Originally called the Saskatchewan Cooperative Elevator, the Pool Elevator is the only grain elevator located on Buffalo’s outer harbor. It has also been called the Old Lake Front Grain Elevator and more recently the Cargill Pool Elevator. The grain elevator was completed in 1925 and constructed by the Saskatchewan Co-operative Wheat Producers Ltd. It was designed by C. D. (Clarence Decatur) Howe (1886–1960) and engineered by Monarch Engineering Company.

The facility was used primarily to unload, store, and transfer grain without incurring large labor costs. The grain elevator’s ownership changed hands quite a bit over the years from the Superior Grain Corporation in 1945, to Pillsbury in 1952, and then the Cargill Company in 1964.

Despite its excellent location, rail connections, and large capacity for unloading and transferring grain, the Pool Elevator, like all other grain elevators in Buffalo, did not survive the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959. When the Cargill Company eventually left Buffalo and abandoned the building, the City of Buffalo put it up for sale. The building is presently owned by the South End Marina and is used for general storage. 

For more historical information, visit the Albright-Knox’s channel on Historypin.