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Project
Overview | Facts at a Glance
| Restoration Team
Wind Engine
Overview | FAQ
 The Challenge Company of Batavia,
Illinois, was one of the largest and most prosperous
American wind engine manufacturers in the second half of
the 19th and the first part of the 20th centuries. The
Challenge Double Header, manufactured from 1872-1899, is
one of the most impressive of all wind engines ever
produced in America. Wind
Engine Features:
Two main wind wheels, 30-feet in
diameter, rotate in opposite directions (from which it
acquired the name “Double Header”)
Two smaller side wheels turn the engine
in the direction of the wind
The four wheels have 1300 slats, painted
white with red trim
Weighs an estimated 10,000 lbs.
Historical Tidbits:
The history of windmills goes back over
1,000 years, with the term “wind engine” applying to
more modern American-made windmills
Challenge wind engines were primarily
sold throughout the Great Plains states and east of the
Mississippi River—it is especially unique that one was
operated on the Harden Ranch on the West Coast.
When Duncan McKinnon purchased the wind
engine in 1890 it would have cost about $1,600, not
including the wooden tower it was mounted on
With a steady wind of 18 mph, the wind
engine could produce 27 horse power
McKinnon used the Challenge wind engine
to power millstones, an elevator, a water pump and a
woodworking shop
Restoration Facts:
World-renowned millwright Derek Ogden
initially inspected the mill and wind engine, while his
former apprentice, Ben Hassett, disassembled, restored,
and reassembled the machinery the wind engine once
operated
Metal slats replaced wooden ones to
prevent future water absorption
Steel beams largely hidden by wood
reinforced the wind engine’s support structure
The History Channel’s “Back to the
Blueprint” program featured the wind engine restoration
in a May 2006 episode
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