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Introduction

Welcome to Illinois Windmills, dedicated to the history, preservation, and continuing story of windmills in Illinois.  With recent “green” energy initiatives, many associate Illinois with hundreds of wind turbines spread over thousands of acres of farmland.  Others remember Illinois from a simpler time when wind engines quietly pumped water out of the ground. 

 

What many do not know is that during the nineteenth century, Illinois’ countryside could have easily been mistaken for Holland; the state was once home to custom-built wind grist mills.  Sadly, only four have survived, and a fifth was constructed in 2000.

 

If you have any information about any of the windmills (even those already listed), including articles, photographs, postcards, pamphlets, records, or even personal memories, please feel free to contact info@illinoiswindmills.org.

 

 

Begin Exploring!

 

Maybe you’re here for fun, you’re doing research on wind power for a school project, or you’re trying to understand how your ancestors lived in nineteenth century Illinois.  If this is your first visit, the best place to begin is at Illinois Wind Power in the left navigation bar;  then, see if a question on your mind has already been answered on the Frequently Asked Questions page; or, try typing a few key words into the site search engine above.

 

 

News and Updates

 

Veterans will notice many changes to the site, which is turning 5 years old this year!  With the discovery of windmills in Chicago, Belleville, Auburn, Teutopolis, and one built by Levi Z. Leiter, there are now 50 Custom Windmills for you to explore.

 

You asked for it; you got it.  Illinois Windmills has branched out to include surviving custom windmills across the United States of America.  The tourism page now features a complete list of existing windmills in our country.

 

Gasp!  What’s this?  Carding mills?  Water mills?  I have no intention of adding a page for each of the 1,800 mills that once operated in Illinois; however, I have created pages for the Graue and Franklin Creek grist mills.  After all: both are directly related to windmills mentioned in this site, and they are the only surviving, operating water grist mills in the state.  There is also a profile for the New Salem Carding Mill, the only operating animal-driven mill in the entire country.

 

New photos just taken from my trip to De Immigrant in Fulton are now online.  Be the first to take a virtual tour of Illinois’ youngest custom windmill.  See photos and information from the Mendota Hills wind farm, “Big Windy” in Schiller Park, and the Sanders Windmill in Somonauk.

 

PLUS—map locations are back (where available), new detailed information about how to operate a windmill, new wind farm projects added, a site search engine, and a whole lot more.  Check it out!

 

 

                

 

2010 Mill Calendar

Check out these mill-related events in your area:

 

 

February 13

Valentine Mystery Theatre

Prairie Mills Windmill

Golden, IL

 

March 13—March 27

Windmill Follies

Prairie Mills Windmill

Golden, IL

 

April 30—May 1

Dutch Days Festival

De Immigrant Windmill

Fulton, IL

 

 

Check back for more 2010 events

Illinois Windmills by Tom Haskell

Online since May 30, 2005

Copyright 2005—2010

 

This is a personal web site and is not affiliated with the organizations, towns, or companies related to the windmills listed within this site. 

 

Last update:

February 8, 2010

Illinois Windmills

Dedicated to the history, preservation, and continuing story of windmills in Illinois

5 YEARS

50 WINDMILLS

AND COUNTING

 

 

Geoffrey Baer, a WTTW producer and host of many programs regarding Chicago history and architecture, responds to a viewer’s query about the Fischer Windmill—and uses my website as a source!  Click here to see the video.  Click here to see the January 14th program.