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. 

The Big Day is Almost Here!

It's one day before the 2014 Tractor Relay Across Nebraska! Tractors are already starting to file in and preparing for the 371 mile trek from Nebraska City, NE to Haigler, NE, (50 miles Southwest of McCook). This event, sponsored by the Nebraska Antique Farming Association, will kick off at 7:30am on Saturday May 31st with driver check-in and then a tour of the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum as well as a presentation with the American Legion and Operation Comfort Warriors. Operation Comfort Warriors is a program dedicated to meeting the needs of wounded, injured or ill military personnel by providing them with comfort items not usually supplied by the government.

This should be a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning filled with history, charity, and camaraderie, and of course an impressive collection of polished-up antique tractors and farm machinery. We encourage anyone interested in agricultural history or agricultural machinery to join in the festivities starting at 7:30am in the City Hall parking lot across the street from the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum here in Nebraska City. 

We hope to see many people in attendance, and may your blades always catch the wind!

Smithsonian Article Names Nebraska City in the Top Ten

We here at the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum were very pleased to see the recent article in this month's Smithsonian Magazine naming Nebraska City as one of the top 10 small towns to visit in 2014. The magazine article also specifically names the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum as one of the premier destinations in Nebraska City...we agree! As the article states, "[The Kregel Windmill Factory Museum] manufactured the wind-driven turbines that brought well water to the semiarid Great Plains farmland." This article is great coverage for the museum and we are very pleased to have such national recognition. Other great Nebraska City museums are mentioned in the article as well, such as the Nebraska City Museum of Firefighting, the Old Freighter's Museum, and the Mayhew Cabin. Go check out the article at the link above and help us celebrate Nebraska City, and all the other great towns, as a summer destination.

Photo Credit: Ryan Donnell

Arbor Day and Anniversary Event

Hey everybody, it's spring and that means the weather is getting better and there are some upcoming events here at the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum. The first major event that we have been planning is in celebration of both Arbor Day and the one year anniversary of our grand opening. 

The Arbor Day and Anniversary BBQ is set to be held here at the museum on the front lawn on Arbor Day, April 26th from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm. We will be selling burgers, chips, and a pop for $5. We will also be selling raffle tickets to win prizes such a 6 foot yard windmill and a 17" tabletop windmill model, as well as other prizes still to be announced. There will also be reduced price admission to the museum. Join us for some good food and a chance to win some great prizes! 

The Arbor Day Parade starts at 1 pm and we're right on the parade route at 1416 Central Ave. Stop by, grab a burger, and watch the parade.