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"The Wonder mill . . . well, it's a wonder that you
don't have to climb up and grease it every week."
This
very significant mill was the first successful widely
distributed self-oiling windmill in the history of
American industry. Unlike almost all the other windmills
available at the time, the oil-bath Wonder did not
require regular lubrication on a weekly basis, but only
a change of oil once a year.
About 1924, the Elgin
Wind Power and Pump Company became the Elgin Windmill
Company. It was also about this time the Wonder Model A
mill was replaced with an improved design, the Wonder
Model B. Instead of having a cast-iron hood, the Model B
bears a galvanized sheet-steel hood. The earlier Model A
mills were made in 8', 10' and 12' sizes, while the
Model B mills were made in 6', 10', 12' and 14' sizes.
The Wonder windmill is
one of the most significant innovations in the history
of American windmill manufacture. Within only about a
decade and a half after the introduction of this fully
enclosed oil-bath mill, virtually every American
windmill maker had developed its own self-oiling mill.
Today a surprising number of Wonder Model A windmills
have survived to be observed in the field, while even a
larger number of later Model B Wonder mills,
manufactured at least into the the late 1940's remained
scattered across large parts of the United States.
Denton FFA's
Wonder B
Windmill The
Denton FFA Chapters are restoring a 10' Elgin Wonder
B Windmill to be erected beside the T.J. Jones AG
Barn on the campus of John H. Guyer High School.
The windmill was a
generous generous donation by Chuck Rickgauer of
Tolar, TX. He and his wife operate the Windmill
Farm Bed & Breakfast. Visit his website and
see his collection of windmills. (
www.TheWindmillFarm.com ) |