Growing up in Omaha Nebraska I have driven past this elevator thousands of times. It's hard not to miss, as it sticks out along the side of the interstate all alone. I have always wondered if there was a way to get inside of it? Answering this question is was sparked my interest in this topic and the hobby of urban exploring. In addition I was also curious about the history behind the elevator. I had a friend recommend that I share the facts I learned and the stories I have with the world. It ignited a passion in me. Knowledge, wisdom, and passion go hand in hand. They drive the human spirit. To explore the world, and take advantage of experiences you have not had the chance to before! Although saying Y.O.L.O. has a more comedic connotation to it, it also has a lot of truth to it as well. You only live once, which is true so I have decided to have passion in something that makes me happy. That is what life is all about finding happiness! Or should it be about creating your own happiness?
Scoular grain elevator in Omaha Nebraska was the first urban exploration trip I went on. This is the trip that started this excitement of exploring abandoned places. The Scoular grain elevator is hiding in plain sight with a history that has been forgotten. Yet the tower still stands all these years later. To understand the tower we must first examine the history of the company. The Scoular Grain Company was originally founded in Superior, Nebraska in 1892. Superior Nebraska which was named for its superior farmland was the perfect spot to lay down the groundwork for grain and lumber operations. Although this was the ideal spot for farm land, it was too far from the railways for the transportation of product. William Loudon got the Burlington Northern railroad to build an East and West connection for the rails in Superior, Nebraska in 1880. This paved the way for three other railroads that would eventually intersect here. In the early days of the Scoular grain company consisted of horse-drawn wagons between each railroad depot.
Years later in 1898 the Scoular company partnered with a man named Dennis Bishop. Then the company was renamed to Scoular and Bishop Lumber and Grain. George Scoular passed away in 1930. When this happened George’s son Bob Scoular took over as chairman of the company. As the company grew over the years so did their mission statement. Scoular company wanted to invest in communities with good schools, health care offices, and hospitals. This way the local economy could support different access to quality shipping. In addition expertise on merchandising. Scoular took a big step when they started buying and leasing small grain elevators that cold hold around 600,000 to 700,000 bushels of grain.
Over time there was changes in the company during the mid 1980's the Scoular company owned 72 grain elevators. This operation spread to eight states and had around 550 employees. Scoular was a power house and became the United States fourth largest grain warehouse company. Unfortunately for Scoular, congress passed a new farm bill which got rid of the government help to grain storage programs and tax breaks. In turn this left Scoular company with nothing more than 100 million bushels of empty space. Sadly I cannot find a specific date as to when the elevators were officially abandoned we all know it's been a long time. In addition I was not able to enter the tower because it was blocked off. So the pictures I have are not mine from the inside, but the pictures the outside ones are mine. Now the tower stands frozen with a tons of history and opportunities for all of us to explore. I hoped you enjoyed reading my story. I'd like it if everyone liked, shared, and subscribed! Until next time stay tuned!
Above this is at the base of the Scoular Grain Elevator.
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