Manitoba Business: Northern Elevator Company

Link to:
Country Elevators | Sources

This Winnipeg-based company was established in September 1893 through the merger of five smaller companies, including Martin & Mitchell. Its initial major shareholders included Nicholas Bawlf, Rodmond Palen Roblin, Arthur Atkinson, Samuel Peck Clark, George Reading Crowe, and James Alexander Mitchell.

By the turn of the 20th century, Northern Elevator operated 92 country elevators, handling about 2.4 million bushels of the annual grain production on the prairies. In August 1909, it became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Peavey Elevator Company based at Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company acquired the assets of the Security Elevator Company in 1929 and, in June 1940, it merged with the British America Elevator Company and National Elevator Company, both of which were owned by Peavey, to form a single administrative entity known as the National Grain Company.

Presidents

Period	President
1893-1909	Nicholas Bawlf (1849-1914)
1909-1916	George Reading Crowe (1852-1924)
1916-1918	?
1918-1920	F. T. Heffelfinger
1920-1940	?

Vice-Presidents

Period	Vice-President
1893-1901	William Martin (1856-1932)
1901-1915	?
1915	Samuel Peck Clark (1859-1924)
1916-1920	E. C. Warner
1925	E. F. Wyman
c1929-1940	George W. P. Heffelfinger (?-1970)

General Managers

Period	General Manager
1910-1911	Francis Henry “Frank” Jakeway (1856-?)
1911-1923	Charles Henry Leaman (1871-1930)
1923-1925	?
1925-?	E. F. Wyman

Secretaries

Period	Secretary
1893-?	George Reading Crowe (1852-1924)
?-1910	?
1910-?	Samuel Peck Clark (1859-1924)
1915-1918	Francis Henry “Frank” Jakeway (1856-?)
1920	J. D. Read

Treasurers

Period	Secretary
?-?	Angus Daniel Mackay (1856-1916)
?-1910	?
1910-1920	Charles Henry Leaman (1871-1930)

Chief Engineers

Period	Chief Engineer
?-1910	Eustace Senior Estlin (1864-1951)

