The "ELI" windmill was the brand name of windmills produced by the Kregel Windmill Factory of Nebraska City, Nebraska, named for family friend and business mentor Reverend "ELI" Huber. Established in 1879 by George F. Kregel, the factory made durable, highly desirable windmills with one of the first self-braking mechanisms of the late 18th and early 19th century during the height of windmill manufacturing in the United States, and continued producing windmills until World War II while also earning income from other agricultural products, including beehives and tool service and repair, for more than seventy different income streams across its 112-year operation. After the war, George's son Arther (Art) Kregel took over and focused heavily on water well and pump services, and the company operated until Arthur's death in 1991. In the early 1990's, the factory was identified as the last historically intact windmill factory in the United States and was preserved by concerned community members and lovers of history. This "ELI" windmill was originally manufactured inside the Kregel Factory circa 1922 and was donated by the P. Edward Peterson Family from their farm north of Nebraska City. Windmills have been used for irrigation pumping and milling since the 7th century, and in the early United States the development of the water pumping windmill was a major factor that allowed farming and ranching in vast areas without readily accessible water. For many years, this multi-bladed wind turbine atop a wood or steel lattice tower was a fixture of rural American landscapes.