G3660

4 Silos: an agricultural
success story
Peggy Lee Beedle

Giving M
any people would be surprised to know the same
progressive spirit that characterizes Wisconsin’s political
old barns history also colors its agricultural past—especially in the area of

new life agricultural technology.

During the Progressive era, college agricultural experiment
University of Wisconsin-Extension
State Historical Society of Wisconsin stations across the country promulgated scientific agriculture, or
Wisconsin Trust for Historic
Preservation “book farming.” In Wisconsin, this movement focused on the
development of an efficient method of storing winter fodder for
the burgeoning dairy industry. Silos were the result. Silos allowed
farmers to engage in year-round dairying, laying the groundwork
for the state’s thriving dairy industry.
CONTENTS Wisconsin has more silos than any other state, and they can
2 Changes for farmers rightly be viewed as symbols of the dairy industry’s development.
These structures chronicle the geographic range of Wisconsin
3 Early silos
dairying and graphically illustrate the changes in farm buildings
6 Working out problems over the years, serving as markers of the state’s cultural heritage.

8 Stone silos

9 New building materials

12 Location of the silo

13 Choosing the right silo

14 Innovations

15 Legacy of silos

18 Bibliography

Barn and silo on a Vernon County farm.

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Changes The 1870s also saw the rise of

the fledgling dairy industry. At that
Some farmers practiced winter
dairying, which meant keeping their
for farmers time, farmers generally considered
dairying a seasonal business. Cows
cows in production throughout the
winter. This allowed farmers to take
In Wisconsin, the 1870s were a produced milk in the spring and advantage of the higher prices they
time of transition for farmers. Wheat summer and were dry for the rest of could command in the cold weather
had been the state’s main crop from the year. As a result, prices for dairy months. But the main obstacle to
early settlement through the Civil products were always higher in the winter dairying was finding sufficient
War, but crop failures and open land winter. succulent food to maintain cows’ milk
in the West forced farmers to look for production through the winter.
other ways to use their land. Many
tried various cash crops and mixed The answer to a
farming. dairyman’s prayer
European ensilage reports must
have seemed like the answer to a dairy-
man’s prayers. Ensilage was the term
used to describe the process of making
and storing silage—green fodder used
in the winter. Some Americans also
used the term to refer to the final,
processed product.
The silo served as the airtight
receptacle for the ensilage, usually corn,
that was chopped and placed inside.
Air particles in the corn caused fermen-
tation until all the air was expended. By
storing the silage in an air-tight con-
tainer, further fermentation was pre-
vented, thereby preserving the silage
until it was needed for feed.

Silo with collapsed barn. Manitowoc County.

Silo and barn ruin. Manitowoc County.

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Silage and a workable silo opened The word silo comes from the efforts of French and German farmers
the door to year-round dairying, Greek siros—an air-tight pit for to store green fodder over winter.
making it a lucrative full-time occupa- storing grain. Greek and Roman August Goffart, a French farmer who
tion. At first there was some resistance farmers used silos to store mature experimented with ensiling corn for
to the idea of using silage, but the grain. Besides this tradition, which many years, wrote The Ensilage of
Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment was described by the Roman writers Maize and Other Green Forage Crops,
Station, the Wisconsin Farmers’ Marcus Varro, Columella and Pliny an account of his elliptical masonry
Institutes, and farm journals such as the Elder, the Germanic and Asiatic silo and ensiling methods. This was
Hoard’s Dairyman all promoted it. By peoples traditionally stored green translated into English in 1879. Both
the turn of the century, silos had fodder and food in pits.1 The 1800s of these publications made an imme-
become an accepted part of the brought a renewed interest in these diate impact on American farmers.
farmstead. storage methods and European
farmers began to experiment with
Early silos them. The Report of the Commissioner
of Agriculture for the Year 1875 con-
As first introduced from Europe,
tained the article “French Mode of
silos were underground pits or long,
Curing Forage” which described the
shallow masonry buildings. Farmers in
this country soon began “Americani-
zing” the silo—making it more effi-
cient and affordable. Agricultural
experiment station personnel and dairy
farmers were involved in this effort,
experimenting with different shapes,
sizes and construction materials.
Early silos were rectangular or
square, but gradually the advantages of
the round form led to its domination.
Wood, stone, brick, tile and poured
concrete all served as construction
materials. Silos that exemplify these
changes in technology and materials
can be seen throughout the state,
often remaining when other farmstead
buildings have disappeared. Square stone silo. Waukesha County.

