Tucked into the branches of an old oak, like a relic slowly swallowed by time, this rusted windmill bears the name Axtell of Fort Worth — a ghost from the golden age of American homesteading and rural ingenuity.
The Axtell Company was founded in the late 19th century, with its origins tied to Fort Worth, Texas, though an exact founding date is not precisely documented. Historical records indicate it was active by the 1880s, a period when windmill manufacturing began to flourish in the U.S. to support westward expansion and ranching. The company produced windmills, including the notable “Ever-Oiled” model, primarily from the late 1800s through the early 20th century when it was reportedly bought out. Their windmills were widely used in Texas and the surrounding regions for water pumping, peaking in relevance during the early 1900s before declining with rural electrification.
By the early 20th century, sometime up until at least 1956, the company was bouught out. The main plant was at an old stove foundry on W. Vickery west of Montgomery on the south side of the road and there was a warehouse at 8th and Grove and an office on E. Lancaster.
The nameplate on this windmill — still legible in faded lettering — marks it as a survivor from that Texas era.
Though time and oak branches have twisted its frame and stilled its blades, this windmill once hummed with purpose. Now, it tells a quieter story — of invention, resilience, and the people who trusted a windmill to deliver life from deep in the earth.