Henry Mayor

This is the Henry Mayor Homestead at Four Mile in 1939. Henry and his wife Marie were Swiss and came to this area in 1922.
Arid homesteads such as this one often made use of a special type of windmill. It was created by mechanic Daniel Halladay in 1854. The blades were adjusted to harness the winds of the Great Plains without being torn apart and a vertical fin was added to keep it headed into the wind. The motion of the blades powered a crankshaft, which was used to pump water. Such windmills still dot the plains, although many have been replaced with solar generators for more reliable power.

 

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