Monday, July 29, 2019

Mid-America Windmill Museum

We just got home from an enjoyable vacation. Visiting and catching-up with relatives, seeing Amish country and exploring a few port cities along Lake Michigan made for a great getaway. Sightseeing is popular with us and one of our interesting stops on this trip was Mid-America Windmill Museum in Kendallville, Indiana (not far from Fort Wayne). Dedicated to education and preservation, this gem hosts a collection of over 50 authentic windmills. Some are spinning outside in the field while more delicate artifacts are housed in an enormous barn. 






Since we were there during a weekday morning, the museum was nice and quiet and afforded us the opportunity to have a private tour! That coupled with perfect weather added to the experience. In addition to learning about the history of mills, we now know about the different styles and how each one operates. While strolling the grounds and building of Mid-America Windmill Museum, we were taught that there are three types. Some windmills are designed to generate water, some turn a stone to grind grain and others turn gears to operate machinery. We find it mind-boggling to consider what an enormous positive impact these machines had on farmers of yesteryear, while playing an important role in our country's growth and advancement. Today windmills are still in existence, primarily used by Amish farmers and farmers in the western states.


The below mural is on display in the museum and was painted by a local art teacher. It's a replica of a 1930 advertisement for the town's own Flint and Walling Manufacturing Company. 

Ironically, Mid-America Windmill Museum just celebrated its 25th anniversary. If you ever have the chance to make a stop here, I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as we did!