The Old Dutch Mill - Windmills on Waymarking.com

Literature from the Mount Emblem Cemetery indicates construction of this windmill began in The Netherlands in 1847 and was finished by Frederick Fischer in 1850 on the site where it still stands today. However, land and tax records from the DuPage County Clerk reveal a different story: Henry Frederick Fischer began mill construction in 1865 on the farmland he inherited upon the death of his father, Frederick L. Fischer.

The mill's parts were prefabricated to Fischer’s specifications and shipped to Elmhurst from Holland in pieces. It took nearly three years to build because of changes to the design during its construction. (despite being constructed without machinery, most mills took just a year or so to build) The 5-storey mill features cypress beams, hickory and white oak gearing, and white pine sails all resting on a foundation of stone that rises two stories. With a sail span of over 74’ and capability of 40 barrels per day, Fischer’s mill was one of the largest in the state. Technologically speaking, Fischer’s mill is very advanced: it features grain elevators; a fly-ball governor to automatically tenter the grinding stones; an auxiliary drive system; “shakers” that automatically tap grain into the stones; the latest wheat-cleaning and corn-shelling machines; and a spiral conveyor. The north receiving wing (which once had double-doors that wagons could back into) is equipped with a cart that rides on tracks to ease the transport of grains from farmers’ wagons to the grain bins at the center of the mill. A bolting machine that separated and bagged the freshly-ground flour is located in the east shipping wing. To drive the windmill on calm days, a 25-horsepower steam engine was installed in the west wing.

The mill began operation in 1867, grinding wheat and corn, and was capable of grinding 40 barrels of flour a day.

After operating the mill for 10 years, Fischer sold the mill and ten acres to Edward Ehlers for $10,000. After that, Illinois wheat farming began to decline. The windmill ceased regular operation around 1894 when profitable wheat farming in Illinois hit an all-time low, and began to fall into disrepair. The mill probably stopped grinding altogether around 1916 when Edward Ehlers passed away. (photographs indicate that two sails, located opposite one another, had broken off around 1912. Despite this fact, it is possible the mill could still operate)

Edward’s widow Caroline sold the farm and the windmill to the Mount Emblem Association for $10,000 in 1925. Originally scheduled for demolition, the association instead hired Henry and Franklyn Ehlers, Edward’s sons, of Ehlers Brothers General Contractors, to preserve the mill as a museum. They rebuilt the two missing sails, installed new windows, shingles and trim, replaced the stage and hand rails, painted the mill, and purposely dismantled some of the inner gearing to better show their use. The sails were turned to an ‘X’ formation, which traditionally means the mill is in “a long rest period,” and the cap was turned to the northeast toward the cemetery’s entrance. It was not long, however, before the prevailing west winds lifted the cap of the mill off the dead curb track. To prevent future damage, the cap was permanently strapped to the tower.

From 1926 to 1990, the windmill was left untouched. The sails eventually lost their wind boards, and three of the sails broke as a result of tail-winding. The replacement sails, nearly identical to the one remaining original (the lower left), were a few feet shorter with only 26 sail-bars instead of 30.

A severe storm nearly destroyed the mill during the winter of 1990-91. Forces against the tail of the cap caused the brake to release and the sails to turn. The wind shaft twisted apart. As the sails fell, the brake wheel rose until its teeth came into contact with the wallower which, thankfully, held together and prevented the machinery from causing further damage. The mill remained this way—with its damaged sails angled toward the ground as the unbalanced cap teetered on the tower while slowly being pulled apart by the brake wheel—for some time until the sails were finally removed and the cap repaired. The aging mill was then deemed structurally unsafe and permanently closed to the public.

The following year, all four sails and the wind shaft were replaced, but the replacement sails were purely for show; the new windshaft was permanently bolted to the brake wheel, and the sails were built without an angle of weather, this time only containing 19 sail bars each. In 1998, yet another storm tail-winded the cap, snapping its two upper sails. These were replaced, and the entire sail structure was reinforced with extra bolts, clamps, and cables.

A winter storm in 2003-2004 brought all four sails down again. For the bulk of 2004, the sails and wind shaft sat on the ground to the east of the mill and a gaping hole in the cap exposed the brake wheel. In early 2005 the sails were replaced again using light-weight aluminum bolted to the mill's cap, using only 13 sail-bars widely spaced apart. The mill rests like that today, with recorded organ music played out the windows.

Date of Manufacture: 01/01/1865 Purpose: Milling Open to the public: yes Is This Windmill Functional?: No Windmill Farm: no Cost: 0.00 (listed in local currency) Museum on Site: Not Listed

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