A Closer Look: Advertising Photo-Slides

It has been my intent for quite some time now to make a new periodical series on this blog where I will choose an individual artifact from the museum and delve a little deeper into the history of it. When all of the pieces in the Kregel factory are looked at as parts of the whole they paint an incredible picture of the company's, and the family's, long history. However each individual artifact in the museum has its own story to tell: 

When was it made? How was it used? Who made it? Where was it made?

It will be the goal of this new series to try and shed some light on items that might get overshadowed by the gestalt picture of the museum. We have amidst our collections some very cool and interesting artifacts that I believe deserve their fair due. I will do my best to provide an in depth history of some of the more intriguing items the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum has to offer.

Due to recent inquiry by a visitor, the first artifact spotlight in this series will be the advertising projection slides that were found here at the museum a few months back. 

These slides were originally produced for use by projectionists in cinemas to advertise local businesses during breaks between films or changing reels. Arthur Kregel's brother, Robert, owned an auto repair shop here in Nebraska City from 1910 to 1948. The photo slides that were found in the museum are advertisements for Kregel Brothers Auto Repair, originally viewed during film screenings throughout 1923.

In attempting to find more information regarding slides like these, and where these slides came from, I hit quite a brick wall. The company that produced these slides was the Wheel-Sheridan Corporation out of Los Angeles. As it states on the slides the company was operating under the name American Photo-Slide Company. When I tried to do some research on the American Photo-Slide Company, or Wheeler-Sheridan, I came up with almost nothing. That's an extremely odd occurrence in the age of technology. The only reference to the company that I found came from a listing in the Southwest Builder and Contractor, a widely distributed industry magazine of the time. The magazine shows that the company had "changes on permit #580" on June 25th, 1920. However there is no other mention of the company or its history anywhere that I could find.

I know that this is a fairly short introduction to this new blogpost series but I will continue to look for more information on these slides. There isn't a lot out there about this form of advertisement in general, let alone these specific pieces. Hopefully I can dig something else up on these and give an update in a little while. In the mean time, here are some more pictures of the slides we have here at the KWFM. Thanks for stopping by and may your blades always catch the wind!

                          

3rd Speaker Event Announcement

We are proud to finally announced the information for our 3rd and final event of this year's Fall Speaker Series. The presentation, set for November 22nd at 7pm, will feature Jesse Korus. Mr. Korus is a survey geologist with the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and will be giving a talk entitled "Geology, Groundwater, and Wells: The Story of Nebraska's Subterranean Connections". This presentation will give attendees an in depth look into the intricacies of Nebraska's groundwater and the work that goes into getting it from the ground to wherever it is needed. Our aim is to provide insight into the type of work that the Kregel's would have been doing when they were a well repair and pump services business, providing services in about a forty mile radius around Nebraska City.
We hope to have many visitors join us for an educational and engaging presentation!

Second Speaker Event Overview

A big thank you goes out to everyone that attended the second part of our Fall Speaker Series last Thursday, October 16th. The speaker for the event was Prof. Don Hickey from Wayne State College who gave a presentation on the rich heritage of Nebraska. This interesting presentation was an educational and engaging look at the diverse history of this great state. Covering everything from the first homesteaders braving the "Great American Desert" to the modern obsession with everything Cornhusker, Prof. Hickey accurately portrayed the feelings and personalities of Nebraskans. 
Although the event had a somewhat small audience, it was still an incredible presentation followed by an equally good Q&A section. I would like to personally thank Professor Hickey for being involved in the first year of our Speaker Series and I look forward to having him back to present for us in the future. May your blades always catch the wind!

Second Speaker Event

    The Kregel Windmill Factory Museum is proud to announce the second installment in our 2014 Fall Speaker Series. On Thursday October 16th at 6:30 pm here at the museum there will be a presentation by Wayne State College professor Don Hickey on Nebraska's Rich Heritage. Prof. Hickey is known worldwide for his work on the War of 1812 and he is considered one of the premier scholars on that conflict. Prof. Hickey has also written a book on the vibrant history of Nebraska entitled Nebraska Moments: Glimpses of Nebraska's Past. In this book Prof. Hickey highlights defining moments throughout Nebraska's history and the incredible accomplishments, and sometimes terrible tragedies, that occurred along the way. Our fine state may seem quiet and docile on the surface, but delve deeper and you will find impressive tales of people and places that were otherwise unknown. 

    Attendees to this presentation will be given a sense of types of trials and tribulations that early Nebraskans faced trying to make their way in what some referred to as "The Great American Desert" This event is free to the public with snacks and refreshments provided. Please come join us for a fabulous night of rich Nebraska history at the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum. And may your blades always catch the wind!

Dr. Baker Presentation Night

 

    Last Saturday evening was the first in a three part Fall Speaker Series being held here at the museum. This weekend also marked the annual Applejack Festival in Nebraska City, so the museum was packed with visitors throughout the weekend. There were many visitors that braved the crowds on Central Ave. and the heat to come tour the factory on Saturday afternoon. When the evening rolled around the crowds began to wain, yet visitors continued to come through the doors right up until the start of the presentation by Dr. T. Lindsay Baker. 
    We had a great crowd for the first event of this type that we have held here at the KWFM. There is never anyway to truly know what the reception is going to be like when hosting a new program or event, but we can say without a doubt that last Saturday evening was a definite success; especially for a Husker football Saturday. With the entire front of the museum packed with die-hard windmill fans and interested historians, Dr. Baker gave a wholly engaging lecture on the history of North American windmill manufacturing and how the Kregel Windmill Co. fits into the larger scheme. During his talk, Dr. Baker was able to connect stories and information regarding windmill factories all over the U.S. to the history directly related to what the Kregel's accomplished in their small, Central Ave. factory. Dr. Baker emphasized the intimate correlation between the work the Kregel's were doing and the work being done all over the country in small and large factories alike.

