A blog post
Daniel Halladay and His Windmill: Researching Lesser Told Histories
has been posted on the Library of Congress blog.
It's authored by 2026 Junior Fellow Maile McCall, and tries to uncover a little of the personal history of Daniel Halladay,
rather than the history of his inventions and company. Ultimately it doesn't uncover much - a few newspaper mentions including his obituary,
but no journals or personal correspondence that would have given deeper insights in to his life.
For the record, the pertinent facts on Daniel Halladay include:
- born on November 24, 1826, in Marlboro, VT
- early career included work as a mechanic's apprentice
and installing machinery at the U.S. government armoury at Harper's Ferry, before settling in Ellington, Connecticut
- Original windmill patent number 11,629 granted August 29, 1854, reissued as 4,064, to extend for 7 more years from July 5, 1870
- Formed the Halladay Windmill Company, which moved first to Chicago, then to Batavia, where the company operated as the U.S. Wind Engine and Pump Company
- Improved windmill covered by patent 190,430 on May 8, 1877
- Later moved to Santa Ana, CA, where he became a banker and financier
- Died March 1, 1916, at the age of 89, leaving an estate of $147,000
Library of Congress:Daniel Halladay and His Windmill: Researching Lesser Told Histories