Silos on a Fond du Lac County farm illustrate different forms and

sizes.

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Levi P. Gilbert of Fort Atkinson effectiveness to a meeting of the

built the first silo in Wisconsin in Wisconsin Dairymen’s Association.
18772 following the methods outlined “The cows ate it [silage] with relish,”
in an 1875 United States Department he noted, “and it produced the same
of Agriculture (USDA) bulletin. His effects of green feed just from the
silo was an underground pit, 32 feet field.”3
long, 12 feet wide and six feet deep, The second Wisconsin farmer to
lined with straw. After using it for build a silo, Dr. L. W. Weeks, fol-
three years, Gilbert reported on its lowed the precepts of August Goffart
after hearing about them in Europe.4
Dr. Weeks’ double silo, constructed in
1880, was built of masonry, with each
side about 12 feet by 30 feet and 12
feet deep. William Henry, the dean of
the University of Wisconsin College
of Agriculture, came to visit Weeks
and look at his silo. In 1881 Dean
Henry received money from the legis-
lature to build a silo on the experi-
mental farm.5 This silo was con-
structed of sandstone rubble and was
30 feet long, 15 feet wide and 15 feet
deep, about halfway underground.
The inside was coated with cement.
In all of these early silos the silage was
weighted down with earth or stone,
Goffart’s triple masonry silos. From The Ensilage of Maize, and other Green
about 100 pounds per foot, to keep
Fodder Crops. air from entering and spoiling the
silage.

Silo built by John Hays in 1882 in Dodge

County. Stone with wood jacket. College
of Agriculture Archives.

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From these early endeavors, word Early silos were considered Farm journals of the time used the
of the silo spread throughout the expensive to build; in addition, they word “Americanizing” to indicate the
state. Many farmers visited those who required the services of a mason. change from expensive to affordable
had built silos to see them firsthand. Dean Henry and others were inter- for all. Although some farmers believed
Articles in farm journals and newspa- ested in making the silo affordable for that underground silos were better,
pers also provided the impetus for all farmers. Henry wanted a silo that most built them above ground, which
some farmers to try the new inven- could be easily constructed of wood— made them easier to unload. In 1881,
tion. Most of the early silos in the the cheapest construction material of Levi Gilbert built his second wooden
state were built of stone, following the time. Henry believed that silage silo, above ground. These silos looked
Goffart’s silo design. did not cure as well in stone silos and like any other rectangular wood out-
that wood was superior because silage building with a stone foundation.
would not freeze when stored in it.6 The drought of 1886 and 1887
proved to be a turning point in the
acceptance of the silo in Wisconsin.
Farmers attending the Wisconsin
Farmers’ Institutes meetings declared
that having silos had kept them in
business during the drought.7

Barn of A. A. Arnold, Trempealeau County. Interior silo is filled

through the dormer on the left.

Arnold’s interior silo, constructed in 1887 of brick with a cement

lining.

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Working out This was the situation when F.

H. King, a professor of agricultural
problems physics at the University of
Wisconsin, took an interest in silo
F. H. King building. He had designed a round
Estimates around 1887 indicated barn with a round silo in the center
that between 500 to 2,500 silos had for his brother, a dairy farmer in
been built. In 1889, the Wisconsin Walworth County.
Agricultural Experiment Station In 1891, King undertook a silo
Bulletin 29 estimated that there were survey in which he cataloged the con-
about 2,000 silos in the state. Many struction problems of the silos he saw.
of these were made of wood. But King identified three basic flaws in
there were problems with rectangular wood construction:
wood silos. The walls bowed out, 1. The structures were not built
letting in air and the silage acids strongly enough to withstand the
rotted the wood lining. Preventative lateral pressure of the silage.
measures, such as painting the lining 2. Air pockets in the corners resulted
with gas tar or linseed oil, were not in spoilage.
Bowed-out walls of a wood
rectangular silo. Bulletin 59. effective. 3. The inside lining rotted due to
contact with silage acids.8
While King did not invent the
round silo, he designed a round
wooden structure that solved the con-
struction problems. The walls of the
round silo were strong enough to
withstand pressure from the silage and
the cylindrical form eliminated the
problem of air pockets in the corners.
The interior wall was separated from
the outside by air spaces; King
believed that adequate ventilation
would reduce lining decay.