    The presentation took on a larger meaning and had a deeper effect for those listening due to it being held amidst the machinery and ephemera being discussed. When the subject of the talk turned to discussion on sheet metal departments in windmill factories, it was pointed out to the audience that, in fact, they were seated in the sheet metal department of the Kregel Windmill Co.; a revelation that resulted in a few raised eyebrows and glances around the factory.
   The machinery and factory departments weren't the only subjects being talked about that evening. Descriptions of working environments all over North America gave listeners a glimpse into what life was like for these hard-working men. From fluctuating temperatures and dangerous machinery to poor pay and labor union strikes, the early American windmill factory was a hazardous atmosphere. Through Dr. Baker's presentation the audience was able to have an empathetic connection with the men and women that made America's wind power, and the settlement of the plains, possible. 

   All in all the first Fall Speaker Series event was a great success and it makes us here at the KWFM excited for the next two installments this year, and gives us hope for a repeat with new topics next year. A big thank you goes out to everyone that attended the presentation, and an even bigger thank you to Dr. T. Lindsay Baker for taking the time out of his schedule to be with us last weekend. May your blades always catch the wind!

A Rare Relic

As with any museum there are always certain aspects and facts that are unknown. The missing information is what keeps historians striving to learn as much as possible. Recently, the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum was able to fill in one piece of information about the history of the windmills made here.

A visitor came through for a tour a while back because he happened to own the vane from a Kregel windmill...and not just any vane. The vane that he owned wasn't the usual "ELI" brand vane we are used to. It was actually a vane from one of the original wooden windmills the Kregel Windmill Co. produced. The wooden vane pictured above is very likely the only one of its kind still in existence.

During approximately the first five years of being in business the Kregels produced around 16 all wooden windmills. With wooden wheels, vanes, and towers these mills were very susceptible to the weather and it was not expected that any pieces of the original 16 still existed. We now know that at least one piece of these rare and historic windmills exists and is intact in good hands.

Fall Speaker Series

Here at the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum we are always looking for events and programs that will provide visitors and members with an opportunity to connect with the museum and experience something new and interesting. For this reason we are happy to announce that this fall, starting in September, we will be hosting a three-part speaker series highlighting history related to the factory, the windmills, and the era in which the factory was operating at its peak.

The first of these speaking events will be held on September 20th, 2014 at 6:30pm. The speaker for the first of these programs will be Dr. T. Lindsay Baker. Dr. Baker is the W.K. Gordon Endowed Chair of Southwestern History at Tarleton State University. Dr. Baker was instrumental in establishing the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum when it was first conceived in the mid-1990's. He is also an expert on the history of American water-pumping windmills and has written multiple books on the subject. 

Dr. Baker will be giving a presentation titled "The Place of the Kregel Windmill Company in the History of Windmill Manufacture in North America." This event is free to the public. We hope to see many of you there to help us kick-off our first ever Fall Speaker Series!

Woodmen of the World Camp

Over the last few weeks it has been a great pleasure to host groups from the Woodmen of the World Youth Camp here in Nebraska City, NE. Camp WOW, sponsored by Woodmen of the World, is a weekly summer camp for local kids age eight through fifteen. On the last day of each week the kids walked the few blocks over to the museum and have a tour of the factory, as well as see the working ELI windmill across the street. The Woodmen of the World Campgrounds in Nebraska City has on its property an original ELI windmill dating from about the mid-1930's. The kids were able to come here and see what that windmill would have looked like when it was first erected, likely by George & Art Kregel themselves.

We would like to thank Woodmen of the World, Evelyn Alonso, and all of the camp counselors and campers for making the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum part of their summer vacation. We hope to see you all again next year!

2014 Tractor Relay Across Nebraska is Off and Running!

The festivities began early this morning for almost everyone involved in the Tractor Relay Across Nebraska 2014 with breakfast at Mary's Cafe here in Nebraska City at 6 am. After a delicious breakfast and many a cup of coffee the other tractors began to trickle into town and line up and this year's starting line, the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum. All totaled there were 24 tractors that filled out the ranks for the beginning of this year's relay. This group was made up of many different brands and models, such as Farmall, John Deere, Oliver, Massey-Harris, Ford, Allis-Chalmers, and Case. The thing that tied them all together was the enthusiasm and dedication of their owners and operators to the history and restoration of antique farm machinery. This relay event is a wonderful way to celebrate the love of agricultural machinery while raising money for a good cause at the same time.

Also in attendance at the event were members of the Nebraska American Legion to accept checks from both the Platte Valley Antique Machinery Association and the Nebraska Antique Farming Association to support Operation Comfort Warriors, a charity that seeks to assist veterans by providing them with comfort items not normally supplied by the government. After the presentation of the checks and a quick tour of the museum it was time for the relay participants to be on their way. With diesel engines humming and American flags adorning the machines, the relay was on it's way at around 10 am and heading south to the first overnight stop on the trip in Tecumseh.