LAST Working Windmill in Farmers Branch - Farmers Branch Historical Park - Farmers Branch, TX
N 32° 55.057 W 096° 53.597
14S E 697001 N 3644121
A plaque in front of an unusual windmill near the front of the Farmers Branch Historical Park notes that it was the last working windmill in the city. The park is at 2540 Farmers Branch Ln, Farmers Branch, TX.
Waymark Code: WM125ME
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 03/04/2020
Views: 5
This bronze plaque is attached to a post in the ground, but it's not difficult to read:
Mrs. Judy Byrd donated this windmill to the Historical Park which was originally located on Keenan Bridge Road, about 2 miles from this Historical Park and was the last working windmill in Farmers Branch.
It is a Dempster No. 12 Annu Oiled and was originally manufactured in Beatrice, Nebraska. The Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company first opened up its doors in 1885, and continues to manufacture windmills today. The No. 12 was first introduced in 1922 and is still in production. It's [sic] most popular feature was that it is a self oiling, back geared, steel pumping windmill which only required the owner to lubricate the gears once a year, rather than a more frequent oiling that other windmills required.
The Dempster windmill must have been an unusual sight on the Byrd property, as the majority of windmills in the area were Aeromotors, which could be purchased through an agent in Fort Worth.
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It would be nice to know when the windmill was taken out of service and relocated here, although it's likely been here since 1986, when the park was dedicated for the Texas Sesquicentennial. Today, Farmers Branch is a bustling suburb of Dallas, and you'd be hard-pressed to spot a windmill of any kind now. The irony here is that while this one still spins and looks pretty in its retirement, that's all it does now.
parking coordinates: N 32° 55.053 W 096° 53.640
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