King silo built in 1899 near Racine. The

silo is 36 feet tall with a diameter of 24
feet.

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A related discovery about the King did not recommend the

nature of silage led to a change in the stave silo because it was associated
silo’s form from horizontal to upright. with a high loss of silage,9 but it was
This happened when it was discov- inexpensive and easier to construct
ered that the weight of the silage itself than his own design; in fact, this ver-
produced enough compression to tical stave silo was the first commer-
exclude air—provided the silo was cial success. Many companies sold
deep enough. King decreed that a staves of different kinds of wood. The
minimum depth of 24 feet (later quality of the staves varied, but the
revised to 30) was necessary to avoid best were beveled, tongued and
weighing down the silage. This round grooved to fit together securely. Also
wood silo with horizontal siding built were double-walled wood stave
became known as the King, or silos that did not wrack and twist
Wisconsin, silo. The USDA still rec- when empty.
ommended using a modified version
of it up until the 1920s.
Another type of wooden silo, the
vertical stave, was also introduced in
the late 1890s. Stave silos utilized a
single layer of wood, secured by circu-
lar iron bands, in a manner similar to
water barrels. These silos worked well
when full, but while empty in the
summer, the dry staves shrank and the
silos sometimes collapsed during
rough weather.

King silo with roof variations. 8th Annual Report.

Wood stave silo. La Crosse County.

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Stone silos Richard Perrin, Wisconsin’s

eminent architectural historian, out-
fieldstone had started with
Wisconsin’s early settlement and
Wisconsin farmers continued to lined three methods of building with lasted until the turn of the century
build and use stone silos made of field- fieldstone. The earliest probably when it was mainly used for barn
stone or quarried rock. Early settlers involved using the stones as they were foundations and silos.10 Stone silos
found an abundance of fieldstone left found, with plenty of mortar to hold were built in Wisconsin using all
by glaciation. Using this fieldstone for them together. A later technique used three building styles. Other stone silos
silos had the added benefit of helping by professional stonemasons was to were built of quarried rock, such as
to clear the fields for cultivation. split the fieldstones and place the limestone.
faced sides out, using smaller stones Professor King’s silo survey found
for infill. The third method, origi- that the owners of stone silos were
nated in the 1870s, was to split all the generally satisfied with the structures’
fieldstone and lay it with a small effectiveness. The principal problem
amount of mortar. Building with with stone silos was that, over the
years, the mortar inside became soft
through contact with silage acids.
King recommended lining the inside
of stone silos with a mix containing a
high proportion of cement to sand,
and emphasized that the interior walls
had to be perfectly smooth.
Wisconsin Agricultural
Experiment Station bulletins pub-
lished in 1897, 1900 and 1905 con-
tained instructions for building both
round and square stone silos. The
1905 bulletin stated, “There are a
great many stone silos in Wisconsin.
In general they are found to be very
satisfactory.” 11 Stone silos were built
into the teens, gradually falling out of
favor as poured concrete became the
Quarried limestone silo. La Crosse County. preferred construction material.

Stone silo construction. Bulletin 83. Stone silo built in 1912. Jefferson County.

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New building In 1911 the Wisconsin

Agricultural Experiment Station pub-
Concrete blocks were also used to
build silos. The blocks could be pur-
materials lished Bulletin 214, Concrete Silo
Construction, which gave detailed
chased commercially or constructed
from molds. Reinforcement was
Around the turn of the century instructions for building a silo of rein- added between the block layers. The
several strong, fireproof building forced concrete. The first step was to inside was coated with a cement wash
materials were used to build silos, as construct the silo forms, or wood to prevent silage acids from corroding
well as barn foundations and other frames that held the wet concrete. the mortar. These silos were not con-
farm outbuildings. These materials When the concrete was set, the forms sidered as strong as the monolithic
included reinforced concrete, concrete were removed and set up for the next concrete construction because the
block and tile. The durability of silos level. Formulas for the correct concrete blocks were made with sand, cement
built with these materials contrasted mixture were given in the bulletin. and fine gravel rather than the
sharply with the flimsiness of wood For reinforcement, wire was pre- crushed rock used in the solid con-
stave construction. ferred over steel rods. The reinforce- crete wall.13 Block silos were slightly
Concrete ment was placed about one inch from more expensive to construct than
Concrete and cement were actu- the outside of the forms. Charts pro- poured concrete,14 and they never
ally used as building materials going vided the amount of horizontal and achieved the widespread acceptance of
back to ancient times, but in the 19th vertical reinforcement needed for silos the other concrete types.
century new technology increased of different diameters and heights.
their effectiveness. Portland cement Instructions were also provided for
was developed in the early 1800s. building a conical concrete roof. This
This cement was harder than natural type of silo proved to be very popular
lime mortar and was readily available in Wisconsin in the early part of the
by the turn of the century. Reinforced 20th century.
concrete, consisting of embedding
metal rods in the concrete for
increased strength, was invented in
1850.12

Homemade concrete block silo. Manitowoc County.

