Presentation set for April 30 in New York Mills

By Tucker Henderson

Reporter

Those who drive around the rural countryside, especially in the midwest, are sure to have seen their fair share of abandoned farmsteads and rundown buildings of yesteryear. It’s exactly along that line of reminiscing that author and photographer Jay Grammond will be presenting on this Thursday, April 30 at 1 p.m. at the New York Mills Public Library.

Grammond’s presentation is titled “Ghost Signs and Grain Bins: A look at Minnesota’s farming heritage” and will highlight the agricultural past of the state as well as the many remnants of the advertisements that went along with it. From grain elevators to homestead bins and silos, there is rich history behind the farming staples at which most people neglect to take a second glance.

This presentation was inspired by Grammond’s book “Fading Ads of the Twin Cities” which he published in 2022 and was then asked to prepare a presentation on the topic. Along with these agriculture ads in the Twin Cities, he has always had an eye for spotting these cultural icons in his travels.

“The book opens with featured agricultural related ads in the warehouse district and an area called ‘the Loop’ neighborhood,” said Grammond. “You might be surprised by just how many agricultural ghost signs there are down in that area. My interest in these things come from growing up in a small rural farming community and from the many times I spent visiting my grandparents in southeast North Dakota.

“I think that exploring farming heritage is important because it was crucial to the development of our state via several immigrant groups of pioneer settlers,” he continued, “The development of winter hardy crops to help people survived, as well as the development of the diversification of crops, the use of trade networks in the early days, and in the feeding of the nation and eventually, the world.”

Grammond is always on the lookout for old agricultural advertisements, as well as abandoned old buildings along Minnesota’s countryside. He imagines what the sites must have looked like in their heydays and often will stop to take a photograph and capture the scene along the way.

“When I am traveling throughout rural Minnesota, the first thing I look for is the grain elevator,” he said. “I look at the old ones and think of the work that went into building them; how they are tied to the railroads, how they were the heartbeat of town. I also look at the new more modern grain elevators and marvel at their size and the technology they use.

“I love to look at the old buildings and discover old metal advertising signage,” he continued. “Another thing that I love to do is look at farmsteads whether they are abandoned or are still in operation. I enjoy looking at barns and outbuildings, the farm house, the wind mills, all of it. I like to imagine all the life that once went on at the abandoned farmstead—clothes on the line, kids in the yard, animals all around, tractors and equipment in the fields and the yard.”

Along with the historical and scenic aspect of finding these old agricultural sites and capturing both their past and present, Grammond finds their present condition—whether abandoned and decaying, or even those few still in use—to still serve a purpose, dotting Minnesota’s horizon.

“I think that it is very important to remember and to learn about our agricultural history,” he said. “See how it has developed, recognize the hard times and the good times, and to look at today’s farm industry and how it has evolved and built off the base that the pioneering farmers set up. It is also important to mention the farm family and its hard work and dedication and in many instances, legacies passed down through the decades as evidenced by all of the Century Farms we have in Minnesota.”

This event is free and open to all. Preregistration is encouraged by calling the NY Mills Library at (218) 385-2436 or visiting their website at www.nympubliclibrary.org.