Windmills Reborn
The familiar American windmills once dotted the countryside like giant sunflowers, but many were dismantled over the past half-century as underground water feed systems proliferated. A new century brings a new aesthetic however, and there are rumblings of a windmill renaissance in the marketplace.
Businesses such as The Aermotor Company of Chicago, which
emerged in 1888, have made few changes in the design of the
instrument that revolutionized farming and ranching on the
plains. For the century or more that many of these humble
windmills were in use, they withstood whatever elements
barreled down on them and reliably provided the essential
stream of water that kept families and herds alive. Now,
after years of relative anonymity, the windmill is making a
comeback, partly for its beauty and partly because of the
demand for alternatives to traditional energy suppliers.
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Choosing between antique and new windmills for water
retrieval is largely a matter of choice, but the first
thing you need to do is find a reputable merchant. Check
with local antiques dealers and/or manufacturers of
contemporary windmills, or try conducting an online search.
A good merchant will have general knowledge of the
mechanical function of windmills, and may be able to
provide you with historical background on the windmill
you're interested in. Make sure your dealer knows what you
are looking for, whether you want an object of art or a
working piece of machinery to aerate a pond or to pump
waters. Your dealer should be able to put you in touch with
a company that can do the well drilling and casing
placement. New windmills have replaceable parts, but the
old windmills were cast as one unit and their parts are
sometimes difficult or expensive to replace, so make sure
your dealer can locate the parts you need. Like anything
else that's stood the test of time outdoors, old windmills
are often quite weathered, sporting dents and bullet holes
in their fan blades. Such imperfections give life to
disappearing legends, but too many holes can be a hazard,
so stay away from parts with a lot of physical damage.
