https://youtube.com/shorts/UO6-iVum-v8?si=AI-GMGcflzzWEXOG
“The beginnings of the Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company trace back to the activities of Charles Brackett Dempster, commonly known as C. B. Dempster. In 1878, C. B. Dempster purchased an interest in a small windmill and pump shop in Beatrice, Nebraska where he erected windmills and installed pumps…”-https://www.nps.gov/articles/history-of-dempster-windmills.htm
“…American colonists used windmills to grind grain, pump water, and cut wood at sawmills. Homesteaders and ranchers installed thousands of wind pumps as they settled the western United States. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, small wind-electric generators (wind turbines) were also widely used.
The number of wind pumps and wind turbines declined as rural electrification programs in the 1930s extended power lines to most farms and ranches across the country. However, some ranches still use wind pumps to supply water for livestock. Small wind turbines are becoming more common again, mainly to supply electricity in remote and rural areas…”-https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/wind/history-of-wind-power.php#:~:text=American%20colonists%20used%20windmills%20to,turbines)%20were%20also%20widely%20used.
“…Self-governing water pump windmills soon became a staple on the plains. Homesteaders, farmers, and ranchers were no longer dependent on natural water as they could drill wells and pump water. Windmills were often among a homesteader’s most prized possessions. The water pumped by windmills was used to cook, bathe, drink, water crops and animals, wash clothes, and more. These mills were simple, well-constructed, and dependable…”-https://www.nps.gov/articles/windmills.htm#:~:text=Homesteaders%2C%20farmers%2C%20and%20ranchers%20were,%2C%20wash%20clothes%2C%20and%20more.
How Did These Windmills Work?
“…Wooden solid-wheel windmills were widely produced in the mid- to late-19th century. They have a rigid wooden wheel that adjusts the angle of the entire windmill head to control its speed. In slow winds, the wheel points into the wind for maximum efficiency. In high winds, the wheel moves toward the vane to minimize surface area and prevent damage.
By the 1880s, vaneless windmills were growing in popularity across the central Great Plains. These windmills had hinged sections that could pivot in and out of the wind individually. This allowed them to regulate the speed of the mills as wind speeds changed. Because they had no vanes or tails to direct them into the wind, their wheel operated downwind.
The first successful all-metal windmill was marketed in 1876, but metal windmills were not common until the 1890s. Metal windmills had curved blades allowing them to capture more wind than flat wooden blades. Steel mill designs often used open back-gears instead of a direct-stroke mechanism. These innovations allowed the metal mills to out-pump many wooden mills.
Direct-stroke mills pumped water every wheel revolution. Back-geared mills needed around three revolutions per pumping cycle, but run better in lighter winds. The wheel on a back-geared spins quickly, while a direct-stroke mill must turn slowly to build up the force to pump water.
Self-oiling mills became popular in the 1920’s. These windmills had an enclosed gearbox with an oil-bath that would lubricate the moving parts of the mill as the moved. This meant maintenance on these mills was minimal. They only required cleaning and new oil about once a year. As companies began creating self-oiling mills, they often discontinued the older steel models…”-https://www.nps.gov/articles/windmills.htm#:~:text=Homesteaders%2C%20farmers%2C%20and%20ranchers%20were,%2C%20wash%20clothes%2C%20and%20more.