Corn and Peanut Processing and Transportation Industry
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Allen Cain
i am working on an industry involving milled corn and/or processed peanuts in 1955 in the South. Could use some help on the concept.
How would peanuts and corn be transported to elevators and mills for processing? Box cars or covered hoppers? Where would the corn kernels be separated from the cob and the corn kernels dried? Where would the peanuts be separated from the shells? Would there be a by-product use for the cobs and/or peanut shells and if so, how would they be transported? I am considering an elevator and mill using the Walthers Prairie Star Elevator and Prairie Star Mill for receiving and processing and the Walthers Prairie Co-Op elevator for originating shipments: Receiving Elevator: https://www.walthers.com/cornerstone-series-r-flour-mill-elevator-prairie-star-elevator-6-3-4-x-6-x-10-quot-empty Processing Mill: https://www.walthers.com/cornerstone-series-r-prairie-star-milling-kit-8-3-4-x-12-3-4-x-9-3-4-quot-empty Shipping Elevator: https://www.walthers.com/prairie-co-op-elevator-kit-5-1-8-x-7-1-4-x-12-quot-13-x-18-4-x-30-4cm?ref=1 Also would the Walthers Sunshine Feed Mill as a destination for dried corn kernels: Feed Mill: https://www.walthers.com/sunrise-feed-mill-kit-4-x-15-1-8-x-7-3-4-quot-10-x-37-8-x-19-3cm Any feedback and input will be appreciated. Allen Cain |
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earlyrail
Corn and Peanut Processing and Transportation Industry
From: Allen Cain Date: Mon, 01 Feb 2021 15:40:28 PST <<i am working on an industry involving milled corn and/or processed peanuts in 1955 in the South. Could use some help on the concept. <<How would peanuts and corn be transported to elevators and mills for processing? Box cars or covered hoppers? 1955 would be box cars for 99% of grains moved. <<Where would the corn kernels be separated from the cob and the corn kernels dried? Corn would be shelled either on the farm of in some case at the elevator. Would not be shipped by rail on the cob. <<Where would the peanuts be separated from the shells? I do not know this one. <<Would there be a by-product use for the cobs and/or peanut shells and if so, how would they be transported? There are used today for ground corn cobs. I do not kow of any from the 50's (except rear end usage:) Howard Garner |
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In 1955, boxcars. While covered hoppers existed in the 50s, they were used for cement, carbon black, and other heavy commodities that had to be kept dry. In the 60s when larger covered hoppers were permitted, grain hoppers were designed and put into use. But in 1955 boxcars were the norm for shipping grains.
I don’t know about peanuts, but in the 50s a machine called a corn sheller was used to remove kernels from the cobs. Combines do that today, but didn’t come into wide spread use until the late 50s and 60s. Until then corn pickers were the norm, and they picked eared corn. The farmer often stored eared corn in open air corn cribs. Or the farmer hired someone who had a sheller to come and shell the corn so it could be stored in a sealed bin, ie a Butler bin. I believe grain elevators also owned corn shellers and could shell the corn as it was brought in for storage or sale, for a processing fee.
Corn cobs had many uses. On the farm they might be used in the outhouse, to start a fire, or even for livestock bedding. They are absorbent and also abrasive. Commercial uses include cosmetic industry. Light sand blasting, animal feed. Furfural and xylose are two chemicals derived from corncobs.
Any of the Walthers buildings will work for corn. And perhaps for peanuts. The Feed mill was typically a place that would receive whole grains and additives, then grind the grain with the additives to make feed sold to local livestock raisers. A feed mill would also sell salt and mineral blocks and other animal feeding needs.
Doug Harding www.iowacentralrr.org
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Allen Cain
Sent: Monday, February 1, 2021 5:40 PM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: [RealSTMFC] Corn and Peanut Processing and Transportation Industry
i am working on an industry involving milled corn and/or processed peanuts in 1955 in the South. Could use some help on the concept. |
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Mont Switzer
At the elevator in the small town I grew up in (Indiana 1950's-60's) they shelled corn for farmers. The corn cobs were gravity fed into a cob burner. I used to watch the whole
operation from the school where I was supposed to be paying attention to other things.
Mont Switzer
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io [main@RealSTMFC.groups.io] on behalf of earlyrail [cascaderail@...]
Sent: Monday, February 01, 2021 9:35 PM To: main@realstmfc.groups.io Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Corn and Peanut Processing and Transportation Industry Corn and Peanut Processing and Transportation Industry
From: Allen Cain Date: Mon, 01 Feb 2021 15:40:28 PST <<i am working on an industry involving milled corn and/or processed peanuts in 1955 in the South. Could use some help on the concept. <<How would peanuts and corn be transported to elevators and mills for processing? Box cars or covered hoppers?
