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HR1379 |
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LRB094 21109 MST 59437 r |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the |
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| State of Illinois are pleased to recognize the dedication of |
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| the restoration of the Prairie Mills Windmill and the 20th |
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| anniversary of the Golden Historical Society; and
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| WHEREAS, Construction of the Prairie Mills Windmill began |
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| in August 1872, under the direction of Henrich R. Emminga, a |
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| German immigrant who settled in the region in the 1850's, with |
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| completion of the first story in September 1872; the upper |
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| stories and tower section were completed in April 1873; two |
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| sets of lava burr stones were ready for use in September 1873, |
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| with the grinding of mill foods beginning shortly thereafter; |
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| the mill was used in the manufacture of buckwheat, flour, rye |
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| and graham flour, cornmeal, and ordinary mill feeds; and
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| WHEREAS, In the fall of 1878, H.H. Emminga bought his |
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| father's interest in the mill and remained the sole owner until |
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| his death on December 9, 1915; the mill was then operated as |
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| the Golden Elevator and Mill Company; in March 1922 the mill |
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| was taken over by the Consolidated Cereal Company; in March |
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| 1923, F.B. Franzen became the sole owner; and
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| WHEREAS, On February 9, 1924, a strong wind tore off two of |
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| the four sails; operations were later discontinued altogether; |
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| the mill would eventually open over the years in various |
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| incarnations; it stood vacant until March 1956 when Gerald and |
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| Leota Brady purchased the mill from John Schuster and operated |
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| a tavern in the lower story; after 11 years, Leota Kindhart |
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| sold the mill to John Leenerts who operated it as a supper |
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| club; and
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| WHEREAS, The mill was sold to Eldon Golden in 1976; in |
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| 1986, upon hearing that the mill might be sold to another |
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| community, a corporation was formed to purchase the windmill |