UMM Windmill LbNA #31960

To find the Morris Windmill, you need to be on the north-south highway on the east side of Morris. If you aren’t sure of the number of this highway, just remind yourself that the day the music died was February 2, 19__. You will come to an intersection where you can choose to head for the best place in Morris to spot a cougar. Turn the opposite way instead, on the Minnesota highway whose number is 29 higher than a perfect bowling score. You will be heading toward the sunrise. Soon you will cross a bridge over a wet potato. When the sign says you can’t pass, you won’t care, because you will turn right at that intersection, unless you are on a snowmobile, or you are on a quest to bring home fresh meat for dinner. The wet potato will be on your right, and you will see the windmill to the left. Near a large cottonwood, you will come to a bright yellow sign warning you that there might be people passing by on Schwinns. Park where you see the silver and black stripes. Walk toward the north on the paved trail, toward the windmill. After a curve to the right, with another large cottonwood on the left, you will see on your right a row of low trees in an east-west line. The eastern edge of the row ends at a fence line. As soon as you pass this row of trees, you will notice individual evergeen trees on the right. Walk past five of them. The sixth one will be the closest one to the path. When you stand facing this tree, you’ll see the windmill through its branches. The letterbox will be tight up against the trunk of this tree.
Governor Tim Pawlenty was in attendance as the 365-foot tall windmill was dedicated on April 25, 2005. This single wind turbine is capable of supplying more than 50 % of the energy needs of the University of Minnesota at Morris. The turbine is part of the University's determination to use renewable energy sources for the Morris campus. It cost $1.8 million to build. Officials said that the turbine will pay for itself in 10 years and will last 25 years.