Currently working on a story that takes place in 1903 Milwaukee, at the height of its grain trade. I'm looking for resources with information on exactly how wheat, barley, and other grains were bought, sold, and shipped. If a ship arrived in a port city to purchase a couple thousand pounds of wheat, did they pay in cash, gold, or was there a credit system in place?
I'm asking because the story involves an elaborate heist similar to Ocean's Eleven so I'm trying to get an idea of how the whole process might have happened. Does anyone have any ideas or perhaps know a good resource to check out?
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