One is never without the presence of the wind on the southern prairie, sometimes soft and gentle, most often fierce and blustery. The winds from the southwest bring heat out of the Chihuahuan Desert, drying out the land. Breezes from the southeast bring cooling rains from the Gulf of Mexico. These days the heat of the desert dominates. Parts of the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma have not had appreciable rain for nearly six months. Harnessing the power of the wind was (and is) key to settling the plains and the history of the windmill is celebrated at a museum just east of Lubbock.
The American Windmill Museum
Sitting on top of a small hill on the eastern edge of Lubbock is a museum devoted to the history of the windmill, arguably one of the most valuable tools used in the settling of the west.
Over two hundred windmills from around the west are contained within the museum, some on the grounds and the rest inside two enormous hangers. Windmills were used for two primary purposes: powering mills and pumping ground water. The first hanger contains windmills that powered mills that processed grains into flour. The deep slit in the middle of the floor allows full-sized windmills to be housed inside the giant hanger.
Electricity was late in coming to the prairie as it wasn’t economically feasible to string lines for such long distances to serve such few customers. The Zenith Windcharger was a small windmill primarily used to charge early radios. It could be mounted on a house, barn, granary or garage.
Windmills could turn mill stones, which in turn ground grain kernels into flour. A pretty impressive collection of mill stones fills a hall between the two large hangers.
Stones worked in pairs. The bed stone was fixed and the runner stone rotated above, grinding the kernels of grain between the two.
Windmills also powered fruit crushers, with the juice escaping through a small hole in the bed stone.
The grinding of the two stones together eventually wore down the stone until it became thin enough to crack. This stone was probably more than six inches thick when new.
The collection of windmills continues in the second hanger.
In an area where trees are scarce, ravens love to build their nests on top of windmills, stealing pieces of wire to construct the nest. Though it may look like twigs, this raven nest is constructed of pieces of wire.
Really an interesting educational experience! Numerous windmills spin in the wind as I leave the museum.
Wind is an ever-present factor on the south plains and just as windmills were used to harness the wind, air gliders were used during World War II to ride the winds in support of troops. The winds and prairies of Texas were home to a number of airfields during World War II that served as training grounds for glider pilots. The Lubbock airport is the site of another unique museum, the Silent Wings Museum.
Silent Wings Museum
The Silent Wings Museum is housed in part of the 1950 Lubbock Municipal Airport building. The current passenger terminal across the runways to the south is in a facility constructed in 1966.
Gliders were used during World War II because they could deliver men and machinery to the front quietly. The gliders were towed by aircraft until near the landing target and then cut loose to ride the wind to the ground. The Lubbock facility was one of the primary training stations for glider pilots. Galleries leading to a large hanger space are lined with a chronological history of the glider’s use during WWII along with artifacts from the era.
Gliders had no engine so once they landed they stayed until either they were broken into pieces and a truck could come pick them up or an airplane could fly by and “snag” them by dragging a hook that caught on a rope strung between two poles on the ground. Gliders could carry a surprising amount of equipment, including vehicles. The front section holding the pilots tipped up and the interior contents would roll out.
Early on training was an issue but in 1935 Link Aviation Devices developed a trainer that used pumps and bellows to simulate conditions in the air for the aspiring pilot, who sat inside in pitch black conditions being buffeted about with only the instruments visible. Originally developed to train glider pilots for air mail, military commands around the world quickly recognized the value of stealth gliders, including Japan, which purchased ten trainers in the years leading up to World War II.
Finally the galleries open up to a hanger which contains an actual glider. The fuselage is made of a metal tubular frame with wooden supports, the wings have a wood frame. All is covered with fabric.
Through the windows across the way is the current Lubbock passenger terminal.
The visit to Lubbock exemplifies a great destination, complete with an eclectic collection of adventures to experience!
Next up: The Queen City of the Texas Panhandle
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