Country Elevators

Location	No.	Rail	Opened	Closed	Capacity (bushels)	Comments
Alexander	?	CPR	1897	1912	30,000
Altona	?	CPR	1897	c1901	25,000
Arden	?	M&NW	1895	c1901	15,000
Ashdown	?	NP	1896	c1901	20,000
Baldur	?	CNR	1897	c1913	20,000
Balmoral	?	CPR	1898	1918	22,000	Sold to Paterson Grain (June 1918)
Basswood	?	CPR	1895	1921	23,000
Belmont	?	CNR	1895	1918	29,000	Sold to Paterson Grain (June 1918)
Bield	?	CNR	1919	1926	30,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1927)
Binscarth	126	CPR	1895	1912	31,000	Sold to Manitoba Elevator Commission (1912)
Birtle	?	CPR	1895	?	23,000
Bowsman	?	CNR	1920	1927	35,000	Built (1920), sold to Canada West Grain (1928)
Bradwardine	?	CPR	Bef 1912	?	25,000
Burnside	?	CPR	1898	1912	20,000
Carberry	?	CPR	1895	c1901	35,000
Carman	?	CPR	1895	c1901	35,000
Carroll	?	CPR	1897	c1901	30,000
Cartwright	?	CPR	1897	1898	25,000
Chumah	?	CPR	1924	?	30,000	Merged into National Grain (1940)
Crystal City	?	CPR	1898	c1901	25,000
Cypress River	?	CPR	1898	1918	22,000	Sold to Paterson Grain (June 1918)
Dauphin	?	CNR	1897	?	22,000
Deleau	?	CPR	1896	1912	22,000
Deloraine	?	CPR	1897	1912	26,000
Douglas	?	CPR	1896	c1901	25,000
Dufrost	?	CPR	1899	1918	25,000	Sold to Paterson Grain (June 1918)
Dunrea	?	CNR	1898	c1901	25,000
Elkhorn	?	CPR	1895	c1901	27,000
Elliotts	?	CNR	1898	c1901	12,000
Elm Creek	?	CPR	1898	1918	20,000	Sold to Paterson Grain (June 1918)
Elphinstone A	?	CNR	Bef 1912	1927	26,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (circa 1927)
Elphinstone B	?	CNR				Sold to Manitoba Pool (circa 1927)
Elva	?	CPR	1897	c1901	25,000
Emerson	?	CNR	1895	c1901	70,000
Erickson	?	CNR	Bef 1912	?	26,000
Fairfax	?	CNR	1899	1918	25,000	Sold to Paterson Grain (June 1918)
Findlay	?	CPR	1897	1912	23,000
Firdale	?	CNR	1929	?	25,000	Bought from Security Elevator (1929), merged into National Grain (1940)
Fishing River	?	CNR	1923	1925	30,000
Floors	?	CPR	1924	?	25,000	Merged into National Grain (1940)
Fork River	?	CNR	c1913	?	35,000	Merged into National Grain (1940)
Forrest	?	CPR	1898	?	18,000
Foxwarren	?	CPR	c1901	?	25,000
Franklin	?	CPR	1895	1918	17,000
Gladstone	?	CPR	1895	1896	3,500
Glenboro	?	CPR	1895	c1901	30,000
Glencairn	?	CNR	1918	1927	30,000
Glenella	?	CNR	Bef 1912	1924	25,000
Goodlands	?	CPR	1899	1918	23,000	Sold to Paterson Grain (June 1918)
Grandview	?	CNR	1901	1901	25,000
Greenway	?	CNR	1895	c1901	30,000
Gretna	?	CPR	1898	1898	35,000
Griswold	?	CPR	1897	c1901	25,000
Hamiota	?	CPR	1896	c1901	25,000
Harding	?	CPR	Bef 1912	?	25,000
Hargrave	?	CPR	1895	c1901	25,000
Harrowby	?	CPR	Bef 1912	1919	30,000
Hartney	?	CPR	1896	1896	35,000
High Bluff	?	CPR	1895	c1901	20,000
Hilton	?	CNR	1895	c1901	14,000
Holland	?	CPR	1891	1918	20,000	Sold to Paterson Grain (June 1918)
Hope Farm	?	CNR	1899	1918	21,000	Sold to Paterson Grain (June 1918)
Ingelow	?	CNR	1929	?	25,000	Bought from Security Elevator (1929)
Inglis	?	CPR	1923	?	30,000
Kelloe	?	CPR	Bef 1912	?	22,000
Keyes (Midway)	?	CPR	1895	?	17,000
La Salle	?	CPR	1898	1899	25,000
Letellier	?	CNR	1895	1918	24,000	Sold to Paterson Grain (June 1918)
Macdonald	?	CPR	1895	c1901	15,000
MacGregor	?	CPR	1897	c1901	25,000
Martinville	?	CNR	1895	c1901	12,000	Acquired from Martin & Mitchell (1893)
Melita	?	CPR	1897	?	26,000
Methven	?	CPR	1897	1898	1,500
Miami	?	CNR	1895	c1901	30,000
Millwood	?	CPR	1901	1928	25,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1928)
Minnedosa	?	M&NW	1895	1899	7,000