Rock face and plain concrete

blocks in a Jefferson County silo.

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Concrete stave silos were the Concrete stave silos were always Tile and brick
third type of concrete silo introduced built by commercial companies. One Tile silos were also developed at
at this time. The stave was designed of the early Wisconsin companies to this time. At the turn of the century,
with interlocking convex and concave construct them was the Madison tile, like reinforced concrete, under-
sides, which eliminated the need for Cement Stave Silo Company, which went a period of experimentation as a
mortar. Concrete stave silos were began in 1914.15 This firm sold 15 construction material for farm build-
encircled with iron rods in the same silos in its first year of business; the ings. Barn foundations, milk houses
manner as wood stave silos. These number rose to 200 in 1918. These and even some houses were built of
silos proved to be very popular, and were mainly sold in southeastern tile. It was extremely durable, with
several companies developed different Wisconsin but were also built as far one drawback—although the tiles
designs for them. north as Barron County. themselves were impervious to silage
acids, the mortar used in joining the
tiles was not, requiring an interior
coating of cement. There are some
silos built of tile staves, but they are
very rare.

Two monolithic concrete silos. Fond du Lac County.

Tile silo construction. SHSW Whi (V2)906.

Concrete stave silo, built before 1919 in

Walworth County.

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Some early silos were built of

brick or had a brick lining. A double-
walled brick silo was designed and
patented by a Wisconsin farmer,
James P. Christensen, who had
learned brick masonry techniques in
his native Denmark. The inner and
outer brick walls of the Christensen
silo were constructed with an “inge-
nious arrangement of openings in the
header courses. These chambers are
converted into flues, and used to
conduct heat through the wall to
prevent freezing.”16 Fireplaces were
built on both sides of the door.
“Occasional” fires kept the silage from
freezing throughout the winter. Steel
Natco “Imperishable” silos. Oconomowoc. College of rods were used in the outer layer of
Agriculture Archives. bricks for reinforcement. This design
was illustrated in the 1905 Wisconsin
Agricultural Experiment Station silo
bulletin.

Tile stave silo. Jefferson County.

Cream city brick silo in Manitowoc County.

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Location of After silos became more

common, barn plans were designed
By 1910, silo form and construc-
tion in Wisconsin had become fairly
the silo that included a silo located adjacent
to the barn and connected to the
uniform. Round silos were the norm.
These were built outside the barn
When silos first made their feeding area. In University of with a connecting feeding room.
appearance, many thought they Wisconsin Department of Diameter and height were standard-
should be placed inside the barn to Agricultural Engineering barn plans, ized: a silo should be about two and
prevent silage from freezing. However, the silo was located either at the gable one-half to three times taller than its
barn construction plans made no end or along the side of the barn. The diameter. The average diameter was
allowances for silos—a silo in a barn side location allowed a driveway into about twelve or fourteen feet. This
took up space designated for other the barn. It also allowed for barn was the optimum size for one man to
purposes. expansion, which was usually accom- efficiently fork down the amount of
plished by an extension on the gable silage needed daily. The resultant
end. Silos were located in the center height for this diameter was 35 to 40
of round barns, where they provided feet—usually level with the barn roof.
roof support. Although convenient for In the upper Midwest silo roofs were
feeding out, the silo in a round barn commonly used. Silo depth varied,
was considered difficult to fill.17 but four to six feet below the feeding
floor was preferred.18

Wisconsin Agricultural Engineering Department

barn plans illustrating silo location.

Wisconsin Agricultural Engineering Department barn plans

illustrating silo location.

