Turpin Grain Elevator (Additional Documentation)
a.k.a. Light Grain & Milling Grain Company Elevator
200 blk. of Helen St., north side, Turpin, OKThe Turpin Grain Elevator is significant because it was an integral part of the local agriculture, commerce, and economy of Turpin. Turpin, named after the general manager of the Beaver, Mead and Englewood Railroad, Carl J. Turpin, literally came into existence as a town-site in August 1924 with the arrival of the railroad. Local farmers provided the land, labor and capital to build the railroad, so that they could reduce their marketing costs. Wheat farming has served as the principal occupation of the local residents since the early 1900s. The importance of the grain industry to the establishment of Turpin is illustrated by the fact that the first town lot sold was used as a grain elevator site. The Light Grain and Milling Company built the Turpin elevator in 1925. The elevator was used until the late 1960s.
Local significance of the structure:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.