Mid-America Windmill Museum

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    Baker Hall Recption Center     Power Mill Building     Robertson Post Windmill     Samson (O'Connor) Windmill

 Newsletter
    Windmill Clipper

 

Museum Open
April – November

 

Hours

 Tues. – Fri. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
 Sat. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
 Sun. 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

 

Admission

 Adults $4.00
 Seniors 55+ $3.50
 Student/Child $1.50
 Children under 6 Free


Address

 732 S. Allen Chapel Road
 Kendallville, IN 46755
 260-347-2334


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History of the Museum Part I


Windmills in Kendallville, Indiana! Who would have ever thought of that? It all started with the idea of one man who had a vision for the future to preserve the past. It all started in March of 1991, when Russell Baker, a board member of the Local Development Corporation, suggested that Kendallville start a windmill museum as a tourist attraction. He explained that a major manufacturer of windmills was a Kendallville company—Flint & Walling Manufacturing Company. In addition, he also noted that within an 80-mile radius of Kendallville there were some 90 windmill companies in operation during the period of 1860 to the 1920’s.

The idea generated the interest and curiosity of the other board members and they adopted the suggestion. Thus began the turning of the fan blades. The first windmill committee was formed in June 1991 with Russ Baker and seven other individuals. The Kendallville Local Development Corporation (KLDC) began raising money and looking for a suitable location for the museum. Under the direction of the KLDC, a group of twenty individuals, local companies, and foundations contributed over $64,000 to be used to purchase land on the east side of Kendallville. By June 1992, the KLDC purchased land on Allen Chapel Road from the Levin family.

Now with land purchased, the first organizational meeting of the Society was held in August 1992 at the public library. Twenty-two people voted to organize, elect a temporary chairman and a committee to present Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws at the next meeting. Russell Baker and his committee presented the Articles and By-Laws at the second meeting held on September 16, 1992. The Kendallville Windmill Museum and Historical Society received its incorporation paper from the Indiana Secretary of State on October 9, 1992.

The fledgling group then managed to acquire some windmills to begin restoring and by November 1992, ground was broken for the first building as a basement was poured that would support our main exhibit and display area. Among the first windmills obtained for restoration were an Eclipse Worm-gear, a Model 402 Aermotor, Elgin “Wonder” and a Flint & Walling Model 15.

January 1993 signaled a new year and a new start for the Windmill Museum with its membership drive. By the end of the drive in April, the museum had a membership roster of 275 members, 36 of whom were “Life Members”. Over $17,000 was raised for the museum. Later that spring, the Walter Klinger barn was disassembled and moved to the museum where it was erected on the new poured foundation. The barn, a 40’x60’ hand hewn mortise and tenon bank style barn, was donated to the museum by Walter and Marie Klinger of Avilla, Indiana. The barn was originally built in the late 1880’s. It contains the museum’s main display of windmill history.

Continued