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The patriotic silo

In 1916 the Wisconsin
During World War I, the State
Council of Defense, which was in Choosing
Department of Agriculture estimated
the number of silos in the state at
charge of organizing community
efforts to support the war, initiated a
the right silo
campaign to convince farmers to build How did a farmer choose a silo?
60,000. Of these, more than half For some, price was the most impor-
(33,000) were wood. The rest were silos as part of a larger food raising
and conservation effort. Building a silo tant factor; others chose to build
concrete (18,000), tile (5,000), and more costly silos that lasted longer. In
brick (3,500). These were not distrib- was equated with patriotism. This
campaign was a success; in 1917 over 1908, a model barn was built at the
uted evenly across the state. Wisconsin State Fair. Two silos
Southeastern counties that had been 10,000 silos were built in Wisconsin—
more than in any previous year.20 In adjoined the barn, one of brick and
involved in dairying for a long time one wood stave. Many farmers visited
had a greater concentration of wood 1920 Wisconsin became the leader in
the number of silos in the country. By this exhibit. Later a tile and mono-
silos. In areas where dairying was lithic concrete silo were added. In
newer, concrete silos were more 1924, Wisconsin boasted more than
100,000 silos.21 For the next two addition to this, wood stave silo com-
numerous.19 panies set up demonstration silos on
decades silo form and construction
materials remained consistent, with the fairgrounds. Companies also
concrete and wood being the most advertised in newspapers and farm
popular. journals and sent agents to talk to
Thirty years later, in 1946, 57 farmers.
percent of Wisconsin’s silos were con- Wood stave silo companies pro-
crete. Two thirds of these were mono- moted either the quality of their staves
lithic concrete and one third concrete or some other unique feature, such as
stave. Wood stave silos had declined the “Self Adjusting, Automatic Take-up
proportionally, to only 27 percent of Hoop,” which never needed manual
the total. Concrete block and tile silos adjusting.23 The Wood Tire Silo
accounted for six percent each.22 Company of Sheboygan, in business
from 1914 to 1936, developed a
double-walled wood stave silo. The
“wood tire” was a four-inch ring to
which inner and outer layers of staves
were attached, forming an insulating air
space and making the silo stronger. The
double wall eliminated the need for
metal hoops. The inner wall was made
of redwood staves, which were not sup-
posed to swell or shrink; the outer was
constructed of pine or fir. There was a
20-year guarantee against decay and the
company stated that the silo would not
“rack, sag, twist or collapse.”24

World War I poster promoting silo construction.

SHSW Lot 5-1183.

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“The Silo Beautiful” Wisconsin Experiment Station

Innovations
Some companies promoted their personnel advocated the use of certain
silos’ attractiveness. The Christensen types of silos. In the 1890s, they
fought a losing battle against the
The Harvestore silo
brick silos were advertised as “hand- Two major technological innova-
some” and “an ornament to any set of wood stave silo, wanting farmers to
tions occurred in the 1940s. The first
farm buildings.”25 The Preston build a more permanent structure. In
of these began when the A. O. Smith
Lansing Company advertised its tile the early decades of the 20th century
Company of Milwaukee, an industrial
silo as “The Silo Beautiful.” Concrete the monolithic concrete silo was
equipment manufacturing firm, devel-
silos of all kinds were advertised as extensively promoted by both the
oped a process that fused glass to
durable and safe from frost, fire and Station and Farmers’ Institutes. Silo
steel. Originally developed to build
vermin. Photographs of silos still forms could be rented from both
storage tanks for the brewing industry,
standing after fire had destroyed the groups. Miniature forms were avail-
the conversion of this technology to
barn were used to promote their per- able at the meetings to illustrate how
agricultural use began when a farmer
manence, and insurance companies they worked. Talks at the Institute
commented to the president of the
charged low rates for concrete silos meetings covered the advantages.
company, “If you were to set one of
because of their durability.26 Although concrete silos were origi-
those glass-lined tanks up on end it
nally meant to be built by farmers,
would make a good silo.”27
around 1915 the Experiment Station
After discussing conventional silo
declared that silos should be built by
problems with officials at the
experts with farmers helping as
University of Wisconsin College of
needed. This development signaled
Agriculture, a new type of silo, the
the end of the homemade silo era.
Harvestore, was developed. It was dis-
played at the Wisconsin State Fair in
1948, just as silos of the early 20th
century had been. The glass lining of
the Harvestore successfully resisted
silage acids. Silage did not freeze and
there was less spoilage than with other
types of silos. It could be filled at the
top at the same time it was being
unloaded at the bottom—an advan-
tage over traditional silos. The cobalt
blue color was also quite striking in
the farm landscape. Since they were
more expensive than concrete silos,
Harvestore silos often indicated pros-
perous dairy areas.

