Wind Power

Hot, dry afternoons and powerful winds in the Salinas Valley helped early farmers turn parched earth into green fields. Windmills harnessed that wind through huge spinning blades that activated a gear system connected to a shaft, drawing water from deep beneath the earth so hundreds of gallons could be pumped and stored in a pond or tank. When not in use, a windmill’s tail could be folded by turning a hand crank at the mill’s base, and the tail kept the wheel facing into the wind. Wind power could also run farm machinery, and in 1877 the U.S. Wind Engine and Pump Company designed a windmill that could be installed on top of a barn, with belts connecting the shaft to machinery inside. In 1890, Monterey County farmer Duncan McKinnnan installed this system on his farm, where his barley crusher, corn mill, barley cleaner, pump, and many machine and carpentry shop tools were driven by wind.

California · United States