Be aware - Long post ahead.
THANK YOU, RHP, for posting this... you never know where 'family ties' are going to show up..
My GG uncle, Gustav Schostag, originally built
this mill as a lumber mill in rural Blue Earth County, MN. in the mid-1800's. He dismantled it and moved it to the pictured site when he discovered the original site was not suited to a windmill. (not enough breeze). The dismantling/move/re-construction took about 5 years using teams of horses pulling loaded wagons. Some of the drivers were as young as 9 and the 25 mile 'drive' took a full day with a 4-horse team... and then back empty the next day.
At the 'new' site, on the north-west shore of Minnesota Lake, he established it as a flour mill and was quite successful with it for a few years, until the 'roller mills' became more prevelent and could do a better job of grinding the wheat and barley.
Story has it that he walked out of the mill one day and was struck in the head by one of the arms. He became delusional and refused to let anyone enter the mill as he felt it had been taken over by the devil, in the form of a black rabbit he saw run under the building.
The building stood for many years at that site until it was burned in a grass fire that swept the, then, dry lake bed in 1939. The foundation stones in their circular pattern can still be seen at the site, maintained by the city of Minnesota Lake as a picnic area and point for viewing the breeding site of one of the largest flock of pellicans in the upper mid-west.
I have a number of pictures, painted and photos, of the mill and the surrounding buildings but had not seen this one. If you look closely you can see some 'visitors' to the site. Wonder if they are relatives?
END of long rambling post...
Thanks again, Dick.
Bob K. rnkiii
