W is for Windmills In Texas

Top O' the Windy Mornin' to Ya'll

It' is a Windy morning here in San Angelo, Texas,

but it's March and we try to make the most of the Winds Blessings here in Texas!

Before the introduction of windmills to Texas, inhabitable land was confined to areas where a constant water supply was available. There was no way for vast areas to be settled without a life-giving supply of water. The coming of the windmill made it possible to pump water from beneath the ground, and soon whole new areas of the state were opened up to settlers.

The first windmills in Texas were of the European style, built by Dutch and German immigrants for grinding meal and powering light industry. What Texans needed most, however, was a windmill that pumped water. Because of its bulk and need for constant attention, the European windmill was impractical for this purpose. The solution to this problem came in 1854, when Daniel Halladay built the first American windmill in Ellington, Connecticut. He added to his mill a vane, or "tail," as it was called by Texas cowhands, that functioned to direct the wheel into the wind.

The old Wooden Windmills are becoming harder to find and most have been retired as working windmills.

Texas became the largest user of windmills in the United States, there were never more than three active manufacturers of windmills in Texas at one time. Windmills remain an important supplier of water for Texas cattlemen. The King Ranch in the late 1960s kept 262 mills running continuously and 100 complete spares in stock. Stocking spare mills is a common practice among ranchers who depend on the windmill to supply water for cattle in remote pastures. Because the windmill has been confined for the most part to remote areas, it has become a symbol of a lonely and primitive life, fitting for the pioneer Texans it first served.

During the 1970s researchers turned to windmills as an energy source. Due to the oil embargo and subsequent fuel crisis, the United States government increased funding for windmill research. In the 1980s the two types of modern windmills included horizontal axis and vertical axis. These new versions harness wind power and convert it into electricity.  Today Wind Farms are a viable part of the Renewable Energy Industry.

My favorites are still the Old Wooden Windmills!

Linking To

Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday

for

The Letter W