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Strauch Windmill Refugio, Texas The following are an article and photograph appearing in the
Refugio County Press.
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Will landmark go to San Antonio? A Refugio landmark may be moved Friday to San Antonio to become a promotional attraction on the grounds of a financial institution. It just might. As a matter of fact, it might have been moved last week had adequate equipment been at hand. The "just might" part is like this - and let's face it. the Press news staff was playing hooky last Friday when Chili Metting called to advise of the pending project. Monday morning a heels-dragging newsman called on Miss Margaret Strauch. It was true. A San Antonio firm was planning to take the old windmill from the lawn of her home at Alamo and Plasuela. No, Miss Strauch wasn't exactly pleased, but the windmill was deteriorating and she couldn't justify the cost of upkeep, much less find available labor for the work. At the same time she didn't want to see it rot away. Some eight years ago Miss Strauch offered it to the Refugio Jaycees, suggesting they move the windmill to the city lease where they were presumably planning to erect a replica of an old wooden oil derrick. The offer was declined. In recent years she has made other efforts to dispose of the windmill but members of her family, until now, have dissuaded her. When the late George Strauch, a Refugio County pioneer, built the windmill in 1911 or 1912, he wanted something more than one that was strictly utilitarian to grace the lawn of his new home. And he built it, one of the most attractive and unique windmills most people have seen, even until this day when windmills are rarely built. About a year ago an official of a San Antonio financial institution, en route to Corpus Christi, noticed the windmill and was impressed. He opened negotiations with Miss Strauch and finally an agreement was reached in which she agreed to give it to the firm with the understanding that a commemorative plaque to George Strauch be placed upon it. After gathering this information from Miss Strauch, the Press began to kick itself in the pants. Often a story and pictures of the windmill had been contemplated. But Refugio County is full of old stories. They can't be written all at once. In the meantime, Miss Strauch had decided that Refugians weren't interested in her windmill. The chance came to preserve it. So, the Press did the next best thing, contacted Mrs. Dudley Campbell, president of the Refugio County Historical Society. Mrs. Campbell, like most Refugians, was interested in the windmill, but had no idea of its state of decay, nor that it would ever be moved from its original site. She contacted Miss Strauch and learned that she really wanted the windmill to "stay home" but had assumed that no one in the county was interested. It placed her in a predicament, one that remains unsolved at press time. An official of the San Antonio Financial institution contacted the Press. He was polite, but it was evident that he regarded the newspaper as a troublemaker. Later it was learned that in a conversation with Miss Strauch he hadn't been too cordial. He jolly well wanted "his" windmill. Meanwhile the Press reporter has been wondering why he didn't ask if San Antonio would be interested in swapping the Alamo for the Refugio windmill. An interesting speculation. Addendum 2002: In December 2002, Mrs. Dudley Campbell wrote to say that the Strauch Windmill was "saved" and has a permanent home in back of the Refugio County Museum in Refugio. Mrs. Campbell helped the San Antonio gentleman find another suitable windmill on her family's land, and that windmill made the trip to San Antonio instead. |
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