Wind Engines
Manufacturers
Although the U. S. Wind Engine and Pump Company is the oldest
manufacturer of wind engines, the Challenge Windmill Company was the
first to open such a factory in Batavia. These large facilities
were situated on the Fox River, ironically using water power to turn the
machines that made windmills!
The factories all had different departments and warehouses. The
wood shop is where vanes, sails, and towers were carved directly from
stock lumber using different templates for the available models.
The machine shop was no doubt the busiest; there the metal gearboxes,
rods, pumps, fasteners, and spare parts were manufactured from raw stock
materials. When metal windmills became popular, the machine shops
were expanded to include the manufacture of sails, vanes, and towers.
The Challenge Factory building still stands on Batavia’s Riverwalk and
now serves as Batavia’s government center. Proudly displayed on
the grounds are wind engine models from Challenge, U.S. Wind Engine,
Appleton, and Batavia Mill.
The following list includes major windmill manufacturers. Hundreds
more companies were involved in the process of selling and distributing
windmills; however, there are far too many to catalogue. Note that some
of the brand-name windmills began as independent companies but were
later purchased or merged with other manufacturing companies. Help me add to this list by sending an email to
info@illinoiswindmills.org.
Wind Engine Manufacturers (86)
| Manufacturer Name | Location | Model(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. J. Corcoran | New York, NY | Corcoran | |
| A. Y. McDonald Mfg. Co. | Dubuque, IA | Giant Airmaster | |
| Aera Manufacturing Company | Henry, IL | Aera | |
| Aermotor Windmill Company | Chicago, IL | Aermotor, Bilby | Open: based in San Antonio, TX |
| Albion Wind Mill | Albion, MI | Albion, Union, Wolcott | Became Cook Manufacturing Co. |
| W. H. Aldrich | Logansport, IL | Aldrich, Columbia, Happy Home | Became King Drill Company |
| Alston & Sons PTY. LTD | Melbourne, Australia | Alston, Aqua | |
| Althouse-Wheeler & Company | Waupun, WI | Giant, Raymond, Waupun | |
| American Well Works | Aurora, IL | American | |
| Appleton Manufacturing Co. | Batavia, IL | Goodhue | Plant razed for Batavia Riverwalk |
| Austin Manufacturing Co. | Chicago, IL | Zero | |
| Automatic Mower and Mfg. Co. | Chicago, IL | Industrious | |
| Baker Manufacturing Company | Evansville, WI | Monitor | |
| Batavia Mill Company | Batavia, IL | Batavia, Pearl, Success | |
| Beatty Brothers, LTD. | Fergus, Ontario | Beatty, Brantford Self-Oiling | |
| Beckman Brothers | Des Moines, IA | B. B. | |
| Breyer Brothers, Whiting, & Co. | Waupun, WI | Bell, Ozark | |
| Burke-Bollmeyer Manufacturing Co. | Wauseon, OH | "Pull-the-Wire" Windmill Oiler | Add oil from ground |
| Butler Windmill Company | Butler, IN | Defiance, Oilomatic, Old Style | |
| C. A. Miller | Urbana, OH | Climax | |
| C & P Machine | Salina, KS | Pioneer | |
| Celina Manufacturing Company | Celina, OH | Monarch | |
| Challenge Windmill & Feed Co. | Batavia, IL | Daisy, Dandy, O.K. | Plant used as metal works in World War II |
| Clay Center Windmill & Foundry Co. | Clay Center, KS | Gudnuf | |
| Continental Wind Mill Company | New York, NY | Continental | |
| Crane and Ordway Company | Saint Paul, MN | Crane, Ideal | |
| David Bradley Windmill Company | Groton, NY | Champion | Later bought out by Sears |
| Decorah Windmill Company | Decorah, IA | Decorah | |
| Dempster Mill Manufacturing Co. | Beatrice, NE | Beatrice, Boss, Dempster | |
| Double Power Mill Company | Appleton, WI | Double Power | Back-to-back wind wheels |
