Adventures of the Molinological Museologist

In this new section of the blog page I would like to take some time to look further into the industry of early wind power. Over the last few hundred years there have been countless designs, styles, and manufacturers of windmills, wind-pumps, or any iteration thereof. Excuse the mouthful of a title to this section but I felt like being over grandiose just for the sake of it, if only for my own ego. Molinology is the study of windmills. Technically it is the study of mills or other mechanical devices that utilize the power of the wind or water to accomplish their specific task. Mostly this is used to describe the study of European style mills such as those found in Holland, Germany, and Poland. Likewise, museology is the study of museums and museum curation. Sure looks a lot better on a business card than most other titles, doesn't it? Anyway, on with the good stuff!

 Romeo & Juliet pictured from Hillside II on the original stone footing.

In this first "Adventures of..." post I would like to highlight one of my favorite windmills designed by one of my favorite designers. Although this was not a mass-produced factory windmill it is still one of the coolest looking I have ever come across. The windmill I'm talking about is none other than Romeo & Juliet which was designed by the one and only Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright designed and built this windmill at his Taliesin Fellowship in 1896. The windmill gets its name from the two towers combined together that make up the main structure. The shorter diamond-shaped tower is "Juliet" and the larger octagon-shaped section with the windmill head on top of it is "Romeo". The original commission for this windmill was made by Wright's aunts who had started the Hillside Home School in Spring Green, Wisconsin. The windmill was initially used to provide water to the school and was covered in shingles to match the rest of the buildings at the school. The original structure was demolished in 1990 but a replica was erected shortly thereafter. 

Photo of the windmill with the original wooden wheel ca. 1900

Standing 60 feet in the air Wright's design was not the most practical or cheap for the location but his aunts that asked him for it were adamant about having something on the hill that would look pretty. The structure originally cost $975 in 1896, which was over $600 more than if they had just assembled a standard steel tower windmill in its place. 

Romeo & Juliet can be seen in its original location in Spring Green, WI along with buildings from the first Hillside Home School and Taliesin. For more information on this interesting piece of wind power history check out the Taliesin Preservation  Society website. Keep watching this blog for more updates in the future and may your blades always catch the wind!

Cashing-In on History

It has been an exciting week here at the museum as we have been fortunate to receive a new addition to our family of artifacts. The Kissler family of Lincoln, NE recently donated a cash register that was originally built for Robert Kregel & Bros. Auto Repair here in Nebraska City. Robert Kregel was the brother of Arthur Kregel that took over the Kregel Windmill Company in the 1940's. Robert, as well as Art's other brothers Mark and Don, ran the auto repair shop in town from 1910 to 1948. When Robert passed away in 1948 the shop was cleared out and machinery was sold off or stored in the old windmill factory. This particular cash register was likely sold back to the National Cash Register company after the shop closed.
This register is a Class 400 from the National Cash Register Company and was built in Dayton, OH. Underneath the cash drawer there is still an intact manufacturer's sticker that states it was built on July 17th, 1918 for Robert Kregel and Bros Auto Repair and was sold by H.B. Whitehouse. Also on this sticker are the serial number and the tracer number, used to designate the specific assembler of the register.

The style of this register definitely matches the mindset and frugality of the Kregel family, mostly as it is fairly unadorned and simple. Most of the machines of this class and from this company were decked out in bronze or silver inlay and had very elaborate designed etched into their cases. This one however has a simply steel body that is painted to look like wood grain and the push buttons are all plastic backed and not the fancier mother-of-pearl.

The following picture shows the only special add-on that was built onto this cash register. It is a receipt printer that would allow the printing of a specific type of work that was done to a customer's vehicle. This device is no longer in working order but there is still paper fed into it, although it is so brittle that it won't run through. 

We would love for everyone to swing by the museum and check out this new addition to our collection. It will be prominently displayed as we will be using it as our primary cash register. So come on in and hear the bell ring as this old cash register comes back to life after 67 years in retirement. We hope to see you at the museum, and my your blades always catch the wind!

NET Presents "From Diggers to Drillers"

We are very pleased to have been a part of this recent documentary to come out of NET which highlights the rich history of the Nebraska well-drilling industry. From the early years of our state to the current agricultural heartland that we call home, this documentary discusses how access to water has transformed over the last 150 years. This interesting and education piece was produced in conjunction with the Nebraska Welldriller's Association and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. We hope that you will find it as informational and eye-opening as we did. Enjoy!

From Diggers to Drillers | netnebraska.org

The Story of the Kregel Windmill Company: Part 3

The following is the last installment in the our narrative history of the Kregel Windmill Company. We hope that you've enjoyed the story and if you would like more information please contact us at the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum in Nebraska City. Thank you for your interest and, as always, may your blades always catch the wind!

The Story of the Kregel Windmill Company: Part 2

In continuing our series about the history of the Kregel Windmill Company, here is the next installment in the narrative. Enjoy, and have a happy Arbor Day weekend!