Filling the silo in 1930. Manitowoc County Historical Society.

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Automatic silo unloader Silage bags

The second innovation, the auto- The most recent development in
The legacy
matic silo unloader, allowed farmers to
unload silage without having to fork it
silo technology is the silage bag, made
of heavy-duty plastic. These resemble
of silos
In the past 50 years the number
down from the top of the silo, making long white garbage bags laid out on of farms in Wisconsin has declined.
the feeding process easier and more the ground. Silage is blown in and the Cities have encroached on farmland,
efficient. The automatic unloader also bags are sealed by weighting down the and farmsteads once on the outskirts
freed the silo from the size limitations ends with earth. These inexpensive of town are now surrounded by
imposed upon it by manual feeding silage bags work well unless they are housing developments. As farms grew
out. The diameter and height of silos damaged. They are often placed in the larger, farmsteads in the country were
gradually increased to an average of pasture for convenient feeding where abandoned. While many of the
20' x 60' in the 1960s. they make a noticeable impact on the wooden buildings have been razed or
landscape. have fallen down, many silos remain.
Stone silos are particularly char-
acteristic of Wisconsin. Square and
round, made of quarry stone and
fieldstone, they were constructed
using all the methods described by
Richard Perrin. It is not known how
many were built and how many still
exist. Stone silos were never built in
large numbers; they were not even
counted as a distinctive type on the
1916 silo census. But in some areas of
the state, clusters of stone silos
survive. They are excellent examples
of vernacular building techniques,
rooted in the earth, and one of the
last examples of the fieldstone build-
ing traditions of Wisconsin.

Asbestos silo in Jefferson County. Asbestos

was used as silo construction material
during World War II.

Double tile silos with barn skeleton. La Crosse County.

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The monolithic concrete silo is Before silos became standardized

also representative of Wisconsin. The in the ‘40s and ‘50s, stone and con-
use of this structure was promoted by crete silos were hallmarks of the
the Wisconsin Agricultural Wisconsin countryside. As such their
Experiment Station and the importance should be recognized.
Wisconsin Farmers’ Institutes. Forms Silos, as much as any other farm
for its construction, made by building, have made a significant
Wisconsin companies and used by impact on the rural landscape of
local builders, were rented, built or Wisconsin. They are a symbol of the
bought. Some of these concrete silos state’s prosperous dairy industry and
are fairly well-preserved, with their the embodiment of the Wisconsin
original roofs and chutes intact. They Idea—university people and farmers
stand as sentinels of a former prosper- working together, applying new tech-
ity—and some are still in use. One nology to a practical structure that all
farmer stated that his was difficult to farmers could use.
fill but still made good silage. Much of Wisconsin’s early 20th
century rural landscape is still visible
today—its style and charm enhanced
by the silo’s distinctive silhouette. It is
important to recognize silos as more
than adjuncts to the barn. They
should be studied for insight they
reveal into American technological
progress and preserved for their role
in the history and development of the
Wisconsin dairy industry.

Stone silo. Racine County.

Monolithic concrete silo construction forms. Wisconsin

Agricultural Engineering Department.

