CORN CRIBS

Although corn cribs had been reported as needed as early as 1859, it was 1871 before the first ones were erected as an addition to the Farm Barn. (See description under Cattle Barn). A request to the legislature for $1,200 for “swine houses, corn cribs, and fowlhouses” was made in 1874, but it was 1880 before an appropriation was made. In May of that year F.S. Whiting was awarded the contract to erect corn cribs for $275.¹ The work was accepted in November 1880. The exact location is uncertain, but it is thought to have been about where the Power Plant is now.

The corn-cribs (and swine houses) were destroyed by fire in 1885 and $2,000 was requested for replacements. The records do not show whether they were rebuilt but it is reasonable to assume that they were.

It was 1914 before Minutes of the Board of Education show a new corn crib. The tile for the structure was contributed. This corn crib was located about at the northwest corner of today’s Physical Plant Shops and Central Stores Building. A photograph of that area taken prior to the burning of the Experiment Station Barn (Oct. 1922) shows no structure at the location shown on the 1921 map and identified as a “corncrib”, which means it was razed prior to that date.

In August 1920 “The question of installing of motor and electric service for elevator and corn crib located north of the feeding sheds and belonging to the Animal Husbandry sect. of the Ag. Exp. Station, is referred to the President of the College with power to act.”

A Corn Crib and Granary is shown for the first time on the list of buildings in the 1922 Financial Report and is there identified as being north of the Experiment Station Barn. It was eliminated from the list in 1933.