Bizarre Photos of Homemade Windmills in Nebraska From the 1800s

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A vintage black-and-white photograph depicts a man standing with hands on hips next to a rustic wooden windmill and water well in an open field. Sparse trees and a flat landscape characterize the background.

A historic set of previously unseen photos showing homemade windmills in Nebraska have been digitized from the U.S. National Archive.

The strange contraptions played a significant role in 1890s Nebraska as settlers and farmers used them as an innovative solution to the challenges of rural life in the Great Plains.

A black-and-white photo of a wooden windmill structure on a barren landscape. A person wearing a hat and dark clothing stands to the right of the windmill. The sky is clear and the surroundings appear desolate.

A vintage windmill with wooden blades stands in an open field. To the right, a horse is hitched to a buggy, facing away. The image is in black and white, giving it an old-fashioned appearance.

A black and white image of two vintage windmills in a rural landscape. The windmills stand amidst grassy fields and a fenced area with trees in the background. A horse-drawn wagon is visible near the right windmill.

Windmills were primarily used to pump water from underground wells for irrigation, livestock, and household use. Given Nebraska’s semi-arid climate, having access to a reliable water source was essential for survival and agriculture.

A vintage black and white photo shows a group of people gathered around a tall wooden windmill. A small building with a sign reading "Lake View" stands nearby. Trees and shrubs surround the area, creating a rural setting.

A black-and-white photo of an old windmill with wooden blades standing in an open field. The base is constructed from wooden beams, and there's a trough at the bottom. Trees and a fence are visible in the background.

A person stands beside a large, vintage wooden structure in a grassy field. The structure has walls and a slanted roof, with a partially open hatch. Fence posts and open land are visible in the background.

According to an article by Alan Taylor in The Atlantic, a geology professor at the University of Nebraska called Erwin Barbour documented the state’s windmills in 1897. Barbour traveled the state, interviewing their owners to find out more about the windmills.

Barbour made a report in 1899 in which he found both wealthy and poor farmers built all different manner of mills for things like powering farm machinery, irrigation, and livestock.

A historical black and white image of a farmhouse with a windmill on the roof. A picket fence surrounds the house, and there are trees and another windmill in the background. Geese are walking in the yard.

Two men in suits and hats stand beside a large, early prototype of an airplane made from wood. The machine has a wooden propeller and box-like structure, set outdoors with trees in the background.

Black and white image of an early experimental wind turbine with large flat panels mounted on a frame in a grassy field. A barn and a few houses are visible in the background.

Most homemade windmills were constructed using locally available materials: wood, metal, and recycled materials. Designs were simple and based on trial and error or ideas shared within the community.

Durability was a major issue, as Nebraska’s strong winds could damage poorly constructed windmills. Maintenance required constant attention, as wooden parts could warp or rot, and metal components were prone to rust or wear.