Winsor Grain Elevators

Column sent to Frederick Leader and Frederick Press

June 16, 2009

A.D. Winsor Grain Elevator in Frederick, 1916

A.D. Winsor Elevator in Manitou, 1916

A.D. Winsor office in Frederick, 1916

Winsor Grain Elevators were located at Frederick, Hollister, Loveland, Manitou and Burt’s Spur

Agriculture built Tillman County. It was farmland that drew residents when most of the area was opened for settlement in 1901, and agriculture was immediately the driving force of Tillman County’s economy.

 One of the early business enterprises that was established to market farm crops was that of A.D. Winsor. A Frederick newspaper article from 1916 describes the extensive Winsor operation.

“The firm of A.D. Winsor is classed as one of the most extensive handlers of grain in the southwest. This firm shipped form Tillman county alone this last year over 400 cars of grain. This was all purchased from the farmers who hauled the grain to the elevators at Manitou, Hollister, Frederick and Loveland. Mr. Winsor is in charge of the elevator ad buying station at Frederick, while competent men are in charge of the elevators in the other towns. This firm takes special interest in the farmers. It keeps in close touch with the markets at all hours of the day and is able to tell the farmers just exactly what the products are worth. It is the confidence that Mr. Winsor has built up among the farmers by always being attentive to their interests that is responsible, in a large measure, for the large patronage which this firm enjoys at all the elevators which it operates.”

“ Mr. Winsor has an extensive feed business in connection with his grain buying business and supplies a large per cent of the feed used in Frederick and surrounding territory.

“In addition to the feed business, coal is handled by A.D. Winsor. Coal of all grades and classes is carried in large quantities and the fact that Mr. Winsor buys his coal in such large quantities makes it possible for him to give better prices to the consumers than the dealer who handles coal in small lots.

“Mr. Winsor is classed among the most extensive shippers in Tillman county. His shipments of grain, his receiving of coal shipments and the shipment of other commodities which he handles make him an important factor in the building up of the shipping records in and out of Frederick and Tillman county.

“Mr. Winsor came to Oklahoma from Kansas shortly after the opening and filed on a claim, which he still retains, near the edge of the city. This homestead, 160 acres, is today classed as one of the best pieces of property in the county. He has built on this piece of property an elegant country home. Mr. Winsor is justly proud of his farm and keeps it well cared for.

“He established his grain buying business and other business interests about ten years ago. At the time of starting he invested about $5,000, but since that time the growth of his business and the natural progress that it was necessary for him to make to keep pace with the progress that the city was making, forced him to add to his business, until today it is estimated in value at about $25,000, which is a growth in keeping with the general progress that has been made in this new country in the short period of about 15 years.

“In 1915 Mr. Winsor decided to branch out in business and procured an elevator at Manitou. The Manitou elevator has been a paying proposition since its installation and has also been of vast benefit to the north end of the county, in that it provided a place for the farmers to handle their grain without making long hauls with their products to other grain buying stations. The capacity of the elevator at Manitou is about 8,000 bushels, which is sufficient to take care of all the grain in that part of the county, as Mr. Winsor does not make a practice of holding grain for any great lengths of time.

“The Loveland elevator, while a small affair, having a capacity of about 2,000 bushels, figures prominently in the grain business in that part of the county. The business at Loveland was also established last year and has proved a profitable one.

“Mr. Winsor is also associated in the grain buying business with J.E. Hines at Hollister. There is a large plant at Hollister which takes care of the majority of the grain that is brought into that town.

“The elevator at Frederick is the largest operated by Mr. Winsor. It has a capacity of about 11,000 bushels and is operated to a capacity business throughout the grain season in a good year. It is equipped with the most modern and up-to-date machinery. Mr. Winsor, during the summer months, will erect a 9,000-bushel elevator at the point on the Northwestern known as Burt’s switch. This will be a modern plant and will be ready for operation by the time of the grain buying season. D.H. Sims, who has been bookkeeper for several years, will have an interest in this plant.

“Taken all in all, there is probably not a more extensive handler of grain in Tillman county than Mr. Winsor and he will class with the heaviest buyers in the southwest.”