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Notes
1 Tacitus Germania, p. 99; Quintus 14 Universal Portland, Concrete Silos,
Curtius Historiarum Alexandri p. 30.
Magni Macedonis, p. 157. 15 “Madison Silo Concern Growing
2 Fish, Norman, “The History of the Enterprise,” Community Business 3,
Silo in Wisconsin,” Wisconsin pp.1–2.
Magazine of History, December 16 Knapp, G. N., Bulletin 125, p. 56.
1924, pp. 161–162. 17 Zeasman, Humphrey and
3 Gilbert, L. P., “Ensilage,” Eighth Schlindler, Dairy Barns, p. 16.
Annual Report of the Wisconsin 18
Dairymen’s Association, p. 117. White, Frank M., Silos: Questions
and Answers, Wisconsin Agricultural
4 “Silo,” Wisconsin Free Press, n.p. Extension Service, Circular 87,
5 Henry, W., “The Ensilage of p. 3.
Fodders,” Experiments in Amber 19 Biennial Report of the Wisconsin
Cane and the Ensilage of Fodders at Department of Agriculture for 1915,
the Experimental Farm, p. 60. 1916.
6 Henry, W., “Silos and Silage I,” 20 Russell and Hatch, Serving
Breeders’ Gazette 13, p. 515. Wisconsin Farmers in Wartime, p. 6.
7 Gould, John, “Has the Silo Proved 21 Packard, et al., Silos and Silage,
Its Claims?” Wisconsin Farmers’ p. 43.
Institutes Sessions of 1886–7, 22
p. 181; Lampard, Eric, The Rise of Packard, pp. 22–23.
23 International Silo Company, The
the Dairy Industry in Wisconsin: A
Study in Agricultural Change Story of the Silo, p.16.
1820–1920, p. 159. 24 Sheboygan County Atlas, n.p.
8 King, F. H., The Construction of 25 Wisconsin Country Magazine, n.p.
Silos, Bulletin 28. 26 Gaylord and Wilson, “Concrete
9 King, F. H., “The Round Silo Built Silos,” p. 7.
With Hoops and Staves,” Hoard’s 27 Suter, The Courage to Change, p. 46.
Dairyman 25, p. 221.
10 Perrin, Richard W. E., Historic
Wisconsin Buildings, p. 69.
11 Knapp, G. N., Silo Construction,
Bulletin 125, p. 59.
12 Nashert, America’s Builders, p. 116.
13 Knapp, G. N., Silo Construction,
Bulletin 125, p. 77.

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Bibliography
Adams, L. H. April 1889. Notes on Goffart, Auguste. 1879.The Ensilage King, F. H. May 1897. The
Ensilage. University of Wisconsin of Maize, and Other Green Fodder Construction of Silos and the
Agricultural Experiment Station Crops, translated by J. B. Brown. Making and Handling of Sileage.
Bulletin No. 19. Madison: New York: New York Plough University of Wisconsin
Democrat Printing Company, Company. Agricultural Experiment Station
State Printers. Gould, John. 1887. “Has the Silo Bulletin 59. Madison: Democrat
Agricultural Engineering Department. Proved Its Claims?” Wisconsin Printing Company, State Printers.
April 1918. Farm Building Plans. Farmers’ Institutes Sessions of King, F. H. “F. H. King Material,
Wisconsin Agricultural Extension 1886-7. Milwaukee: Cramer, University of Wisconsin College
Service Circular 104. Madison: Aikens & Cramer, Printers. of Agriculture Series 9/22/3.”
Extension Service of the College Henry, William A. 1883. Steenbock Library, University of
of Agriculture, University of “Experiments with Ensilage.” Wisconsin–Madison.
Wisconsin. Experiments in Amber Cane and King, F. H. 25 May 1894. “The
Columella, Lucius Junius Moderatus. the Ensilage of Fodders at the Round Silo Built With Hoops
1960. Res Rustica, translated by Experimental Farm of the and Staves.” Hoard’s Dairyman
Harrison Boyd Ash. Cambridge, University of Wisconsin, Second 25:221.
Massachusetts: Harvard Annual Report. Madison: King, F. H. May 1900. Sileage, and
University Press. Democrat Printing Company, the Construction of Modern Silos.
Commissioner of Agriculture. 1876. State Printers. University of Wisconsin
“French Mode of Curing Henry, William A. 1882. “The Silo.” Agricultural Experiment Station
Forage.” Report of the Experiments in Amber Cane and Bulletin 83. Madison: Democrat
Commissioner of Agriculture for the Ensilage of Fodders at the Printing Co., State Printer.
the year 1875. Washington, Experimental Farm, Madison, Knapp, G. N. April 1905. Silo
D. C.: Government Printing Wisconsin, 1881. Madison: Construction. University of
Office. David Atwood, State Printer. Wisconsin Agricultural
Community Business. 16 December Henry, William A. 23 May 1888. Experiment Station Bulletin 125.
1918. “Madison Silo Concern “Silos and Silage I.” Breeder’s Madison, Wisconsin: University
Growing Enterprise.” Community Gazette 13:515-516. of Wisconsin Agricultural
Business 3:1-2. International Silo Company. c. 1910. Experiment Station.
Fish, N. S. December 1924. “The “The story of the silo: in which is Lampard, Eric E. 1963. The Rise of
History of the Silo in set forth a few facts of a helpful the Dairy Industry in Wisconsin:
Wisconsin.” Wisconsin Magazine and bank account swelling A Study in Agricultural Change
of History 8:160-170. nature, for the live and up-to- 1820–1920. Madison: State
Fish, N. S. “Silo History and Records, date farmer, dairyman or stock Historical Society of Wisconsin.
College of Agriculture, raiser.” Linesville, Pennsylvania: Linse, Charles. 1909. “Twenty-Eight
Agriculture Engineering Series International Silo Company. Years of Silo Experience.”
9/12/4.” Steenbock Library, King, F. H. July 1891. The Wisconsin Farmers’ Institutes
University of Wisconsin– Construction of Silos. University Handbook of Agriculture.
Madison. of Wisconsin Agricultural Madison: Democrat Printing
Gaylord, C. W. and Percy H. Wilson. Experiment Station Bulletin No. Company.
March–April 1909. “Concrete 28. Madison, Wisconsin: Nashert, Walter. 1975. America’s
Silos.” The Concrete Review 3: Democrat Printing Company, Builders. Malibu, California:
1-66. State Printers. Pepperdine University Press.
Gilbert, L. P. 1880. “Ensilage.” Eighth King, F. H. 1892. “The Construction Nesbit, Don, compiler. 1882. Silos
Annual Report of the Wisconsin and Filling of Silos.” Eighth and Ensilage: A Record of Practical
Dairymen’s Association. Madison: Annual Report of the Tests in Several States and Canada.
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of the University of Wisconsin Special Reports No. 48.
for the Year Ending June 30, Washington, D. C.: Government
1891. Madison: Democrat Printing Office.
Printing Company, State Printers.

