Aermotor Windmill Company facts for kids
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| Industry | Wind power |
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| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Windmills, wind-powered water pumps |
The Aermotor Windmill Company is an American company that makes wind-powered water pumps. You might have seen their special windmills on ranches in dry areas of the United States. Their design has become a famous symbol of the American West.
The company also made strong steel fire lookout towers. These towers helped people spot fires from high up. Some models were 7 by 7 feet wide and could be as tall as 175 feet! Many of these towers were used in the southeastern U.S.
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The Story of Aermotor Windmills
The Aermotor Windmill Company was started by La Verne Noyes. He hired an engineer named Thomas O. Perry. Mr. Perry had invented a new kind of windmill made entirely of metal. La Verne Noyes saw how useful this invention could be.
The very first Aermotor windmill was sold in 1888. In that first year, 24 windmills were sold. Aermotor quickly became very popular. By 1892, they had sold over 20,000 windmills! Over the next 30 years, Aermotor kept growing. They added new parts and different versions of their "mathematical windmill."
A Changing Company
La Verne Noyes passed away in 1919. He left the Aermotor Company to a special trust. This trust helped support 48 different colleges and universities.
Aermotor kept making windmills even during World War II. They also helped create a top-secret device called the Norden bombsight. This shows how important their manufacturing skills were.
Over the years, the company changed owners several times. Its operations moved to new places. These included Argentina, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and Conway, Arkansas. By 1981, most windmills made in the U.S. came from their Conway factory.
In 1998, Kees Verheul bought Aermotor. The company now works from a large building in San Angelo, Texas. Then, in 2006, some ranchers from West Texas bought the company. They brought back its original name: "The Aermotor Company."
What Aermotor Makes
Aermotor is famous for making windmills that are 6 to 16 feet tall. They also make the tall towers that the windmills sit on. These towers can be made of steel or wood. Steel towers can be 21 to 60 feet tall. Wooden towers range from 14 to 37 feet tall.
The company also makes and helps get the parts for the pump assembly. This is the part that actually pulls water from the ground.
Historic Aermotor Structures
Many Aermotor fire towers and windmills are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites. They are protected because of their history and design. Some examples include:
- Arab Mountain Fire Observation Station in New York
- John Muir National Historic Site in California
- McKenzie Windmill in Tennessee
- Mountain Fire Lookout Tower in Wisconsin
Helping Others
In 1918, La Verne Noyes, the founder of Aermotor, gave a lot of money. He donated almost $2.5 million to create scholarships for veterans of World War I. A scholarship is money given to students to help them pay for college.
The main schools that received this money were University of Chicago and Iowa State University. La Verne Noyes had studied at Iowa State. These scholarships are still available today!
Also, in 1913, Mr. Noyes gave a gift to the University of Chicago. This gift helped build a women's building. It is now called Ida Noyes Hall, named after his wife.