1955 would be box cars for 99% of grains moved.
<<Where would the corn kernels be separated from the cob and the corn kernels dried?
Corn would be shelled either on the farm of in some case at the elevator.
Would not be shipped by rail on the cob.
<<Where would the peanuts be separated from the shells?
I do not know this one.
<<Would there be a by-product use for the cobs and/or peanut shells and if so, how would they be transported?
There are used today for ground corn cobs. I do not kow of any from the 50's (except rear end usage:)
Howard Garner
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Steve SANDIFER
Corn cobs were used as animal feed.
J. Stephen Sandifer
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of earlyrail
Sent: Monday, February 1, 2021 8:35 PM To: main@realstmfc.groups.io Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Corn and Peanut Processing and Transportation Industry
Corn and Peanut Processing and Transportation Industry <<How would peanuts and corn be transported to elevators and mills for processing? Box cars or covered hoppers? 1955 would be box cars for 99% of grains moved.
<<Where would the corn kernels be separated from the cob and the corn kernels dried? Corn would be shelled either on the farm of in some case at the elevator. Would not be shipped by rail on the cob.
<<Where would the peanuts be separated from the shells? I do not know this one.
<<Would there be a by-product use for the cobs and/or peanut shells and if so, how would they be transported? There are used today for ground corn cobs. I do not kow of any from the 50's (except rear end usage:) Howard Garner
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Steve SANDIFER
http://www.texasdailyphoto.com/2011/06/woldert-peanut-mill.html http://photogrammar.yale.edu/search/results.php?start=0&year_start=1935&month_start=0&year_stop=1945&month_stop=12&van=CPeanuts A peanut mill is still in operation in Comanche, TX and is rail served. J. Stephen Sandifer
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Douglas Harding
Sent: Monday, February 1, 2021 8:48 PM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Corn and Peanut Processing and Transportation Industry
In 1955, boxcars. While covered hoppers existed in the 50s, they were used for cement, carbon black, and other heavy commodities that had to be kept dry. In the 60s when larger covered hoppers were permitted, grain hoppers were designed and put into use. But in 1955 boxcars were the norm for shipping grains.
I don’t know about peanuts, but in the 50s a machine called a corn sheller was used to remove kernels from the cobs. Combines do that today, but didn’t come into wide spread use until the late 50s and 60s. Until then corn pickers were the norm, and they picked eared corn. The farmer often stored eared corn in open air corn cribs. Or the farmer hired someone who had a sheller to come and shell the corn so it could be stored in a sealed bin, ie a Butler bin. I believe grain elevators also owned corn shellers and could shell the corn as it was brought in for storage or sale, for a processing fee.
Corn cobs had many uses. On the farm they might be used in the outhouse, to start a fire, or even for livestock bedding. They are absorbent and also abrasive. Commercial uses include cosmetic industry. Light sand blasting, animal feed. Furfural and xylose are two chemicals derived from corncobs.
Any of the Walthers buildings will work for corn. And perhaps for peanuts. The Feed mill was typically a place that would receive whole grains and additives, then grind the grain with the additives to make feed sold to local livestock raisers. A feed mill would also sell salt and mineral blocks and other animal feeding needs.
Doug Harding
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Allen Cain
i am working on an industry involving milled corn and/or processed peanuts in 1955 in the South. Could use some help on the concept. |
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Kenneth Montero
The former Suffolk Peanut Company in Suffolk, Virginia, had rail access. It has been added to the National Registry of Historical Places. See below for a detailed description of the facility:
It is being converted to apartments - but see the video for pictures of the existing structures.
Ken Montero
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Steve SANDIFER
On Google Earth go to Comanche, TX. On the north side of the track you will notice 5 round bins. Those are relatively modern and you will see a lot of covered hoppers around them. Must be harvest time for Texas peanuts. But the important part for our question is to go to the street view which has older photos, and those show the old peanut warehouse which was distinctive, similar to a cotton seed warehouse. Capture those before Google updates those photos because they are gone now. Next to it are 2, used to be three, bulk oil dealers. The depot still stands also. The tracks were Santa Fe, now Ft. Worth and Western.
When you are finished with peanuts, head south 20 miles on 16 to Priddy, then east on 218 to the 2nd hard left, but go right this time. The road marked 272 is a private gated road to the Comanche and Indian Gap Railroad, one of the finest 1.5” tracks you will ever see, complete with tunnels, trestles, turntables (3) and rattlesnakes. It is designed for operations. They have real steam freight cars but just not the rivet counter type.
