The Shepard Farmers Elevator Company was first organized in 1904. It was built in the fall of 1904. The first board of directors was as follows:
| Jorgan Soma |
President |
| Martin Ueland |
Vice President |
| F. Greenland |
Secretary |
| Edward Michaelis |
Treasurer |
| Ole Lima |
Director |
| Duncan Sinclair |
Director |
| Carl Lende |
Director |
The capacity of the elevator was approximately 34000 bushels at cost of $6800.00 or about twenty cents per bushel. According to the minutes, the mortgage was paid off in the year 1908. Grain prices at Shepard on July 9, 1906 were wheat $.70, Barley $.38, Flax $1.05, oats $.32.
The organization was reorganized in 1945 in that anyone who sells grain and earns a dividend could become a member. The first commission company to help finance the elevator operation was McCarthy Brothers of Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1904. The elevator stayed with McCarthy Brothers until they merged with Atwood Larson Company of Minneapolis in the middle of the 1960's.
In reading through the minutes it is difficult to determine who the different managers were and how long they served the elevator up till Andrew Sharpe started on July 8, 1912 and managed until June 1, 1923. A. M. Hansen then served one year. Gabriel Sharpe served until October 7, 1936. V. F. Bunde managed from July 5, 1937, to December 1939. Roy Ashland served starting in February or March 1940 and was manager till March 1, 1946. Carrol Torgerson served till March 1952. Al Boe then took over and managed till the later part of 1957. Orville Eckert then served as manager till June 1, 1961. Wally Rislov took the manager job beginning July 1, 1961 and is presently managing.
The present Shepard Elevator complex consists of the original elevator plus one flat storage Butler bin north of the elevator, capacity about 61,000 bushels, two round steel bins next to driveway and office each about 9500 bushels capacity, three round steel bins southeast of the elevator each about 9500 bushels, five round steel bins south of the elevator each about 4000 bushels, each used mainly for seed. There are two wooden warehouses and one 1200 bushels, wooden grain bin on the elevator premises.
In reading through the minutes it was noted that on July 8, 1907 that the elevator ordered three boxcars, which were set in and immediately loaded. The loaded cars sat on the siding for nearly three months before being picked up by the railroad.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 page 193