The American Windmill
Watering the Desert
Water was essential to the
success of homesteaders in the
arid Great Basin. Those lucky
enough to claim land with a
reliable water source made a
living from the desert—those
without it moved on.
By the 1860s the distinctive
American windmill water-pump
was manufactured by the
thousands and sold through mail-
order catalogues and by traveling
salesmen. With a windmill,
homesteaders could "water the
desert" to provide small oases
for their families, livestock—
even local wildlife populations.