J. Stephen Sandifer
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Steve SANDIFER
Sent: Monday, February 1, 2021 9:10 PM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Corn and Peanut Processing and Transportation Industry
http://www.texasdailyphoto.com/2011/06/woldert-peanut-millhtml http://photogrammar.yale.edu/search/results.php?start=0&year_start=1935&month_start=0&year_stop=1945&month_stop=12&van=CPeanuts A peanut mill is still in operation in Comanche, TX and is rail served. J. Stephen Sandifer
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Douglas Harding
In 1955, boxcars. While covered hoppers existed in the 50s, they were used for cement, carbon black, and other heavy commodities that had to be kept dry. In the 60s when larger covered hoppers were permitted, grain hoppers were designed and put into use. But in 1955 boxcars were the norm for shipping grains.
I don’t know about peanuts, but in the 50s a machine called a corn sheller was used to remove kernels from the cobs. Combines do that today, but didn’t come into wide spread use until the late 50s and 60s. Until then corn pickers were the norm, and they picked eared corn. The farmer often stored eared corn in open air corn cribs. Or the farmer hired someone who had a sheller to come and shell the corn so it could be stored in a sealed bin, ie a Butler bin. I believe grain elevators also owned corn shellers and could shell the corn as it was brought in for storage or sale, for a processing fee.
Corn cobs had many uses. On the farm they might be used in the outhouse, to start a fire, or even for livestock bedding. They are absorbent and also abrasive. Commercial uses include cosmetic industry. Light sand blasting, animal feed. Furfural and xylose are two chemicals derived from corncobs.
Any of the Walthers buildings will work for corn. And perhaps for peanuts. The Feed mill was typically a place that would receive whole grains and additives, then grind the grain with the additives to make feed sold to local livestock raisers. A feed mill would also sell salt and mineral blocks and other animal feeding needs.
Doug Harding
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Allen Cain
i am working on an industry involving milled corn and/or processed peanuts in 1955 in the South. Could use some help on the concept. |
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Interesting, one photo shows sacks of peanuts being stacked inside a reefer. http://photogrammar.yale.edu/photos/service/pnp/fsa/8b23000/8b23300/8b23385v.jpg Did they need to be refrigerated until they had been roasted or boiled?
Doug Harding www.iowacentralrr.org
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Steve SANDIFER
Sent: Monday, February 1, 2021 9:10 PM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Corn and Peanut Processing and Transportation Industry
http://www.texasdailyphoto.com/2011/06/woldert-peanut-mill.html http://photogrammar.yale.edu/search/results.php?start=0&year_start=1935&month_start=0&year_stop=1945&month_stop=12&van=CPeanuts A peanut mill is still in operation in Comanche, TX and is rail served. J. Stephen Sandifer
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Douglas Harding
In 1955, boxcars. While covered hoppers existed in the 50s, they were used for cement, carbon black, and other heavy commodities that had to be kept dry. In the 60s when larger covered hoppers were permitted, grain hoppers were designed and put into use. But in 1955 boxcars were the norm for shipping grains.
I don’t know about peanuts, but in the 50s a machine called a corn sheller was used to remove kernels from the cobs. Combines do that today, but didn’t come into wide spread use until the late 50s and 60s. Until then corn pickers were the norm, and they picked eared corn. The farmer often stored eared corn in open air corn cribs. Or the farmer hired someone who had a sheller to come and shell the corn so it could be stored in a sealed bin, ie a Butler bin. I believe grain elevators also owned corn shellers and could shell the corn as it was brought in for storage or sale, for a processing fee.
Corn cobs had many uses. On the farm they might be used in the outhouse, to start a fire, or even for livestock bedding. They are absorbent and also abrasive. Commercial uses include cosmetic industry. Light sand blasting, animal feed. Furfural and xylose are two chemicals derived from corncobs.
Any of the Walthers buildings will work for corn. And perhaps for peanuts. The Feed mill was typically a place that would receive whole grains and additives, then grind the grain with the additives to make feed sold to local livestock raisers. A feed mill would also sell salt and mineral blocks and other animal feeding needs.
Doug Harding
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Allen Cain
i am working on an industry involving milled corn and/or processed peanuts in 1955 in the South. Could use some help on the concept. |
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np328
Of the boxcar / covered hopper question, of the 1955 era, I will side with Doug on boxcars.
