There’s probably nothing that will ever diminish Ed Nelson’s enthusiasm for Peotone’s iconic windmill, or his energy promoting it.
As president of the Peotone Historical Society, he very likely is the mill’s Number One fan.
So, when he says the 24th annual Old Mill Fall Fest last weekend was “the best one yet,” it’s possible that his opinion is a bit biased.
“As you can see, we’ve been busy trying every way we can to raise awareness, make money to fix Millie up, and still try and have a good time.”
“This weekend was all about Millie,” he added.
“Why save the mill? It’s the most iconic and historic building in Peotone, being a part of Peotone’s history since the early days, going back to 1872–154 years. There are very few of these windmills still standing in America. And once they’re gone, they’re gone forever.
“Peotone’s Mill is kind of at a crucial point where work needs to be done on it so that the inside doesn’t leak anymore and cause too much irreparable damage.
“This is our big fundraiser of the year. We don’t charge any admission, and you don’t have to buy a wristband to get to walk around the grounds. The fest is always free to attend.”
But something might need to change in the future.
“To enter the Peotone Mill in the past has been free, but we kindly ask for a donation,” Nelson said
“We may need to consider changing that going forward to help raise more funds for much-needed renovations going forward.
“We also have a GoFundMe that was started two years ago, and we’ve just started an aluminum can collection program at the mill that’s been popular.
“Or anyone can donate directly to our Millie Renovation Fund at First Community Bank and Trust in Peotone.”
As of Sept. 7, the renovation fund has just over $26,000.
Some repairs are being made, but the mill lost some shingles in the last big storm last month and bigger leaks have appeared.
“We could really use more support,” Nelson said.
“The Village of Peotone actually ‘owns’ the Peotone Mill, having it donated from Paul Rathje to Peotone back in the early ‘80s,” Nelson said.
“So, it’s kind of a unique situation that the historical society has with the village. They own it, but we ‘manage’ it. Our relationship with village hall has always been strong, and it’s continually evolving and getting even better.
“They’ve always been very supportive of things that we want to do at the Peotone Mill, to promote it, and how it can help benefit the town.”
Last year Nelson received a Merit Award for Tourism from Chicago Southland. He’s been to other windmills in Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, and Greece. The mills, he pointed out, all bring in tourists and with that, a substantial amount of revenue for the local community.
“I was just in Elkhorn, Iowa (population 728) two weeks ago to see their windmill,” he said.
“It actually has blades on it and sometimes grinds corn and wheat. They get 70,000 visitors a year! Imagine if that happened in Peotone!
The $5 entrance fee for their mill alone garners a whopping $350,000 a year.
“Why is the Peotone Historical Society working hard to save Millie? It takes an incredible amount of time and energy to keep the historical society going during the year, and especially to put on a fest of this size, and to grow it bigger and better each year.
“You have visitors coming into the mill from all over the country, and they say they came into little ol’ Peotone just to see Millie. Then you see the expression on their faces and hear their positive comments of what we have right here, it’s easy to keep working hard to try and save it.
“The same also goes for the Peotone School students when they take their field trips to the mill and they’re excited to learn about the history, the science of the mill.
“We’re always looking for others to join us at the PHS and to continue helping us move forward.
“If you want to get involved, or donate to the Millie renovation fund, reach out to us at Peotonehistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
“We hold our monthly meetings on the first Thursday of each month, February-December.
“We are a 501(c)3 organization. Your donation may be tax deductible.”
Historical Society officers and volunteers.
Peotone Mayor Chris Vieaux offered his support for the fest and Millie.
“I was able to attend the Mill Fest on Saturday,” he said.n”The fest this year was truly amazing, though mother nature did her best to dampen our spirits, we had a great time anyway. The music and food were fantastic. The fest was a great success!
“I would have to say the Mill and all the conversation about ways to bring it back to life, is what I enjoyed the most.
“As far as the village being able to help, we are working on funding ideas and waiting for repair projections to find out what each phase of the restoration is going to cost. The Rathje Mill means a lot to the Village and with the help of the residents and businesses and the Village, we can restore Millie’.”
In the meantime, Nelson added, the fest will continue, and some September rain failed to put a damper on things last weekend.
“Everyone that attended–and we had some good size crowds–all seemed to have a really good time. The Peotone Historical Society knows how to throw a great party and Millie is the perfect location to do just that! Of course, we couldn’t do it all without generous support from our sponsors, and it was a long list this year!
“All of our volunteers worked hard, especially the Peotone Jr High School Student Council kids. They were an immense help with set up on Friday, helping vendors get set up and teardown/cleanup on Sunday. We couldn’t have done it without them.”
Nelson and his wife, Tracy, worked tirelessly organizing and planning the event, alongside PHS officers and friends.
“Gary made our beautiful Cooler boxes and also ran the PA. Ann worked hard at our merchandise and raffle tables. Vicki and Chris loaned us an extra tent, along with ours, it kept the band and patrons nice and dry.
“We had Tina, Debbie, and Tracy M selling 50/50 tickets, Leslie and Jason checking ID’s, Tracy N. and Roger selling tickets, Jane, Andrea and Vivia working the bake sale, and Carter was in charge of our security.
“We are extremely grateful to have all of them donate their time for such a great cause.
“And I need to give thanks to Peotone Mayor Chris Vieaux, Village Administrator Nick Palmer, and the village trustees. And special thanks to Public Works.
“And we give extra special thanks to Bob Shinn, neighbor to Millie.
“This year our food offerings didn’t disappoint! Fire Pit Bar & Grill (local business) and D & E Corned Beef, whose owners are Peotone residents, served up some delicious items and kept the crowds well fed all weekend.
“We had three awesome bartenders, all from Game On Bar and Grill. Joan, Abbey and Kristine all donated their time and kept the drinks flowing. Rt 66 Old School Brewing from Wilmington provided the Old Millie Craft Beer, and other choices were available.
“On Saturday, we had two bands. Justin & John Unplugged set a good vibe for the people that were there at 4 o’clock for the first pour. Then Rockaholics got people up and dancing all night long playing all the hits.”
Nelson was even invited to sit in with the band and play drums for a couple of songs.
With rain in the forecast, the fest had roughly half the number of vendors join, but there were still a lot of great things for sale,” Nelson said.
“We had the A’s Are Us Model A Car Club cruise onto Corning and show off their antique vehicles. The big attention getter was LiJo’s Dragon Balz with their family of reptiles and turtles.
“Due to the drizzle, our face painter, Rhiannon, didn’t get to show off her skills that way, but she bedazzled a bunch of kids’ faces instead and they looked absolutely beautiful. She also sang a wonderful rendition of the National Anthem.
“This year’s bake sale made Millie more money than ever before. There are some great bakers here in town, and we feel very fortunate that they donated their time, talent, and offerings to benefit Millie. They pulled out all the stops with what they made. We had lots of delicious and unique items for sale this year and at great prices!
“There’s going to be many Save Millie sightings going forward, t-shirt sales and other Millie Merchandise were very good. We still have t-shirts available on Sundays inside the Mill until Oct 31.”