The Abandoned Ross Grain Elevator In Iowa Is A Giant Castle On The Prairie

An incredible piece of Iowa's agricultural history can be seen in Audubon County. The Ross Grain Elevator was abandoned 50 years ago after more than a century of use. It was an outdated structure and farmers no longer needed it to get their grain to market.

Time, vandalism and neglect almost caused this storied structure to fall. But local efforts are helping make sure that doesn't happen. So why do some people think this grain elevator is worth saving, even though it's now sitting empty? See why below.

The elevator was built in 1881 next to the now-abandoned Chicago and Northwestern Railroad. Farmers used to bring wagonloads of grain here so it all could be shipped by railroad to market.

It's the oldest wooden grain elevator in the area and it might be the oldest in Iowa. The elevator is huge and can be seen for miles. It's 70 feet tall, the equivalent of 7 stories.

The Bob Nelson family purchased the elevator in 2014 and it was almost too late. The elevator was fighting a losing battle with time. A railroad depot and stockyard had already disappeared. Raccoons had moved in.

The damage was extensive. The foundation was crumbling, boards were rotting and vandals had been here. Many would have simply burned the building down - it could have provided practice for local firefighters.

The firefighters will have to burn down something else. A fundraising campaign helped with repairs and the building in 2019 was named to the National Register of Historic Places.

With repairs complete, the elevator stands proudly in Ross, as if it's just waiting for some loads of grain to arrive. It will likely be here another 100 years.

Ross is an unincorporated community about 90 minutes west of Des Moines. Iowa is filled with a lot of unusual historical sites. Here are 12 more things you didn't know about the history of Iowa.