Lake Maxinkuckee Its Intrigue History & Genealogy Culver, Marshall, Indiana

Farm Bureau Co-op  



This is just a start - more research on this is needed. Clicking on the images will allow a larger view.

Dillon & Castleman

1894 - James Castselman, who has been a guard at the Michigan City prison for sometime and who resigned on accounty of ill health, has returned to Marmont, and has entered into partnership with Mr. Cass Dillon, they having leased the elevator of H. G. Thayer & Son, and will continue the business at the old stand. The farmers will be glad to see Jim's smiling face again.

1896 - Dillon & Castleman have closed the elevator and will try no more grain at this place -

Thayer Eleavator



Marmont Grain Elevator - H. G. Thayer & Son., 1897


James Castleman has leased the H. G. Thayer & Son’s elevator in this city for the term of two years, and will in the very near future be ready to buy all kinds of grain. He will also keep constantly on hand, feed of every description, and deal in hard and soft coal, salt, seeds, flour, etc 1897


1897, Nov. 16 An ad appearing in that issue of the Herald


1898 - Aug 26 - Mr. J. Castleman, of the Culver grain elevator, has paid upwards of $30,000 to the farmers of this vicinity during the past year

Dillon & Castleman

1903 - 190_ Dillon & Castleman
    9 Jul 1903
    The Elevator Opens

    Farmers can now bring their grain to Culver and receive the highest market price for it. Dillon & Castleman have opened the Thayer elevator and are paying seventy cents per bushel for No. _ Wheat, thirty-three cents for oats and forty-five cents for rye. They have just received a car load of corn and will always keep a big supply on hand. See market reports in another edition.


1904 - May 12 - The elevator is now closed. Arthur Castleman has accepted a position with he St. Louis Hay and Grain Co.. and will leave for his work in several weeks

1905 - Jun 9 - Medbourn and Dillion are repairing the elevator and putting it in the best condition possible. If indications do no fail, we will have a magnificent crop of wheat, the bulk of which should be marketed here

1905 - Aug. 10 - The elevatior at Culver is open for buisness. We are prepared to handle all kinds of grain for which we will pay the highest market price. - Dillon & Medbourn

1906 - Apr. 26 - Office Burglarized
    Dillon & Medbourn's office at the elevator was broken into on Sunday night, but no loss of ptoperty followed the robbery

    Two men, wearing rubbers, did the job as was evidenced by the tracks left in the sand. Doubtless they were strangers as the firm has no safe and leaves no money in the office overnight.

    The front door of the office was burst open by the aid of some tools which had been stolen from the tool house at the depot.



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    The above building can be dated back to 1906 and as late as 1924 per the Sanborn maps below; it seems the south part was partially gone by the 1914 Sanborn map and by 1924 the south section seems to have been removed

    to the left can be seen the Kreuzberger building; some store tops and one of the steamboats of the lake.


1906 - Dillon & Medbourn Grain Elevator - The Area per the Sanborn Fire Map. /a>

S. E. Medbourn and son

1906 - Dec 22 - from 20 year ago column - The Culver City Grain and Coal Co. is the title of the new firm of S. E. Medbourn and son, who are now conducting the eleavator.

Harry Medbourn the son, who is thus entering a business career is one of Culver's promising young men. During the summer he has bee an efficient aid to Capt. McCoy at the Lake View Hotel, showing good business qualifications and an enterprising dispoistion

A view of E. Jefferson Street about 1908-1910; there seems at this time no visible "Grain elevaors"


1908 - Samuel Medborn Out Lot Ice House
    The Ice House with no chanel shown
    Elea(vator)


1908 - Jul 16 - The Medbourn Elevator has added to its facilities a new dump with a capacity of 400 bushels, 100 feet of driveway, and a new scales.

1908 - Nov. 5 - Among the many improvments at the Medbourn elevator this season that of the painting the big structure is noticeable and pleasing

1909 - Apr 22 - Medbourn is putting up a storehouse for lime and cement on the sidetrack at the elevator.

1909 - October 21, - Medbourn is erecting a corn crib which will be 12 feet wide and upwards of to 90 feet long at the elevator

1912 - Apr 18 Will Build Storehosues
    The Culver City Grain and Coal Company is erecting two storehouses one 20x50 ft. for flour, and one 20x40 ft. for feed.


    The company has the agency for this territory for the Plymouth flouring mill and the 500 barrell capacity of the storehouse will enable it to keep a good stock on hand.


Hawkins, Ezra Hawkins

1912 June 6 — A New Deal At Elevator
    One of the most extensive changes which have taken place here in late years is the sale of the grain, coal, flour and cement business of S. E. Medbourn and Son to Erza Hawkins. The transfer was made last Monday and Mr. Hawkins is in possession with his son, Fred, as office assistant...

