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| November 2023 view courtesy of Lorain County Auditor website |
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| A recent view |
Another local landmark that was highlighted in the
Lorain Journal back in July 1953 was Joe Ule's windmill on Kolbe Road. It was featured in an interesting article written by James Howard that ran in the newspaper on July 20th. At that point, the windmill was still under construction.
The article is a great profile of Joe Ule and reveals his philosophy of being self-sufficient through organic farming. As for his windmill, the article notes, "When the windmill is completed, an electric generator will be activated by the wind power and will in turn operate a giant mill for grinding the specially grown grains. Another unusual feature will be a small sawmill also to be powered by the windmill."
The Journal checked in with Ule two years later, as reported in this article that ran in the December 26, 1957 edition.
At that time, Ule was working on a 50-foot log to serve as the main shaft of the windmill. The article notes that Ule "has been working on the windmill for the past seven years. He estimated that the sweep will be put in operation in about three to four years. And the entire windfall mechanism should be finished in eight to nine years, he added."
A day later, the Journal ran the photo below showing Ule and helper Joseph Rodriguez using his giant lathe to work on the 50-foot log.
It appears that Ule was considering the development of some sort of park on his property involving the windmill. A short article in the March 31, 1961
Journal noted that Black River Township trustees weren't exactly sure what sort of zoning was needed for what was referred to by the City Building Inspector as a "Disneyland type development."
But it was not to be. Ule and his family moved to Florida about two years later, and he passed away there in 1969.
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Joe Ule and his windmill, as well as his "storybook house," have been the subject of
several blog posts.
What an interesting character - thanks, Dan!
ReplyDeleteReferred this post to my sweetheart who comments on the property almost every, single time we drive by.
ReplyDeleteProbably due to my Dutch heritage, I love windmills and have recently been watching the current owner revamp the exterior. I had no idea that it was once intended as a working windmill. Thanks for featuring this interesting article! Now, what is the story behind the windmill that’s sadly deteriorating in Oberlin?
ReplyDeleteWonder why Ule sold out his dream and moved to Florida?Too bad he later died in a boating accident.
ReplyDeleteThe present owners are doing a nice job restoring this landmark. You can follow them on Facebook: Windmill in the Willows”
ReplyDelete