The Story of the Kregel Windmill Company: Part 1

Over the last couple years there have been a lot of requests from visitors for us to have some sort of tangible written history of the Kregel Windmill Company. We tend to have a large amount of information and stories in our heads that we tell during tours but there was never really a place where someone could go and read about the history of the company. Due to all of the requests, and a little bit of my own personal curiosity, I researched and wrote a paper for a recent history conference entitled The Kregel Windmill Factory Museum: Providing Water to the Great American Desert.  I'm proud to say that this paper won 3rd place overall in the undergraduate section of the conference and I now feel comfortable sharing it with you, the readers of the blog. The paper will be released on this page in multiple parts over the next month or two and I welcome any and all comments and questions about it. 
   So, without further ado, please enjoy the first part of The Kregel Windmill Company: Providing Water to the Great American Desert:

A Closer Look: Mechanical Telephones

In continuing with our newest blog series, I would like to put the spotlight on a recently discovered artifact here at the museum. This new find was uncovered by Dave Silcox, a museum docent and dedicated member of our Friends of Kregel Membership Group. During the Grand Opening and conversations with Kregel family members, there had been mention of a telephone system that had been used to link the two factory buildings very early on in the company's history, however no such telephones had yet been found. The artifacts that were found appear to be the missing telephone system used at the factory.

The type of telephone system used between the buildings is far different from what most would describe as a telephone today, and actually resembles a child's "tin can" string telephone, though a little more sophisticated than Campbell's soup and twine. This type of telephone is referred to as an "acoustic" telephone or a "mechanical" telephone in that it utilizes sound waves through a wire or string instead of a modulated electric current. The design usually consisted of two round diaphragms connected by a line, either string or wire of some sort. When a person would speak into the diaphragm on one end the vibrations from the sound waves traveled down the line to the other diaphragm, emitting the message to the recipient. According to an article published in 1986 by John Kolger entitled Mechanical or String Telephones, there were many different materials used to make the diaphragms and connecting lines and each company that produced these telephones would likely have their own recommendation of what worked best. 

Since the earliest modern style telephones were quite poor in sound quality, the mechanical telephone was a viable alternative for many years. They provided a much higher quality of sound and could pick up much quieter noises than the Bell telephones. According to Kolger, "It is also said that clocks could be heard ticking over the line." This style of telephone wasn't without is downfalls however. Since the line that carried the sound vibrations was exposed to the elements, any sort of inclement weather would affect the sound being produced. Rain or snow hitting the line could cause a tapping noise and ice accumulation could snap the thin connecting line. Another drawback to the mechanical telephone was the fact that the diaphragms at either end of the line needed to be in a straight line to get the best sound out of them, although there were companies that did successfully produce insulators which allowed the line to run at right angles and even switchbacks. Despite the number of companies that produced this type of communication system the technology was fairly short lived and obviously Bell's, and Meucci's, telephone design would win out in the end.

The specific type of telephone that was found was patented and produced by a man named Edwin D. Finch from Stanton, MI. His patent was issued on June 24th, 1879 (US No. 216,840) and was called simply "Improved Mechanical Telephone". Finch's improved design featured a spoke pattern of wires in the middle of the diaphragm, which Finch claimed helped to channel the sound waves down the connecting line to the other end. The face-plates of the telephone system, which are the parts that were found, go over a larger cylinder shaped base. Inside this base, according to Finch's patent, is a chain that allows the wire to be tension to be adjusted easily from either end and for the tension to be released when not in use so as not to wear-out the diaphragm. Another interesting addition to Finch's patent description comes when he is discussing how to get the best sound out of his telephones. He states that the system works best "when the diaphragms at opposite ends of the line are of different material, say one of silk and the other on linen, or vary in size, say a difference of one or two inches in diameter." Finch's description of this reduction in feedback is actually scientifically accurate, not something that can really be said of a lot of older theories regarding how something worked. The difference in diaphragm size or the material it's made from will affect the way in which sound resonated through or over the surface, meaning that once the vibrations reach one end they are less likely to be returned as feedback.

The following are some pictures of Edwin Finch's 1879 telephone system which was used here at the Kregel Windmill Company, and likely the Nebraska City Manufacturing Company before it, in order to communicate between the factory buildings.

The diaphragm ends of Edwin Finch's Mechanical Telephone. Note that one is larger than the other to reduce feedback.

The spoke-shaped wires on the diaphragm that direct sound waves to the connecting line.

Stamp showing the patent date of June 24th, 1879 on the larger of the two diaphragms.

Large diaphragm front showing size. Scale board 1" squares.

Small diaphragm front showing size. Scale board 1" squares.

Be sure to keep checking the blog for more posts regarding upcoming events, museum happenings, and blog series such as "A Closer Look". And, as always, may your blades always catch the wind!