Through a Washashore's Eyes

On the Trail for Wind....

In the Dog Days of Summer I find myself looking for cooling breezes and in my search for a fan, I want the biggest. And on the road I come upon one of the many Windmills of Cape Cod. These giant historial structures reflect a time when they served as an integrel part of life during colonial times as they pumped salt water as well as grinding grains during the 1800's. Salt works was the business where salt water was pumped by windmills through water-tight hallowed out pine logs to be boiled thereby extracting the salt. Salt was difficult to come by during the revolutionary times and was a crucial commodity for life as it served as a perservative. Today one could start their own  trail searching for the varies windmills dotted along Cape Cod's vast landscape. Each one has its own special legend and and picturesque backgrounds. Down by the Canal you will find the Aptucxet Windmill. which never functioned as a working windmills but rather was built by Joseph Jefferson an actor/artist as a home and studio. Today it serves as a gift shop to the Aptucxet Trading Post and features Dutch and educational material, as well as many gift items. The shop is open Tuesday thur Saturday 10am to 4pm and Sundays 2pm to 5pm. In Yarmouth you might find the Judah Baker Windmill which takes its name from the orginal builder who constucted it in 1791. It was a working mill and like many mills was moved several times until it came to its current resting spot in Windmill Park overlooking Bass River and is now owned by the town of Yarmouth. Along the trail on route 6a in Brewster at Drummer Boy's Park you will find the Old Higgin's Farm Windmill which currently sits on a 1.35 acre landscape which changes as frequent as the ever changing New England weather. It was set back away from the road  because the sound of the sails on the windmill blades often scared the horses. It sits 30 feet high and has three levels each with a special function for the mill.

Each fuctioning Windmill has a tailpole which was attached to a wagon wheel on the ground. Its purpose was to be pulled either by a horse, ox or human so that the windmill mast faced the wind. The Brewster Windmill was thought to be constructed by a seamen as traces of a ship builder can be found in the design. At the town cove in Orleans you will find the Jonthan Young Windmill which has all of its machinery intact. In Eastham you will find one the oldest Windmills in Cape Cod at Windmill Park, which is said to occassionally grind grains and is the Old Eastham Windmill.  Each fall , the residents of Eastham celebrate Windmill Weekend with a Parade and activites on the Windmill Green. Because of lack of swift running water the colonist use the power of the wind.

Author/Naturalist David Thoreau was fascinated by  Cape Cod Windmills...."Being on elevated ground and high in themselves they serve as landmarks for there are no tall trees."

Don't forget the values of a family picnic and head off in search for a windmill along your summer trip as the parks by the windmills make excellent spots to enjoy the summer breezes.