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August 3, 2001
Blowin' in the Wind...
By
Lana Robinson
Field Editor
Often a symbol of a lonely and primitive life, fitting for the pioneers it first served, those who know its history believe the windmill—not six-shooters—is how the West was won. The windmill gave railroads access to underground water for steam engines, permitted ranchers to fence and selectively breed cattle, and allowed farmers to live on land where there were no rivers, streams, or lakes.
According to the American Wind Power Center in Lubbock, over 700 companies manufactured some type of windmill between 1854 and 1920. Prior to 1920, tens of thousands of windmills were sold and erected across the Great Plains. Windmills from that period are ones that survived the great scrap metal drives of both World Wars. Many fine examples can be viewed at the 28-acre Center and in various parts of the state where collectors esteem the windmill for its prominent historical role, its practical use and its nostalgic appeal.
Thirty-five windmills sprout from the ground like giant sunflowers on 11 acres on Colony Road, between Granbury and Tolar, in Hood County. At Windmill Farm, each has been restored to the mill's original condition, and each functions as designed. Some windmills are always in operation here. New ones are being added as they are restored. Owners Chuck and Ruby Rickgauer also operate a windmill repair, restoration, and relocation business, giving visitors opportunities to see restorations in progress.
"I've restored 108 windmills since 1992, but most of them over the past four years. That's when I really got serious about it," says Chuck Rickgauer, a fit and friendly man totally immersed in his restorative work. "There are hundreds buying and selling, but I'm one of only about 20 people nationally that actually restore windmills to working condition."
The Rickgauers moved to Texas in 1984 and bought their existing acreage in 1989. A 6-foot Model 702 Aermotor (circa 1933), near the rear of the property, was the one that got them started collecting.
"That's the one from Ruby's parents' farm in South Dakota, the one she grew up with. We brought it down here soon after we bought this property," Chuck Rickgauer recalls.
Windmill Farm is also home to a 10-foot 702 Aermotor, the most successful and common windmill ever made, a 7-foot 702 and an 8-foot 602 Aermotor, a forerunner which was also very popular across Texas and beyond.
An electrical engineer who works as a Comanche Peak power plant quality assurance manager by day, Chuck Rickgauer devotes many evenings and weekends overhauling his treasures. He rummages through scrap metal yards and hardware stores for parts, and supplies for making parts, used in his refurbishing efforts. He has an extensive stash, and a big red barn and workshop with plenty of room for tinkering. He rarely tires, but when he does, his love for this hobby-turned-business is enough to generate a second wind.
Every time Rickgauer spots an abandoned windmill, or gets wind of one that someone wants removed, he pursues it. The windmill wizzard loves nothing better than transforming an eyesore into a thing of beauty. He gets $1,800 apiece for his reconditioned antiques and says he can mend just about any windmill so it will run again for $500. He has found true fulfilment "blowin' in the wind."
Windmill Farm tour
As you enter the gate at Windmill Farm, self-guided tour materials are available, including a description and history of each windmill.
"To me, one of the neat things about our windmills is they are representative of the actual mills used in this part of the state," Chuck Rickgauer observes. "The attraction is that every one is different. I have a story for every one of these."
The latest addition at Windmill Farm is an 8-foot "Wonder A" from the Elgin Windmill Co in Elgin, Illinois (circa 1912).
"This is the very first production mill that you did not have to oil or grease every week or month. This is an historically significant windmill as it changed the entire direction of windmill design," he explains.
The big green Eclipse is a favorite with photographers. Invented in 1863, Fairbanks Morse Co., in Chicago, produced them from about 1880 until 1920. It boasts an exceptional, classic design with a side vane not seen in modern windmills.
"When the patent expired in 1901, many companies made this mill exactly as the original manufacturer had. The mill is painted with the original color, `cow patty green.' Sure is pretty," says Rickgauer, noting that its tower is from the old Tolar sawmill.
As you wind through the pasture, you will see Clippers, Samsons, Flint & Wallings, Challenges, Monitors, Woodmanses, an Air King, an Air Chief, a Dandy, a Dempster, a Currie, a Red Cross and more. Windmill diameters range from 5 to 12 feet. Several are fitted with wooden blades, some with metal; some are mounted on wooden towers, others on metal. Blades on some models tilt into the wind. Some are chain-driven while others are direct stroke. Some have tails, or vanes, as counterweights or that help turn them into the wind, while others are vaneless.
Customer needs vary
The Rickgauers' customers buy windmills for birthday presents, anniversaries, landscape accents and for actual use.
"We sold a big one to some people in Pecan Plantation, a gated community near here. The house and grounds were all situated with the windmill in mind," says Ruby Rickgauer.
Sometimes, they have unusual requests, like the wife who asked Chuck Rickgauer if he could "sneak" a windmill into the backyard as a surprise for her husband for his birthday.
"We took it to Haskell and erected it in a couple of hours, while he was gone," says Rickgauer.
Rickgauer says people love windmills. They find comfort in their pleasant whirrs. Some prefer the squeaky sounds, which take them back to their days on the farm. He finds great satisfaction in his work.
"Any number of people will tell me, `I thought of you today. I saw a windmill.' That's a nice feeling."
The Windmill Farm is open daily, sun-up to sundown, for drive-through tours. Cameras welcome. For more information, write: The Windmill Farm, 6625 Colony Road, Tolar, TX 76476; or call 254/835-4168. For a virtual tour, visit the Farm's web site: www.thewindmillfarm.com.
