Wind energy has become an important factor in discussions of alternative or “new” energy sources — but the truth is that it is anything but new. In fact, the first meeting of the U.S. Wind Engine and Pump company was held on March 25, 1857, at the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad in Chicago. The business of selling windmills, or “wind engines,” as they were called, was big business in the latter half of the 19th century, especially when steam and water-powered engines were not accessible.
The US Wind Engine and Pump Company was formed from a partnership between John Burnham, who owned the company originally, and Daniel Halladay, who owned Halladay Wind Mill Company. Together, they built and patented a self-regulating wind mill — one that could easily function without a miller operating it. This invention helped them become the largest wind engine company in the world, with more than 200 employees in the 1880s. The U.S. Wind Engine and Pump Company set the standard for wind mill design and production, while also helping Batavia become the wind energy capital of the world — with six separate wind engine manufacturers located here by 1900. No other city in the world had greater impact on the windmill industry, and arguably greater impact on farming and railroad service, up to that time.
