History That Endures

It's Windy Outside Readers,

 Some local history was erased today when the Sugar City grain silo was demolished. It must have been tougher than anyone working on the demo thought. I was thinking it would crumble and sink into itself, but it went out strong, holding together long enough until it toppled onto its side. Sugar City was established in 1903, and the grain silo was built between 1906 and 1909. It stood at least 106 years, and still fell in one piece after the foundation was blown up.

I can't believe how sad I am over a century old grain silo, but I am. I have many experiences attached to that silo being there, and without it I know I won't see Sugar City the way I used to. It was one thing Sugar City had no other city could claim, a unique monument to a time few can remember now. Not many years ago, "Welcome to Sugar City" was painted on its side facing the road, which was the wall cut into to place charges in the foundation. The last time I drove by the silo still intact, only a gaping hole was there in place of the welcome sign.

The only thing constant in the world we have built is change. We are relentlessly driving forward to the next improvement or invention or policy and discarding, removing or replacing old things that get in the way of that. Much of this is good. Much of it is needed. Most of the time the past is not efficient, useful, or safe, the reasons of course that influenced the decision to get rid of this grain silo. What the past does offer is memories. Experiences. The very things that mold people and make it possible for them to move into the future in the first place. The present and future can easily outpace the past, but both our present and our future are built on our past. Remove the influence of the past, and we will topple like the grain silo did.

This has already happened in many places around the world, especially here at home; just watch any news feed or political report. The most popular ideologies of our day are constantly moving farther and faster away from what has been established for so long. Replacing and changing worn out ideas and practices for better, more efficient ones is good, but as the grain silo, time tested, enduring qualities will not crumble into themselves so easily, and won't go down without a fight. They can be removed, but only after a lot of effort.

All things considered, if I could have, I would have saved the silo. If I had the resources, I would have tried to keep it standing. One thing about this area that I love is now much of what is old is still surviving and still part of society: the Rexburg tabernacle, downtown Sugar City, downtown Teton. Just as important are values that last ever longer, values under attack today: family, morality, honesty, selflessness, and it is truly a shame when either of these is determined to not be important anymore. They have lasted this long for a reason; we should not be too hasty to disregard them whenever we have a chance.