The prosperous farmers of central Illinois built these sturdy concrete block graneries for storing ear corn. Before electrically powered fans carried away moisture, heat often created spontaneous combustion, with disastrous results, to stored grain or hay. These graneries, with their open work and roof vents in the cupola allowed air to circulate.

This corncrib could store 7,000 bushels of corn from a harvest of 140 acres.

A testament to the sturdiness of these corncribs is that one was photographed, apparantly in good order, for this essay.

D. Gorton photograph of similar structure in 2000

Magazines like Successful Farming promotes progressive agriculture
Corncrib of concrete blocks, Gibson City, Illinois (outskirts) Carl Mydan, 1936 FSA/OWI, Library of Congress.
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