HISTORY VIEW
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The Grange Silos
Comic Book Creators Gather for the 10 Year Anniversary of Invincible Comics
By Harrison Power @historyharrison
Towering above drivers along Highway 99 and locals alike for nearly 80 years are the Modesto Silos, the former Grange Company grain elevator which has recently been repurposed and reimagined into a restaurant, cafe, bar, and venue. The structure is well-recognized in the Modesto skyline and serves as a concrete reminder and monument to the area’s deep roots in agricultural production. Just one piece of what was a larger feed mill and processing plant for the Grange Company between North 9th Street and Madonia Avenue, the Silos represented the most modern grain storage and handling when they were dedicated on April 30th, 1947. The Grange Company, founded in 1874 and originally based in Downtown Modesto, relocated its mill to Ninth Street and Tully Road by 1928. A new office at 1874 Ninth Street was completed in 1938 and a warehouse along Madonia Avenue was built in 1939. As production increased, additional storage and handling capacity necessitated additional equipment and facilities. The Grange Company in November 1946 announced plans for a new $75,000 grain elevator with approval from the Civilian Production Administration, which noted the project as essential infrastructure to increase food production as the domestic economy transitioned to peacetime operations following World War II. The scope of the project increased to $150,000 by December 1946 when plans for expanded rail spurs and a grain conveyor over Madonia Avenue to connect to the feed mill were added into the facility expansion. Designed and built by Burton F. Dinsmore of Alhambra to hold a combined storage capacity of 200,000 bushels of bulk grain, the poured concrete and steel structure was connected to the feed mill by a 275-feet auger conveyor. Construction methods were unique to complete the towering structure of 142 feet at its highest point, as a total of 98 jacks on steel posts were utilized which held platforms that supported the concrete forms, equipment, and the crew. The jacks would raise the platform and concrete forms as each poured section was completed. When construction was finished, the strucFOLLOW US:
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ture consisted of 3,000 cubic feet of cement supported by 175 tons of steel reinforcement. Just five months after the project was announced, the Grange Company held the dedication for its new grain elevator on April 30, 1947. Among those in attendance for the City of Modesto were Mayor Carl Shannon, Fire Chief George Wallace, and Council Members L.M. Morris, James Wilson, and Carl Stanley. Representing the Grange Company were Grange Company President Arlo Turner along with Everett Turner and Albin H. Turner Jr. In August 1962, at the height of the Cold War, the Grange grain elevator was one of the first authorized nuclear fallout shelters in Stanislaus County. The Grange Company’s mill operations between Ninth and Madonia continued until the mill was shut down in the early 1970’s following the purchase of two modern mills in Ceres and Fresno. In 1974, the old mill and all associated equipment were sold at auction and subsequently dismantled, leaving just the Grange headquarters at the corner of N. Ninth and Campus Way, the Madonia warehouses, and the grain elevator and silos, the latter of which had been leased to the Lyng Company for sunflower seed storage. The silos later in September 1981 survived a close fire at the adjacent seed dryer, largely due to its fire resistant construction materials which minimized damage to an estimated two million pounds of seeds stored at the time! After the Grange Company had been in business for 108 years, Modesto’s oldest company sold its Valchris Poultry subsidiary to Foster Farms in January 1982, and by 1988 had liquidated its other assets and properties including the grain elevator and silos, which came to be affiliated with the Trinidad/Benham Corporation. There have been past proposals to revitalize the massive silos for a renewed purpose, none of which came to fruition until the property was purchased by Aaron Valencia, who sought to reimagine the silos into a place where the community comes together. The iconic structure, with its connections to a storied Modesto company tied to modernized agricultural development in the wake of World War II, makes the launch of the Modesto Silos all the more special and worthy of celebration. By utilizing and highlighting the notable silos rather than developing from scratch, the building and atmosphere will bring with it authenticity and something that is distinctly Modesto. From storing and processing feed and grain to now serving up fine fare and libations, the Modesto Silos is where history and the present moment meet. Follow the View Crew on Threads @modestoview
by Alan Falconer
If you’re a comic book fan in Modesto, then Invincible Comics on the corner of Tully and Standiford needs no introduction. But if you’ve missed out over the past decade, then you should know that the store is planning a big celebration for its 10th birthday on Saturday, August 29th from 10am to 6pm, and everyone’s invited. Modesto View caught up with owner Sean Beck to talk about the event, what Modesto means to him, a question everyone in this city has asked at some point, and what Invincible Comics has planned for the future. Modesto View: What inspired you to open Invincible Comics? Sean Beck: I wanted to do something I’m passionate about and I wanted to be involved with our community. I felt that with my vision, I could bring not just a comic book shop, but an experience and atmosphere that people would love. MV: What are some of the major accomplishments for Invincible Comics in the past ten years? SB: Just surviving- scratch that- thriving through COVID would be the biggest accomplishment to date. It was a challenging time for everyone, but as a business owner, it felt daunting and incredibly scary. Every day was a new report about store closings across the country, and here we were, hustling and thriving through it because the community loved and needed us. MV: What does the city of Modesto mean to Invincible Comics? SB: Modesto means a lot. It’s my birthplace, where I grew up, and where I’ve raised my
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kids. I don’t think our city/community realizes how much they mean to us. We’re here for them, and they in-turn for us. And it’s the birthplace of George Lucas, the creator of the greatest movie series of all time. (Why don’t we have any “Star Wars” statues in town?!) Modesto is special, an incredibly diverse city that is very loving. MV: Tell us about the 10 year anniversary celebration! SB: For our 10th Anniversary, I wanted to do something special for our customers. I want them to think of this event as a comic convention without the ticket price. We’re putting together the largest group of comic creators we’ve ever had within our doors: Tony Fleecs, Tone Rodriguez, Ramon Villalobos, Jamie Sullivan, Justin Greenwood, Derek Hunter, James Myers, Adam Harris, Harold George, Omar Salinas, Micah Mate, Andrew Rodriguez & Jose Vasquez! We’ll have a store-wide sale as well! MV: Any goals on the horizon for Invincible Comics that you’d like to share? SB: We’re always looking to improve the experience for our customers, and I think they’ll be excited for our website when we roll it out soon. Maybe, eventually, a store exclusive [comic book variant cover]. MV: And lastly, what are you reading? SB: Well, “Invincible Universe: Battle Beast” of course. I’m biased. Anything from Robert Kirkman & Ryan Ottley would get me. But I would also say that “Absolute Batman” and “Dungeon Crawler Carl” are great as well. You can find Invincible Comics at 3430 Tully Rd Ste. # 24, 95350. You can call at 209-409-8027 or find them online at Facebook.com/InvincibleComics.Comic Book Creators Gather for the 10 Year Anniversary of Invincible Comics
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