Davidson Windmill Windmill showcases Finnish engineering, Douglas County history

By Maria Lockwood mlockwood@superiortelegram.com

The Davidson Windmill, located along Wisconsin Highway 13 about a 10-minute drive from Superior, is a Douglas County landmark.

Built by Jacob Tapola Davidson, a Finnish immigrant, the town of Lakeside structure ground grain into animal feed and flour for local farmers from 1904-1926. Its octagonal shape was inspired by a coffee percolator that sat on the woodburning stove in Davidson’s kitchen. Neighbors pitched in to help with construction, which began in 1900.

The windmill melded Finnish design and folk style to meet a local need, according to Jim Pellman, secretary of the Old-Brule Heritage Society. When the building’s 17-foot-long sails were turning, it could grind up to 300 pounds of grain an hour, generating about 25 horsepower of energy. The long poles attached to the structure were used to turn the windmill’s turret to catch the wind.

The inside of the windmill is both a study in engineering and a walk through Douglas County’s past. All the materials except the steel nails, bolts and sheeting came from the surrounding area.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, the windmill was passed on to the Old-Brule Heritage Society in 2001.

“It’s a unique structure in the state,” Pellman said. “We have an obligation to take care of it.”

That includes yearly painting projects and other upkeep, funded by donations and furnished by volunteers.

The windmill site is also home to a Finnish dovetail corner log cabin built in the early 1900s and the last wooden queen-post truss bridge in the state.

The Blueberry Depot, built in 1900, was trucked to the Davidson Windmill site in June. The Erkkila family in Lakeside has also donated a Finnish log sauna for the site.

Donations are accepted; volunteers are needed. The group is actively seeking artifacts from the area, particularly old records and railroad artifacts. New members are always welcomed.

Visit the Old Brule Heritage Society site or Facebook page for more information on the windmill and other preservation efforts. u