This elevator was built on a siding at Sharples in 1923, the year the CPR built a spur line through the spectacular badlands Knee Hills Creek Valley from Acme to Drumheller via Carbon and Sharples. The town of Carbon remains as does the skeleton of the former hamlet of Hesketh, although the elevators have been long demolished at the latter point. Only Kirkpatrick remains to the east and south on this line. The stations along this rail line were essential to farmers who lived on the north side of the creek, as the only crossing points are a long way apart. The line closed in 1982 when the second elevator at Sharples owned by Alberta Wheat Pool, built in 1927 by Alberta Pacific Grain Co., was demolished. Although Sharples only had two elevators for many years it handled a remarkable volume of grain. In 1943-44 the Parrish & Heimbecker elevator handled 123,549 bushes.
The names of the elevator agents at Sharples from 1923-1982 are: Tom Heath, H.J. Reeves, Tom Moss? Stoen, D.K. Edmundson, T.G. Cadman, W.B. McCracken, W.C. Robertson.
No information is known about the construction crew. The 30,000 bushel elevator appears to have been clad with metal sheeting when it was constructed in 1923, as were the office and outhouse/storage, built at the same time.
The west annex built c.1939-40 has a 26,000 bushel capacity and contains seven bins. It was probably built as a temporary annex during the war and later licensed as a permanent annex. A second annex was located on the east side. It was smaller, with a capacity of 14,000 bushels. This annex was also built in the early 1940s. The connecting pipe between the elevator and this annex is still in place.
From the Alberta Heritage Register