Being a carpenter by trade, I often find myself in the old Wirthmore Feeds grain elevator at Tedfords Lumber, which is where they vertically store finish lumber.

The building had a long history of use by several businesses for grain storage including Wirthmore Feeds, William G. Horton, C.M. Jewett @ Co., and Chaplain’s Grain Storage. It was moved from its original location near the Town Wharf and the top section was added at the new location at Brown Square. It also survived a monstrous fire that destroyed Canney Lumber and the Burke Heel Factory fire in June of 1933.

Credit for several of the black and white photos below goes to William G. Varrell and his books “Ipswich” and “Ipswich Revisited.”

The old grain elevator at Tedfords Lumber on Brown Square

This system of pulleys was used to transport grain and flour in the building

The grain elevator is in the upper left corner in this old photo, with the Burke Heel Factory in the background.

The grain elevator was known as William G. Horton Grain, Flower and Feed in the 1930’s. Between it and the Burke Heel Factory was Canney Lumber, which was destroyed in the 1933 fire. The grain elevator was apparently unharmed.

BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM G. HORTON— To the rural interests in the vicinity of Ipswich, Massachusetts, the name of William G. Horton stands, in a business sense, for supplies of a high quality which meet the requirements of the agriculturist and stock grower.

Mr. Horton was born in Ipswich on January 14, 1857, and is a son of Joseph and Lucy (Robinson) Horton. He received a thorough grounding in the essentials of  education at the public schools of the town, then, when a very young lad, even before leaving school, worked as a helper around the farm. Continuing thus until seventeen years of age, he then branched out for himself in an independent business along the line of hay and grain. Beginning in a small way, he developed the business and broadened its scope until for years he has been one of the leaders in this field of mercantile endeavor, taking care of many of the needs of the farmer, including fertilizers and seeds, farming tools of various kinds and the supplies always in demand by poultrymen.

While interested in every phase of public progress, Mr. Horton takes an active part in few matters outside his business, but has for a number of years been a director of the Ipswich Savings Bank. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and attends the South Congregational Church. Mr. Horton married Caroline Burnham, daughter of Foster and Helen Burnham.

C.M. Jewett and Co  preceded William g. Horton in using the building as a grain silo. A chute on the back of the building loaded grain directly from railroad cars seen in the background on the left.

The grain elevator was originally located on Water St., near Brown’s Wharf, and is the tall three-story building in this photo taken from near the Green Street bridge. Some time before the Twentieth Century the building was moved through town to  a location near the tracks at Brown Square and was converted to become Chaplin’s grain storage.

Tedford and Martin Lumber

Tedford’s Lumber on Brown  Square got its start in 1946 when James Tedford Sr. and Bill Martin, just back from the Navy, took a portable sawmill into the woods along Linebrook and Topsfield Roads to cut timber. That winter was very tough, and the next year they decided to open a lumber yard on Brown Square, which been in business for almost 70 year, now continuing operations with new owners. Photos below are from their sawmill operation.

Tedford and Martin opened their lumberyard on Brown Square in 1947