history 101

I have been working all week on a story for the local newspaper...

(the place that I go everyday and pretend to be a reporter)

 about this historical elevator which remains standing tall to this day.

The structure sits on the right-of-way of the state-owned railroad line

 and the owner has been ordered to remove it.

It has recently been added to the National Register of Historic Places

 and of course the register dictates that it can't be torn down.

It was known as the O.G. Bradshaw Grain Elevator and was built in 1908.

And what a colorful family the Bradshaw's have proven to be as I looked up old records

 and interviewed people that knew them when.

The two daughters were still living together in the family home when we moved to town.

 It was a  grand old three story house across the street from us.

These two sisters were over-educated and crotchety old ladies.

(I would have loved to write that in my story! ha)

I'm told only one of them ever married and was married one day before it was annulled.

Their mother was a society lady who held lavish bridge parties

 pulling out all the sterling silver, china and linens.

The old man worked to keep his wife and daughters in fine things.

He was always covered in grain dust and smoked a cigar...

which he would put on the grain scale to tip it in his favor.

Of course my news story is much longer with all the

blah blah blah details...

but I've given you a short history lesson here.

b