Concrete Silo, 1914

01

Artifact Overview

Silos were developed in the 1870s as a way to preserve feed crops for dairy cattle and other livestock, in an air-tight environment. Early silos were built of stone, brick or wood. In 1909, Hiram Smith of Paw Paw, Michigan, developed an innovative technique of building silos, such as this, like a barrel, with concrete staves and steel cables.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Silo (Agricultural structure)

Date Made

1914

Creator Notes

Manufactured by Smith Silo Company based on a patented design by Hiram A. Smith of Paw Paw, Michigan.

Location

at Henry Ford Museum in Agriculture

Object ID

76.16.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Smith Silo Company.

Material

Concrete
Steel (Alloy)
Pine (Wood)

Dimensions

Height: 15 ft
Diameter: 12 ft

Inscriptions

SMITH SILO CO. OXFORD MICH
02

Related Content

  • Ford Experimental Lightweight Tractor, circa 1907
    Set

    Curators' Choice: Agriculture & the Environment

    • 24 Artifacts
    Calling it his "automotive plow," Henry Ford had Joseph Galamb and C.J. Smith construct this experimental machine. It is powered by a 1905 Ford Model B engine with copper water jackets. This tractor represents either the first or, more probably, the second of several experimental lightweight tractor designs which culminated in the production of the Fordson tractor for U.S. markets in 1918.