others included Tom Clay, Mr. Beckett, Bill Taylor, Vincent McElroy, A. T. Hage, Alvin Fyhn, Einer Sorli, Elmer Olson, Lloyd Craig, George Demmans, Bill Kosminski, Mr. Liss, Wayne Lee, Mr. Conner and Les Carpenter.
Text and photo contributed by Gary Johnson.
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