Fred Hatch, a McHenry County farmer who studied agriculture at the University of Illinois in Urbana, built the nation’s first vertical silo in August of 1873. Unlike pit-style silos that were common in Europe at the time, Hatch’s silo was vertical and reached 24 feet tall. The original silo was filled with cow feed and was followed by the construction of two additional silos on the Hatch property.

While silos became common on farms across the country almost immediately, Hatch wasn’t recognized for his achievement until nearly 50 years later in an article in Dairyman Magazine.

Learn more:
Read more about Fred Hatch’s silo invention
Why do farmers need silos?