ILLINOIS WINDMILLS
Dedicated to the history, preservation, and continuing story of windmills in Illinois.
Rinn Windmill
Holland Windmill
Hampshire, IL
Status
Destroyed.
Uses
(1875 - ?) Feed
(1920s - ?) Electricity
Constructed
(1875 - ?)
Millwright
William Rinn
Owners
William Rinn (1875 - 1883)
Rippe (1875 - 1883)
John Brill (1883 - ?)
The Rinn Windmill, operating under steam power in 1910
Photo from DigitalPast
History of the Mill
From the Hampshire Public Library:
“In 1875, S. W. L. Cook owned the store building now occupied by W. Hathaway. He built this building and several other stores, the cheese factory, the school and quite a number of dwellings. At this time Rinn & Rippe had the gristmill which has been owned by John Brill since 1883. The Holland windmill then used, has been taken down and the work is now done by steam.”
According to texts, William Rinn built the windmill initially.
Information recently found on DigitalPast says the windmill operated by wind power for only a few years before it was found that the mill was not situated in a good place to catch the wind.
It was then that the mill was converted to steam power. Photos show the mill still standing well into the 1920s, when the engine would then be used as a turbine to power the lights in town.
The mill continued to operate until it burned down (date unknown).