Prairie Sentinels – Kirkpatrick Alberta

Silently standing vigil for almost ninety years, the lonely grain elevator at Kirkpatrick Alberta is a survivor. It outlasted the rail line it used to sit along and has endured while so many other wooden elevators on the prairies have fallen. Privately owned, this is no doubt the reason why it’s still here.

Located in the Red Deer River valley just west of Drumheller, it’s right next to the highway and can not be missed. Looming over the passing traffic, it’s doubtful many people give it much thought. We did though.

Sitting next to the long abandoned rail line that used to serve it, it’s been here since 1924. Originally built for the Alberta Pacific Grain Company, over the years it changed hands a few times (as grain elevators often do), as a result of mergers. In the 1960s it was owned by the Federal Grain Company until that organization was acquired by the Alberta Wheat Pool in in 1972 – Federal had elevators outside of Alberta too and these were taken over by the Saskatchewan and Manitoba Pools respectively.

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Closed in the early 1980s it was later bought by Andrew Farms who it’s assumed uses it for grain storage. This and this alone must account for the reason it still stands and normally the grain companies were quick to demolish them when they were no longer of any use.

The rail line here was the CPR’s former Langdon Subdivision which ran from its namesake town near Calgary to the coal mining community of East Coulee, with further connections east. This section came through in 1921 and Kirkpatrick remained the end of steel for a few years, with construction not commencing again until 1924. Why there was this long pause in construction is a bit of a mystery.

For many decades the railway was a busy place and lots of trains would pass by here laden with grain or coal from one of the many mines that dotted the valley. The market for the latter dried up in the 1950s, although a few mines hung on for another decade or two. With the loss of that traffic there was not enough grain moving to warrant continued use of the line and so this section was unceremoniously abandoned and pulled up in the early 1980s.

The railway paralleled the road here, although little evidence of it can be seen. Not long after (if heading westbound), the old rail bed takes a sharp bend and disappears up a side valley.

Rules of exploration: show respect, don’t trespass and take only pictures.

It’s not known if Kirkpatrick was ever a town or if was just a siding and grain elevator. Based upon research so far the latter seems to be the more likely answer. Of course there may have been a post office in the area and I am sure a couple houses or farms nearby but as far as being a town, with streets and businesses I have to doubt that. With that being said, if there was anything else here, there is no evidence of it today.

This was the only grain elevator ever built in Kirkpatrick. Based on old (undated) pictures seen by this author, at one time it had a annex on its east side. It’s not clear when it was added or removed.

At the base of the elevator is a cross and memorial and sadly, I guess that means someone died there. A hard hat is placed near the cross and so we assume the person who perished here was some kind of construction or oil worker.

Near here is the old Commander Coal Mine and to read about it, click below…
Commander Mine Nacmine.

Along this same old rail line there are two other grain elevators still standing and to read about them, click the links below…
Sharples Alberta Ghost Town.
Dorothy Alberta.

If you wish more information about this place, by all means contact us!

Date: May, 2013.
Location: Kirkpatrick, AB.

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Kirkpatrick AB grain elevator

The grain elevator at Kirkpatrick was built in the mid 1920s.

Kirkpatrick Alberta elevator

Unfortunately, I guess someone died here.

Kirkpatrick grain elevator

I am standing on the old rail bed here. The railway came through in 1921 and was pulled up by the early 1980s.

Kirkpatrick elevator

By the time it closed, it was owned by the Alberta Wheat Pool.

15 responses

  1. Scott says:

    The memorial cross is for Andrew Patterson who died there in an accident in September of 2005. Andrew was a hard working and likeable young man who was working on his electrical apprenticeship. Coincidentally Andrew was related to the Andrews that own the elevator.

  2. Corinna says:

    My father was the elevator manager in the last 60’s early 70’s. We lived in the company house across the road. Lots of great memories, the Andrew’s family owned the farm “next door” I remember crawling over every inch of the elevator, including the terrifying stairs to the second level.
    The pictures are missing a few additions I remember from the old days.

    • Wow, cool memories. The journey to the top by ladder is not for the timid. We’ve not done it, but have been witness to others who have at various elevators we’ve visited.

  3. BadMike says:

    Drove out there yesterday and stopped briefly at the grain elevator. Then made our way to Dunphy. SOme lonely and beautiful places along the Drumheller valley.

  4. Jenn says:

    I saw this elevator for the first time a couple days ago, I wanted to find out more about it and what do you know, my fave duo did all the research already!! It’s a lovely spot. Thanks BigDoer!!

    • Love that setting, in the valley there. Nice vator. And glad our research is of help. We love digging deep and getting to know about the subjects we cover.

  5. Thanks so much for writing about this old grain elevator. My daughter and I stopped to take photos of it on the way into Drumheller four days ago. Also, finally got to see the beautiful old elevator and barn at Sharples. Have you written, by any chance, about the very distant, old, two-storey house in the rolling hills along H’way 21, just before reaching 575, just NE of Entice? I expect you have : )

    • A nice elevator! Sharples is wonderful too. Can’t get enough of the place. Yes, we did visit that house. Amazing location, very scenic.

  6. Hans Schoendorfer says:

    There’s a left turn off this road just north of this elevator up a ravine (Rg Rd 211A). Thereby resides the Dunphy cemetary-tiny and invisible save a sign. 12 graves. All that’s left of old Dunphy.

  7. Attrell says:

    Interesting!

  8. Kerry B says:

    I’ve driven past this elevator a million times but never really really gave it much thought. Knowing its history now I’ll look at it in a whole different light. Thanks, you wrote a great article! Nice pictures too.

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