May 11th is National Windmill Day

The Dutch, of course, are famous for windmills and rightly so.  While windmills were built around the world by many civilizations, it was in the Netherlands that they reached their highest point of technological achievement. Today, there are still hundreds of them in the Netherlands, mostly dating from the 1400’s to 1800’s and many are still operating, pumping water, grinding flour, and cutting lumber.

Technology travels well.  The Mennonites who settled in Steinbach, Manitoba in the 1870’s, built a windmill based on knowledge handed down through generations.  It only served a few years before being replaced by a steam powered flour mill. A replica mill, built in 1972 at Mennonite Heritage Village, was destroyed by fire in October 2000. That was a big shock to the community.  Thankfully, the Steinbach windmill was rebuilt over the next year by Cornerstone Timberframes and the Dutch millwright company, Verbij Hoogmade. As you can see in the photos below, it was a fun and challenging project!

Windmills are a joy to see operating, the sails swinging through the sky, wood gears and shafts spinning and the sound of the big millstones grinding wheat into flour. There is a real beauty to be found in things that are well-made and that serve a good purpose.