| Duplex Manufacturing Company | Superior, WI | Andrew, Hyatt, Superior | |
| Easy Manufacturing Company | Lincoln, NE | Easy | |
| Elgin Windmill Company | Elgin, IL | Elgin, Tip-Top, Wonder | First successful self-oiling wind engines |
| Empire Wind Mill Mfg. Company | Syracuse, NY | Empire | |
| F. W. Axtell Manufacturing Co. | Fort Worth, TX | Ever-Oiled | |
| F. W. Krogh and Company | San Francisco, CA | Eureka | |
| F. W. Winter and Company | Faribault, MN | Hazen | |
| Fairbanks, Morse, & Company | Chicago, IL | Eclipse | Originally from Beloit, WI |
| Fairbury Windmill Company | Fairbury, NE | Fairbury | |
| Flint & Walling Manufacturing Co. | Kendallville, IN | Leader, Star | Inspired Mid-America Windmill Museum |
| Goold, Shapley & Muir Co. LTD | Brantford, Ontario | Ideal | |
| Heller-Aller Company | Napoleon, OH | Baker | Manufactured deep-well wind engines |
| Hildreth Iron Works | Hildreth, NE | Hildreth | |
| Horicon Windmill Company | Horicon, WI | Horicon | |
| Industrial Manufacturing Company | Buchanan, MI | Ariel Roller | |
| Kirkwood Wind Engine Company | Arkansas City, KS | Kirkwood | |
| Kregel Wind Mill Company | Nebraska City, KS | Eli | |
| Marseilles Manufacturing Company | Marseilles, IL | Adams, Steel Queen | |
| Mast, Foos & Company | Springfield, OH | Imperial, Iron Turbine | J. S. Risdon of Genoa, IL patents first steel mill |
| Maud's Windmill and Pump Co. | Lansing, MI | Maud's | |
| May Brothers Windmill Company | Galesburg, IL | New May, Little Giant | |
| McDaniel and Son | Litchfield, IL | New Era | |
| Montgomery Ward | Chicago, IL | Air King, Clipper, Wind Master | |
| Mount Pulaski Wind Mill Company | Mount Pulaski, IL | Yankee | |
| Ontario Wind Engine and Pump Co. | Toronto, Ontario | Toronto | |
| Parish Windmills | Earth, TX | Parish | |
| Perkins Wind Mill Company | Mishawaka, IN | Perkins Steel | |
| Peter's Pump Company | Kewanee, IL | Peter's | |
| Phelps and Bigelow Wind Mill Co. | Kalamazoo, MI | IXL | Later made Daisy "Red Ryder" BB guns |
| Plattner-Yale Company | Lincoln, NE | Yale | |
| Plymouth Iron Windmill Company | Plymouth, MI | Hamilton | |
| Powell and Douglass Mfg. Co. | Waukegan, IL | Iron Screw | |
| Red Cross Manufacturing Company | Bluffton, IN | Red Cross Line | |
| Rex Windmill Company | North Manchester, IN | Rex | |
| Rork Windmill Company | Lansing, MI | Rork | |
| Ross Supply Company | Greenville, OH | Rex | |
| S. Freeman and Sons Mfg. Co. | Racine, WI | Special | |
| Sandwich Enterprise Company | Sandwich, IL | Enterprise | |
| Sears Roebuck & Company | Chicago, IL | Kenwood | |
| Simpson Windmill & Machine Co. | Fairbury, NE | Simpson | |
| Silver and Deming | Salem, OH | Deming | |
| Smith and Pomeroy | Kalamazoo, MI | Eureka | |
| Southern Cross Windmill Company | South Africa | Z | Oldest international manufacturer |
| Southern Steel Wind Mill Company | Los Angeles, CA | Pomona | |
| Springfield Steel Machine Company | Springfield, OH | Leffel | |
| Stover Manufacturing Company | Freeport, IL | Ideal Irrigator, Samson | |
| Trahem Pump Company | Rockford, IL | Trahem | |
| Twin Wheel Windmill Mfg. Co. | Hutchinson, KS | Twin Wheel | As name suggests, a double wind wheel |
| Union Steel Products Co., LTD. | Albion, MI | Albion, Cook | |
| U. S. Wind Engine and Pump Co. | Batavia, IL | Ace, Halladay, Little Gem | First wind engine manufacturer |
| Ward Love Pump Company | Rockford, IL | Rockford | |
| Western Land Roller Company | Hastings, NE | Western | |
| Williams, Smith & Company | Kalamazoo, MI | Manvel | |
| Winship Manufacturing Company | Racine, WI | Racine | |
| Woodmanse Manufacturing Co. | Freeport, IL | Airmaster, Mogul, Woodmanse | |
| Wyatt Manufacturing Company | Salina, KS | Currie |
