Before the development of the Sam Rayburn Tollway, cutting through the north part of Collin County meant getting a glimpse of the towering grain silos along a darkened two-lane highway. If it was dark, you see them slightly illuminated from the soft glow of lights from metro Dallas.
Typically, the grain silos have sat empty, mostly a reminder of a community’s agricultural past. In Waco, Fixer Upper couple Chip and Joanna Gaines paid homage to silos and kicked off their Magnolia Market at the Silos by retrofitting old silos as a shopping complex. In Round Top, you can vacation in a silo.
Silos are a big part of Texas history and scores across the state have gained protected historic status.
This week, we’re learning that we’ll have four fewer silos in Collin County. In a news release, the town of Prosper announced that Blue Star Corp., the new owner of the land on which the two largest silos on the westernmost edge of the grouping of silos, will remove them as well as two smaller silos on the northernmost edge of the grouping. The two silos on the north end of the site are owned by BNSF Railroad.
“While the silos have sat empty for many years, their presence gave residents and visitors a sense of the Town’s roots, a set of identifying symbols unmatched by any other,” according to the release.
The town also announced that the three smaller silos on the southernmost edge of the grouping will remain in place, as well as the larger one on the east side of the railroad tracks at Broadway Street.
Demolition is expected to start this week. Blue Star plans to build a mixed-use development.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones owns Blue Star Land and his related companies own almost 500 acres between downtown Prosper and Dallas Parkway.
In the news release, it was clear the town will miss the towering silos that served as the community’s landmark.
“The farmers of yesteryear have all gone, ending generations of families toiling on the land’s rich soil for the prolific crops that led to the naming of the Town with its current moniker – Prosper. The iconic silos were an integral part of the bustling farming economy of the early days, providing a way for the grain and corn farmers of the area to store their crops. Because they were built in close proximity to the railroad tracks, the silos also served as a launching point for the sale and distribution of the crops grown in Richland to all points north and south.”
Town of Prosper news release, May 5
As for the four remaining silos, the town issued a statement to announce that it had plans for the remaining silos.
“Understanding the importance of the silos as a historic town landmark, the Town began working with the property developer many months ago … The Town is currently in the process of purchasing a 2.87-acre portion of the property from the developer that includes the three smaller silos at a cost of approximately $690,000. It is the Town’s intent to preserve the three silos and eliminate any safety hazards, with the hope of incorporating the silos into the Downtown Master Plan and our ongoing downtown revitalization efforts.”
