Danes have been calling Elk Horn, Iowa, home as far back as the late
1800s – but it wasn’t until 1975 that Harvey Sornson came up with the
idea of obtaining a Danish windmill. This one was dismantled, shipped
across the ocean and reassembled by the townspeople. To guide
reassembly, a scale model of the windmill was crafted by the same Danish
carpenter responsible for dismantling the full-size smock mill.
Not long after this mill was relocated, a law was
passed in Denmark forbidding mills from being shipped out of the country
– making this the only authentic working Danish windmill you’ll see in
America!
While in Elk Horn, plan to visit the Danish Immigrant Museum
and enjoy authentic Danish meals in this small town, located north of
the junction of Interstate 80 and Iowa Route 173. Prairie Rose State
Park, with lakeside campsites, is close by.
For more information, call (712) 764-7472, www.danishwindmill.com.
