SAM LOWREY
For people interested in history and a good bargain, Sam Lowrey sells windmills at his Lowrey Farms location
on Highway 140 near Rome, Georgia. Sam's windmills are antiques acquired from places across the United
States and even in foreign countries. Several times a year he travels to the midwest to collect windmills from
their original owners who bought them in the 1930's before electricity had penetrated into the heart of the
rural midwest. Sam deals in new and used Dempster and Aermotor windmills. Sam manufactures water wheels
himself.
Windmill designs have changed very little since the designs of the early 1900's. Early American settlers,
moving west across the vast prairies had to find ways to acquire and maintain a water supply for their
personal survival and the survival of their livestock. Inspired by the wind driven mills used in Europe
to grind flour, settlers quickly learned to harness the constant wind to suit their own needs. Before long,
sleek wooden, then iron windmills, were designed to utilize the power of the wind to pull water out of deep
artesian wells in the earth. The familiar American windmills once dotted the countryside like gaint sunflowers,
but many were dismantled over the past half-century as more modern techniques were developed. Windmills
are now seeing a resurgence of popularity due to environmental concerns and a decreasing oil supply.
After years of relative absence, the landscapes may once again be dotted with windmills, adding beauty to
the landscape and providiing a clean and inexpensive source of energy.
New windmills have replaceable parts, but the old windmills were cast as one unit and their parts are
sometimes difficult or expensive to replace. Make sure your dealer can locate the parts you need.
Like anything else that has stood the test of time and elements, old windmills are weathered with dents and
maybe even a bullet hole or two in their fan blades. These imperfections give life and character to their past
heritage. However, too many character flaws can be dangerous, so when choosing your windmill, steer clear
of too much physical damage.
Windmills Still Spin in Floyd is a link to an article in The Chattooga Press about one of Sam Lowrey's windmill.
