Louis Seppman, a stone mason, began building the Seppman wind mill in 1862 to provide a local source of flour, and by 1864 it was operating, producing about 150 bushels of wheat a day into fairly good flour when winds were favorable. Operations continued successfully until 1873, when lightning struck and knocked off two arms and sails; these were replaced, but after a tornado tore off two arms in 1880 they were not replaced, and the mill kept operating until another storm in 1890 damaged the structure beyond repair. Extensive structural damage, competition from water- and steam-powered mills, and the invention of the roller process made the windmill unprofitable, and it never produced flour again after closing in 1890. By the time the structures became part of Minneopa State Park, the mill had deteriorated and only the granary foundation remained, but in 1970 the granary was rebuilt to its original dimensions with new materials, the mill's interior floors and stairs were refurbished, and its exterior walls were repaired; a decade later the door and windows were replaced and the cap-like roof was reshingled.