Dublin Core
Title
John Ball & Co., Produce Elevator
Description
Number 45 on the Burleigh map, the firm alongside the Erie Railroad dates to 1892 when John Ball (1855-1936) formed a partnership with his younger brother Thomas--who had been a principal in the firm of Ball & Donahue. Eventually their facility came to encompass a grain elevator, a bean dryer, a mill, and facilities for processing coal delivered by the railroad.
Beneath this skeletal history are hints of the catastrophes routinely faced by merchants in an era before modern fire-resistant architecture and alarm systems. After commencing operations in 1891, a fire in 1896 destroyed Ball's structure. It was the third major Caledonia fire in six years. The "Advertiser" sardonically recommended that the village "ought to erect a great big portable grand-stand on wheels, so that when a fire occurs the spectators might have comfortable seats" (8 Oct. 1896). Ball's losses were estimated to be at least $15,000, yet two weeks later he already was consulting with a Buffalo architect for a new and "far better" elevator (Caledonia "Advertiser" 22 Oct. 1896).
In 1910, the firm constructed a "modern concrete coal shed"--presumably more fireproof than its earlier version. These various advertisements show the company's gradual shift from agriculture to energy, from coal to oil delivery.
Beneath this skeletal history are hints of the catastrophes routinely faced by merchants in an era before modern fire-resistant architecture and alarm systems. After commencing operations in 1891, a fire in 1896 destroyed Ball's structure. It was the third major Caledonia fire in six years. The "Advertiser" sardonically recommended that the village "ought to erect a great big portable grand-stand on wheels, so that when a fire occurs the spectators might have comfortable seats" (8 Oct. 1896). Ball's losses were estimated to be at least $15,000, yet two weeks later he already was consulting with a Buffalo architect for a new and "far better" elevator (Caledonia "Advertiser" 22 Oct. 1896).
In 1910, the firm constructed a "modern concrete coal shed"--presumably more fireproof than its earlier version. These various advertisements show the company's gradual shift from agriculture to energy, from coal to oil delivery.
Publisher
Caledonia Advertiser
Date
1. 1918-05-23
2. 1935-10-24
3. 1953-08-06
2. 1935-10-24
3. 1953-08-06
Contributor
Cooper, Ken
Source
Courtesy of Tom Tryniski / Fulton History
Format
1. jpeg, 474 KB
2. jpeg, 295 KB
3. jpeg, 324 KB
2. jpeg, 295 KB
3. jpeg, 324 KB
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Newspaper advertisements