Gone With The Wind: Windmills Are A Forgotten Legacy Of The Outer Banks

Windmills employ ancient technology. They are first mentioned in the seventh century in Persia, now Iran. Legends say Genghis Khan's troops captured Persian millers and forced them to introduce windmill technology to China, where it is still used to power irrigation systems. By the 12th century, windmills had spread to Europe where they were especially important for coastal regions that lacked elevation changes necessary to power conventionalwater-driven mills and to pump water from low-lying areas.

Two basic windmill designs evolved among the Europeans. Dutch mills used a rotating top, or cap, which stood atop a large, multi-storied building. The cap and vanes were then spun to match the direction of the wind. German windmill design allowed the entire building to be turned into the wind. Like a huge birdhouse on a giant post, the windmill sat on a single heavy pole braced with sturdy supports.

The face of the German mills could be turned by pushing a long pole that was attached to the base of the mill house. A wheel which rolled along the ground at the other end of the pole allowed the job to be done by one person. Once the windmill was facing the right direction, the mills could be locked in place by steps that were lowered from the pole by a lever.

Although not as efficient as the Dutch design, the German design was practical and even somewhat portable. Wood from the forests and shipwrecks that dotted the Outer Banks were ideal materials for the sturdy little structures.

It's hard to over-estimate the importance windmills had on the villages and people along the Outer Banks. ''I am 76 years old and can remember the old mill very well, having taken many bushels of corn up the steps and waiting to take the meal back home,'' recounted Outer Banks resident Allen Taylor in a 1950 magazine account.