    The senior Medbourn ... took on the grain and coal business in 1905. The latter branches have also grown until the combined interests have become to large for one man to look after, even with the efficient help which he has had in the persons of Arthut Castleman, Charles Medbourn and Harry Medbourn... Arthur Castleman severes his connections with the company...


1912 June 20 - Ray Marshall has taken an interest with his father-in-law, Ezra Hawkins, in the Culver City Grain & Coal Co. Meantime, he will continue his duties as right hand man to Major Greiner in the commandant's office at the Academy until his successor is Appointed

1913 - Aug. 14 - Castleman & Williamson has taken over the elevator on a years lease. Hawkins & Marshall will continue the buisness

Castleman-Williamson Co.

1913 - Aug. 14 - Notice - We wish to call the attention of our patrons to the fact that we have leased our elevator and turned over all our buisness, with the exception of coal and wood, to Castleman-Williamson Co. for the period of one year. We will continure to sell coal and wood at the old place. We have retained our old accounts. Hereafter our terms will be cash. Hawkins & Marshall.

1914 - Feb. 19 - Elevator Catches Fire
    The Castleman-Williamson elevator had a narrow escape from destrcution on Saturday forenoon.

    When Arthur Castleman was starting the engine he saw a blaze in the elevatior tower.

    By the time a ladder could be raised and water carried up the timbers supporting that shafting were will a blaze.

    An alarm had been telephoned and the fire bell brought out the fire company - and everybody else who wasn't bedfast.

    The fire had no doubt caught from an overheated journal the day before and had considerately waited until an opportune time before breaking out.


Hawkins & Co., Ezra Hawkins

1914 - Aug. 6 - Elevator Notice - After Aug. 11 the udersigned will occupy the elevator and will pay the highest market price for grain, cowpeas, etc. Hawkins & Co.

1914 - Aug 13 - The Old Elevator - We are now running the old established elevator and paying the highest marker prices for grain. We also handle flour and feed. Culver City Grain and Coal Co. New Phone NO. 248

1914 - Aug 20 - Announcement We had had 22 years of experieince in the grain,coal cement, and seed business and are well qualified to furnish you the very best grades of any material we handle.
    You all know the superior quality of Peninsular Portland cement, Occident flour, Scranton anthracite coal; and also the Kentucky soft coal leads all other coal of anything near the price. You farmers all know we have always been a booster in grain prices. We handle exclusively the Albert Dickenson Co. seeds and such other merchandise as we can use that the handle. Their repuataition needs no recommend for quality. As to cow peas we handled last year near 70,000 bushels. Why? Beause we paid the price and treated the rade right.
We thank you for all past favors and respectfully solicit your continuance, and we are at you command. We are now located in the Onion Storage, Culver, and at the New Eevator at Ober. - Castleman & Co.
1914 Sanborn Map - Culver City Grain & Coal Co.


1916 - Feb. 10 - Ezra Hawkins has concluded to turn his attention to farming, though he does not contemplate at present giving up his mail route. He will offer his elevator and coal business at auction in the near future.

Hawkins, Lloyd Hawkins

1916 - Feb. 17 - Ezra Hawkins has decided not to sell the elevator. It has been rented to Lloyd Hawkins

1919 - Jul 23 An attempt was made Monday night to burn the Hawkins elevator by pouring kerosene on some hay. No damage was done.

Hawkins & Osborn

1921 - June 1, Hawkins and Osborn are installing a coal conveyor at their yard.

1922 - Plat Map. - Hawkins & Osborn

Also shows Sam'l Medbourn Out Lot 1 - and the Sam'l Medborn Ice channel property from Ice houses to the lake.


After the last ice house burnt sometime there after on the lot several steel quonset hut buildings were erected for storage for the grain company.

1924 Sanborn Map - Seems to have reverted back to the name of Culver City Grain & Coal Co.

Medbourn, Harry Medbourn

1929 - May 15 - Harry Medbourn Buys Coal Company of Loyd Hawkins
    The Transaction was completed last Wedensday whereby Harry Medbourn purchased the Culver City Coal & Grain Company of Lloyd Hawkins

    He places to continue the business along the same lines Mr. Hawkins followed during the sixteen years he headed the concern.

    Mr Hawkins makes no announcement of his plans for the future.

    The business of the coal company will be kept separate from that of the Medbourn Ice Company.


1929 - October 11. Another old landmark is passing into the scrap heap with the tearing down of the elevator of the Culver City Grain and Coal Co.

1931 - Sep 23 - Medbourn Installed Feed Grinding Machinery - Harry Medbourn, proprietor of the Culver City Grain & Coal Co., has completed the installation of grindinh and mixing machinery for feeds and grains. Mr. Medbourn has made this improvement so that local farmers can use their own grains and also use their own formula. The new equipment is complete in every way and able to handle all types of feed grinding.