Morden	?	CPR	1895	c1901	35,000
Morris	?	CNR	1895	1918	31,000	Sold to Paterson Grain (June 1918)
Myrtle	?	CNR	1895	c1901	20,000
Napinka	?	CPR	1895	c1901	25,000
Neepawa	?	M&NW	1895	c1901	12,000
Nesbitt	?	CPR	1895	c1901	27,000
Newdale	?	CPR	1895	1926	43,000	Sold to Forsythe Elevator (1926)
Ninette	?	CNR	Bef 1912	1918	23,000	Sold to Paterson Grain (June 1918)
Ninga	?	CPR	1895	c1901	30,000
Oak Lake	?	CPR	1895	1895	25,000
Oak River	?	CPR	1898	1919	22,000
Otterburne	?	CPR	1897	?	14,000	Sold to local farmer cooperative (1918)
Paulson	?	CNR	1923	1924	30,000
Pettapiece	146	CPR	1895	1940	27,000	Transferred to National Elevator (1940)
Pierson	?	CPR	1898	?	16,000
Pine River	?	CNR	1918	?	25,000
Pipestone	?	CPR	1897	c1901	30,000
Pitlochry	?	CPR	1924	?	25,000
Plumas	?	CNR	1896	c1901	25,000
Pope	?	CPR	1929	?	25,000	Bought from Security Elevator (1929), sold to National Grain (1940)
Rapid City	?	CPR	1895	?	25,000
Rathwell	?	CPR	1897	c1901	30,000
Reston	?	CPR	1897	c1901	30,000
Roblin	?	CNR	Bef 1912	?	25,000
Roland	?	CNR	1895	c1901	30,000
Rosebank	?	CNR	1895	?	18,000
Rosenfeld	?	CPR	1897	c1901	10,000
Rossburn	?	CNR	Bef 1912	1927	30,000
Rounthwaite	?	CNR	1895	1912	32,000
Russell	?	CPR	1895	1921	25,000
Sandy Lake	?	CNR	1913	?	25,000
Sewell	?	CPR	1896	c1901	25,000
Sidney	?	CPR	1895	c1901	30,000
Silverton	?	CNR	Bef 1912	1927	30,000
Sinclair	?	CPR	1913	?	30,000
Smart	?	CNR	1933	?	30,000
Snowflake	?	CPR	1899	c1901	25,000
Solsgirth	?	CPR	1898	?	15,000
Somerset	?	CNR	1895	c1901	8,000
Souris	?	CPR	1897	c1901	25,000
St. Jean	?	CNR	1890	1918	21,000	Sold to Paterson Grain (June 1918)
St. Lazare	?	CNR	1929	?	25,000	Bought from Security Elevator (1929)
Starbuck	?	CPR	1898	1899	25,000
Stonewall	?	CPR	1895	1895	6,000
Strathclair	?	CPR	1895	c1901	7,500
Swan Lake	?	CNR	1895	c1901	8,000
Treherne	?	CPR	1892	c1901	35,000	Sold to Manitoba Elevator Commission (?), sold to Paterson Grain (1917)
Union Point	?	CNR	1895	c1901	8,000
Uno	?	CNR	1929	1931	25,000	Bought from Security Elevator (1929)
Varcoe	?	CPR	1895	c1901	8,000
Virden	?	CPR	1895	c1901	35,000
Vista	?	CNR	Bef 1912	?	30,000
Waskada	?	CPR	1901	1918	25,000	Sold to Paterson Grain (June 1918)
Wawanesa	?	CNR	1895	c1901	30,000
Whitewater	?	CPR	1896	?	22,000
Winkler	?	CPR	1897	1918	26,000	Sold to Paterson Grain (June 1918)
Winnipeg	80	CPR	1895	1917	145,000	Destroyed by fire (10 March 1917)
Winnipeg (St. Boniface)	?	?	?	1917	80,000	Destroyed by fire (22 December 1917)

Sources:

“It’s a local scheme,” Manitoba Free Press, 10 June 1893, page 9.

“The Northern Elevator Co., Ltd.,” Winnipeg Tribune, 19 October 1893, page 4.

“Mammoth deal in elevators,” Winnipeg Tribune, 3 August 1909, page 1.

“Exhibit “B” Manitoba elevators,” Manitoba Free Press, 14 May 1912, page 7.

“St. Boniface grain elevator in ashes,” Manitoba Free Press, 24 December 1917, page 1.

“C. H. Leaman leaves Northern Elevator Company,” Manitoba Free Press, 30 March 1923, page 12.

“Elevator group to be operated as one company,” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 June 1940, page 12.

The Exchange: 100 Years of Trading Grain in Winnipeg by Allan Levine, Winnipeg: Peguis Publishers Limited, 1987.

Elevator Company Files [Temporary Box #1], Paterson Grain Company, John Everitt Fonds, S. J. McKee Archives, Brandon University.

We thank Kaye Wolstenholme, Janice McClelland, and Duncan Waddell for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 2 December 2024