The Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company was founded in Beatrice, Nebraska in 1878 by Charles B. Dempster. Mr. Dempster began making equipment for farmers and homesteaders populating the west following the Civil War. Throughout the company's history they have made a variety of items including windmills, water pumps, cultivators, fertilizer spreaders, gasoline products, and recycling trailers. In the early 1900's, they even distributed items associated with water systems like kitchen sinks and bathtubs.
Organized Dempster Archive Boxes
NPS/Robin Matty
With the help of The Margaret & Martha Thomas Foundation, the records of the Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company have been preserved to honor the thousands of employees who manufactured windmills and pumps for countless homesteaders and farmers. Special thanks to Ryan & Rebekah Mitchell and Glenn & Karen Bebee for donating these records to the American People and to the Daughters of the America Revolution for help digitizing the records.
Finding aids include a brief history of the collection and an inventory of the items it contains. If you would like to do research with the Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company archival collection, please visit the Researcher Information page for more information. [Dempster Finding Aid 867 KB DOC]
Windmills on the Great Plains need to work in light winds and shut down in strong winds with minimal maintenance. Solid-wheel windmills have a rigid wooden wheel that adjusts the angle of the entire windmill head to control its speed. In slow winds, the wheel points into the wind and in high winds, the wheel moves toward the vane to minimize surface area and prevent damage.
Models of Dempster Solid-Wheel Windmills include Original Solid, Beatrice, New Era, No. 5, and No. 9.
By the 1880s wooden vaneless windmills were growing in popularity across the central Great Plains. These windmills had hinged sections that could pivot in and out of the wind individually. This allowed them to govern the speed of the mills as wind velocities changed. Because they had no vanes or tails to direct them into the wind, their wheel operated downwind.
Dempster vaneless windmill models include Original Vaneless, Irrigator models, No. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 14 Vaneless.
Dempster steel windmills refers to open back-geared steel pumping windmills. Back-gears and curved blades allowed these metal mills to out-pump older wooden mills. Dempster Steel windmills were designed with their wheel mounted slight to one side so they turned away from increasing winds. Most had a spring to pull the wheel back into the wind when the wind slowed.
Dempster steel windmill models include the Queen City, Dempster Steel, No. 6, No. 7, Arrow, No. 8, and No. 10.
The market vanished for open back-geared steel mills in the early 1920s, as consumers began to prefer self-oiling mills. Self-oiling windmills had an enclosed gearbox with an oil-bath that would continuously lubricate the mill. This meant maintenance on these mills was minimal, requiring oil about once a year.
Dempster self-oiling models include No. 11, 12, 14, 15, 16. The No. 14 Annu-Oiled Vaneless is detailed in the vaneless mill article.
Founded the Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company in 1878. C. B. Dempster knew selling windmills to farmers was a prosperous and growing industry. Farmers needed water and the Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company could supply the equipment. The business expanded into farm machinery in 1897. C. B. Dempster ran the company until his death in 1933.
Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company provided water for farmers for over one hundred years. Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company is one of the the longest running wind-powered water pump manufacturer in the United States. The company produced windmills from 1885 until 2009. Dempster Mill Mfg. Co. employed hundreds of people in the local area allowing the surrounding communities to thrive.
The Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company began holding company picnics in 1897. The picnics were held at the end of July to celebrate the companies founding on July 29, 1878. The Dempster company picnic was a time for employees and their families to gather and have fun. They included food, sports, games, music, and other activities. During some years, they even held parades through the main streets of Beatrice.
Windmills were an important aspect of settling the American Plains. American-style windmills developed in the 1850's could shift into the prevailing winds, functioned well in fast and slow winds, and required little maintenance compared to European windmills. Knowing windmills could be counted on for water helped speed up western migration. Ranchers could build up herds, farmers planted more, and railroads could pump water into tanks along their routes.
The Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company was established in 1878. The company began manufacturing the Original Dempster Solid Wheel in 1885. In 1892, they produced their first steel windmill, the Queen City. Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company produced over twenty windmill models, manufactured over 124 years.