1930's or even 1940's


1934 - 8 Aug. - The office of the Culver Grain & Coal Company has been more than doubled in size by the erection of an addition.

1937 - Feed Mill [no name attached to it on the Sanborn Map]
    Samuel 'Sam' Medbourn ran the ice house nd the mill. Medbourn's employees were Charlie Bush, Ed Hawk, Foster Butler, enneth Bush and Bill Crossgove and sometime Leo Butler. Della mary was the secretary.


1945 - July 14, 1948 A new building is being erected by the Culver City Grain & Coal Co., and when completed will be the highest building in town. It will house a modern feed mill that will furnish farmers top service in every respect. Harry R. and Sam M. Medbourn are the proprietors.


1949 February 9 - An automatic fire siren has been installed in the new elevator of Culver City Grain & Coal Co., giving the large structure a full time "watchman" for detection of fires.

1949 - Feb 23, - Harry Medbourn and Sam Medbourn, proprietors of the Culver Grain and Coal Company announce plans for the grand opening of the recently completed Feed Mill and Elevator. Construction was begun in 1947 and operation of the new plant was inaugurated just recently.

1953 - June 3, - Samuel M. Medbourn, proprietor of the Culver City Grain and Coal Co., has announced that George Phillips has purchased an interest in the long-established firm

1953 - Sep. 30 - A two-alarm fire Monday morning threatened to destroy the Culver City Grain & Coal Company.

1957 - Jan. 30 - JANUARY 30 - One of Culver 's oldest and most successful businesses, the Culver City Grain and Coal Company, is being purchased by the Marshall County Farm Bureau Co-op, effective Feb. 1

Marshall County Farm Bureau Co-Op Association, Inc.

1957 FEBRUARY 13 The Marshall County Farm Bureau Co-Op Association, Inc., litis purchased the Culver City Grain and Coal Company from Samuel Medbourn and George Phillips, co-owners, and have named Maurice Curtis as the new manager of the Culver Branch of the Farm Bureau.

1957,Feb.-1965 - Farm bureau Co-op, Maurice Curtis, Manager

1960 - Marshall County Farm Bureau Co-op - 319 E. Jefferson - VI 2-3450 (Telephone directory listing)

1967 - Co-Op Elevator Feed, Grain & Fertilizer Verne Weiger, Mgr. Culver , Ind. (Telephone directory listing)

1974 - Farm Bureau Co-op 319 E Jefferson - 842-3450 (Telephone directory listing)

1975-1977 - Marshall County Farm Bureau Co-op - 319 E. Jefferson - 842-3450 (Telephone directory listing)

1977 - oct 27 the grain elevator was completely destroyed in a four-alarm blaze which Culver, Monterey, Aubbeenaubbee Township, and Plymouth fire departments fought for hours.

1978 -1980 - Farm Bureau Co-op 319 E Jefferson - 842-3450 (Telephone directory listing)

1979 - Farm Bureau Co-op Under New Management

(Telephone directory listing)
    Culver - As of February 12 the Culver Branch of the Co-op is being managed by Janet Miller. The only woman branch manager in the state of Indiana.

    Janet worked at the Culver Co-op for three years as Assistant Manager then took a leave of absence before the birth of her last son.

    She has been Assistant Manager at the Rochester Branch for the past ten months.

    She is the wife of Robert S. Miller. They have three sons. Cory 12, Christopher 9. and Bobby 3. They reside three miles southwest of Culver.

    Their hours are 8:00 to 5:00 weekdays, 8:00 to 12:00 Saturday. Except during fertilizer and harvest season.

    We are open for business and we are eager to serve.

    A lot of people are under the impression that since the fire there is no longer a Co-op in Culver

    Jan wishes to assure everyone there certainly is one and we’re planning to take care of your needs.

    We don’t only handle fertilizer, grain and feed, there are many things we have or can get within a days notice, tires, batteries, accessories, fence, farm supplies, household appliances, building materials, so many things too numerous to mention.

    Come in or call, you’ll be glad you did. - - 8 Mar. 1979


1988 - Farm Bureau Co-op 319 E Jefferson - 842-3450 (Telephone directory listing)

The way it was before the Cove; the area to the left in the above photo is the location of this property.



All of this area by 1989 or 1990 and more became the Culver Cove -
    The Farm Bureau Co-op property also included what had been the Medbourn Ice House property which had the channel to the lake; for harvesting the ice from the lake on it and this was structurally incorporated into the Culver Cove building running under it to the fountain near the middle of the property. Building started in 1989 with John J. Deery and others; and and hit troubled times. Charles Edgington and a group of people picked up the pieces and finished it in 1990 and 1991; and possibly into 2000. And trouble times hit several more times and after fully constructed.