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Elk Horn hopes to get windmill working again

News

January 3rd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An old Danish windmill is the pride of Elk Horn, Iowa, but decades after it was moved from Denmark, residents are struggling to pay for repairs to get the structure’s blades turning again. Windmill manager Lisa Riggs noticed last spring that something was wrong with the 168-year-old windmill, dismantled in Denmark and reassembled in 1975.

An inspection determined the harsh weather had caused some of the mechanics that attach to the giant sails to shift, forcing the blades to be stopped. Despite its popularity, Riggs says it’s tough for a little town to raise the $25,000 to $100,000 needed for repairs.

Mayor Stan Jens says the windmill has given Elk Horn a huge lift, and it’s essential to get the blades turning again.