All AFE's for my researched railroad prior to, I will say the 1960s, had the justifications for covered hopper purchases tied into specific industries and so closed loop travels. Other may differ for their railroad. Jim Dick - Roseville, MN |
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Garth Groff and Sally Sanford <mallardlodge1000@...>
Allen, Back in the early 1980s when I first came to Virginia I made some jaunts to Suffolk, one of Virginia's main peanut processing centers. The buildings I remember were mostly large early 20th century brick structures. I've attached some photos of the Norfolk, Franklin & Danville (N&W) equipment there which shows some of what I think are peanut plants in the background. I just did a search for "Peanut Suffolk Virginia images" and came up with a number of photos of the processing plants there (as well as a whole lot of extraneous garbage images). I also looked at Google maps for Suffolk. I found Birdsong Peanuts is still in business in what might be a 1950s-era plant, though this is not like the nifty brick buildings in my photos. Planters is there, but it is a sprawling modern tilt-up factory. The Lummis building, which might have been a peanut processor, is also still there, but now shuttered. It seems to be the only large brick building left. You might want to check the Sanborn maps to see how this area, or other peanut processing centers, looked years ago. In your 1955 era, peanuts would likely have been shipped raw and in bulk using boxcars from rural collection centers, smaller versions of the Birdsong factory. A few I've seen were large corrugated steel buildings with silos. Peanuts would have been dried at places like Suffolk while still in the shell. Then some would have been packed for sale in with their shells, while others were further processed to remove the shells and inner skins, then roasted before being packaged/bagged for wholesale or retail sale. Yours Aye, Garth Groff 🦆 On Mon, Feb 1, 2021 at 6:40 PM Allen Cain <Allencaintn@...> wrote: i am working on an industry involving milled corn and/or processed peanuts in 1955 in the South. Could use some help on the concept. 
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Doug,
Raw, unshelled peanuts are best stored in cool, dry place. They keep longer in the refrigerator and even longer in the freezer than at room temperature.
How do I know that? I googled "storage of raw peanuts" 😉
Regards,
Bruce Smith
Auburn, Al
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> on behalf of Douglas Harding <iowacentralrr@...>
Sent: Monday, February 1, 2021 10:22 PM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Corn and Peanut Processing and Transportation Industry Interesting, one photo shows sacks of peanuts being stacked inside a reefer. http://photogrammar.yale.edu/photos/service/pnp/fsa/8b23000/8b23300/8b23385v.jpg Did they need to be refrigerated until they had been roasted or boiled?
Doug Harding www.iowacentralrr.org
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Thanks Bruce. I enjoy eating roasted peanuts, but know very little about the process of getting them to my table.
Doug Harding www.iowacentralrr.org
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Bruce Smith
Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 6:45 AM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Corn and Peanut Processing and Transportation Industry
Doug,
Raw, unshelled peanuts are best stored in cool, dry place. They keep longer in the refrigerator and even longer in the freezer than at room temperature.
How do I know that? I googled "storage of raw peanuts" 😉
Regards, Bruce Smith Auburn, Al
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> on behalf of Douglas Harding <iowacentralrr@...>
Interesting, one photo shows sacks of peanuts being stacked inside a reefer. http://photogrammar.yale.edu/photos/service/pnp/fsa/8b23000/8b23300/8b23385v.jpg Did they need to be refrigerated until they had been roasted or boiled?
Doug Harding
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I lived outside of Enterprise, AL for a while in the early 1970's. Although not the 1955 timeframe we are talking about here, this is what I remember. There were peanut fields all around us. Enterprise is the location of the Boll Weevil monument, celebrating when the cotton industry was destroyed by the pest and the local farmers switched to peanuts for their main crop. Nearby Dothan is the home of the Peanut Festival each (normal) year.
The farmers would harvest the peanuts in the fall into tractor-pulled wagons, which were towed directly from the fields to the local farmers' peanut co-op, where they were shelled, dried and stored in bulk until they were transported to a processing plant in bottom-dump tractor trailers. The shells were used for animal bedding, garden mulch or were burned to dry the peanuts. I can't remember for sure, but think that most of the peanuts went to a peanut butter processor in Dothan (Skippy's or Peter Pan, I can't remember which, but a big one). From there, they would travel to grocery chain warehouses all over the country in insulated boxcars or dry van tractor trailers. Note that 99% of the processing was done locally in the co-ops and the peanut butter plant within 30 miles or so of Dothan. Roasted peanuts in the shell or boiled peanuts were sold by the farmers kids in roadside stands all over the place. That's what I remember from 50 years ago. |
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I said it was 50 years ago, so my memory is not the greatest. But, now that I think about it, I believe the peanut harvest was a two-step process. First the farmer would plow up the peanuts, which grow underground, and let them dry for a while in the sun. Then they would come by with something akin to a combine and it would separate the peanuts from the plants and roots and fill a wagon full of the peanuts, leaving the rest on the ground as mulch for next year's crop.
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David Wiggs
When I was
stationed in Norfolk in the early 70s and would head home to NC, I'd take US13
through Suffolk and would sometimes take the alternate and turn left on Factory
St. I always thought it was so cool for that street to go between these
huge buildings with RR tracks between them to the right. Always thought
what a great RR scene that would be to model. I'm sure that's where your
pictures were taken.
Davo in
Orlando |
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