O/T: A windmill and what?

MeAnthony · May 11, 2013

Was down by Kendallville, IN a few weeks ago. Snapped these on US6 west of town. What's the brick building? Never seen one before.

Sure would love to have the windmill; my dad's wanted one for as long as I can remember. Bein's he's in his 70s now, I better hurry up on that. He was born in Germany in 1938, has some interesting stories to tell. Geez, this is even O/T from the original post. How did I end up here? lol

Y'all have a good weekend!

Thanks,

Anthony

gtractorfan · May 11, 2013

My guess is it's a cistern (don't know how you'd make it watertight). I've only seen one other like that. My dad in law had a pond, had a well dug by it and got a windmill similar to that and used it to pump water into the pond. No doubt he was pleased with watching the windmill and what it did.

Nebraska Cowman · May 11, 2013

Well being next to the windmill I'd say it's a cistern for holding reserve water. I've never seen one above ground like that. Maybe the water table is too high to dig?

Nebraska Cowman · May 11, 2013

It would be plastered with cement on the inside.

Pete-IN · May 11, 2013

I have lived in that area for my 65 years. It was at one time used as water storage for the windmill. Pete Lamp

John B. · May 11, 2013

That's the shape of an underground cistern.

SweetFeet · May 11, 2013

MeAnthony,

Great pics. Thanks for posting - I think you solved a mystery for me.

Saw a similar sized critter on a drive last summer. Thought it was some odd type of silo. Going to have to get a photo of it and compare the two.

Badger bob · May 11, 2013

one big moonshine jug ? Bob

Greenday · May 11, 2013

Its a cistern. All the soil has been removed or eroded away in time.

VaTom · May 11, 2013

Many more old windmills in the midwest than east coast. I dragged mine home from New Jersey. Probably you would do better to find one more intact. The "motor" is the expensive part. Mine was in good shape, even though my model was obsolete in 1937. Aermotor told me that it would last me 100 years, well maybe not me...

Helps to have a friend with a very large trailer. We drew a crowd wherever we stopped, folks love old windmills.

Good luck with your search.

Bud in FLA · May 11, 2013

I saw some of those in Fla a couple of months ago - I was told they were were used for making charcoal years ago.

Dean · May 11, 2013

It would hold a lot of moonshine.

I expect the owner would be quite popular.

Dean

Geo-TH,In · May 11, 2013

West centeral Indiana had many brick factories years ago because of the clay soil. Is it possible it's an old brick oven?

rrlund · May 11, 2013

That was gonna be my guess. There are several of those in the U.P. of Michigan where they used to smelt iron ore.

Anonymous-0 · May 11, 2013

Water storage tank for windmill. I have not seen very many sanding in the open here in the midwest. Most I have seen have been enclosed inside a small building. The neighbors have one they still used not to many year's ago.

gene bender · May 11, 2013

Storage for the water then it would flow by gravity where ever you wanted it. We had one and the water was piped 1/4 mi to another set of buildings where we had hogs and cattle sure beat hauling in the winter.

TomA in CA · May 11, 2013

Not that many years ago it was a lot more complicated to build a water tank. Wood, concrete, brick,steel etc. Expensive, needed a good foundation and did not last long sometimes. Nowdays a plastic tank is reasonable, slap it on the ground, fill it up, lasts forever.

ben there · May 11, 2013

its an above ground cistern...thats the norm for cisterns in Tx...mostly galvanized tho around chere

JRB · May 11, 2013

I'm from Michigan but I've been by that cistern on US 6 quite a few times. I recognized it right away. I had often wondered myself what exactly it was. Now I know.

T in NE · May 12, 2013

I used to run that highway a lot (hauled groceries out of Auburn for 2 1/2 years) but for some reason I'm not placing it.

Course, that ended for me about 8 years ago now.

O/T: A windmill and what?

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