Article excerpts:

“More than 100 years ago they represented life itself on a farm. Dotting the landscape of the Plains, the windmill carried water from deep underground to the surface.

Today, it’s serenity in rhythm as fan blades spin in the wind. The sounds of yesterday’s progress echo across the acreage at the Mid-America Windmill Museum in Kendallville, Ind. Each of the roughly 50 windmills dotting the grounds, tells a story from generations past.

“The design hasn’t changed much,” says Mike Fitzgibbon, the museum’s president of the board of directors. “You have your fan blade, and you have the gearbox that transforms the wind into mechanical power or force and that pumps the water…”

“…Most kids don’t grow up on farms anymore, so it’s real enlightening to see these kids understand how this all works and where the water actually comes from,” Skinner says.”

“…A lot of people who grew up with windmills back in the day recognize all the sounds,” explains Skinner, who handles most of the maintenance at the museum… “

Link to article: HERE