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Ocock, C. A. and F. M. White. July Varro, Marcus Terrentius. 1934. Reum

1911. Concrete Silo Construction. Rusticarum, English translation
University of Wisconsin by William Davis Hooper,
Agricultural Experiment Station revised by Harrison Boyd Ash,
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University of Wisconsin Harvard University Press.
Agricultural Experiment Station. White, Frank M. July 1917. Silos:
Packard, Ross L., C. D. Caparoon Questions and Answers. Wisconsin
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January 1956. Wisconsin Silos and Circular 87. Madison: Extension
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Special Bulletin No. 58. Wisconsin.
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Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Years 1915 and 1916. Madison:
Milwaukee Public Museum. State of Wisconsin.
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Cambridge, Massachusetts: Christensen Silo.” Wisconsin
Harvard University Press. Country Magazine, n. p.
Quintus Curtius. 1956. Historiarum Wisconsin Free Press. 12 February
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University Press. 1921. Dairy Barns. Agricultural
Russell, H. L. and K. L. Hatch. July Experiment Station of the
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Madison: Extension Service of Wisconsin.
the College of Agriculture,
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Sheboygan County Atlas, 1920.
Suter, Robert. 1964. The Courage to
Change. Danville, Illinois:
Interstate Printers and Publishers.
Tacitus, Cornelius. 1893.Germania,
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London: Macmillan and Co.
Universal Portland Cement Company.
1911, second edition. Concrete
Silos. Chicago: Universal Portland
Cement Company.

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Stone silo built circa 1900. Manitowac County.

Author: Peggy Lee Beedle is a landscape historian with the Louis Berger Group, Inc.
Geoffrey Gyrisco of the State Historical Society and Charles Law of the University of Wisconsin-Extension Local Government
Center served as project managers. Larry Reed of Wisconsin’s Rural Preservation Advisory Council provided editorial assistance.
This publication is the fourth in a series of publications designed to enhance the appreciation of Wisconsin’s culturally significant
barns and to assist in their preservation.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, University of Wisconsin–Extension, Cooperative Extension. University of Wisconsin–Extension provides equal opportu-
nities in employment and programming, including Title IX and ADA requirements. If you need this information in an alternative
format, contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Programs or call Extension Publishing at (608)262-2655.
Funding for this publication was provided by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.
© 2001 by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin and the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. Send inquiries
about copyright permission to: Director, Cooperative Extension Publishing, 201 Hiram Smith Hall, 1545 Observatory Dr.,
Madison, WI 53706.
You can obtain copies of this publication from your Wisconsin county Extension office or from Cooperative Extension Publications,
45 N. Charter St., Madison, WI 53713, 608-262-3346. Outside Madison, call our toll free number: 1-877-WIS-PUBS (947-7827).
Before publicizing, please check on this publication’s availability.
To see more Cooperative Extension publications, visit our web site: www.uwex.edu/ces/pubs/
Giving Old Barns New Life
Silos: An Agricultural Success Story (G3660-4) I-4-2001-3M-300