A new symbol of Wisconsin’s agricultural heritage can now be seen at the Manitowoc County Historical Society, located at 924 Pinecrest Road in Manitowoc. Community members and volunteers came together to install a historic windmill earlier this year. The windmill, now located outside the museum’s McAllister House Welcome Center, was donated to the Society by Joseph and Susan Resch. Manitowoc County Historical Society volunteers, Rick Herman, and Mark Leonhard prepared the windmill to be in working condition. The Society partnered with Vinton Construction Company and McMullen & Pitz Construction Company to install the windmill.
Originally located in section 19 in the Town of Kossuth, Manitowoc County, the windmill was likely erected by landowner John Havlovitz around 1924. Mr. Havlovitz was born at the farm in 1901, son of Bohemian immigrant Mathias and Elizabeth (Shebesta) Havlovitz. Mathias and Elizabeth retired from farming in 1917 and John, and his wife, Agnes (Shimek) took over the property. They farmed in the Town of Kossuth until 1973. The farm was then sold to Marvin and Diane (Hurda) Augustine and upon Diane’s death, the farm was owned by their friend, Michael Adsit. Adsit later sold the farm to Joseph and Susan Resch, who donated the windmill to the museum.
The windmill, which is also the symbol in the museum’s logo, will be used as a visual representation of local agricultural history, both with school groups and general visitors.
