Wind, Wings, and Music

Lubbock, Texas
Elks Lodge

Last night Freddy suggested we go to the National Ranching Heritage Center today, but when we woke up it was cold and cloudy.  We thought it might be better to postpone it and go to a musuem indoors today and do the Ranching Center tomorrow.  

Our first stop today was the Silent Wings Museum.  John and Gerri Beckman suggested we visit it.  Once again their suggestion was right.


The Silent Wings Museum is the only one in the world devoted to the military glider program.  

Our orientation began with a very good video on the glider program in WW II.  The gliders played a very big part in the invasion of Normandy.  

Naturally, Bill enjoyed seeing all the WW II weapons.  

It's hard to believe how much they carried on these gilders.

The nose of the glider lifted up to remove the jeep.

This is the inside looking forward.

Looking from the doorway backward.

This is what their barracks would have looked like.

When we paid our $6.00 apiece admission, the lady stamped our receipt and told us it was good for half price at the Buddy Holly Museum.  Of course you know where we went next.  I love a bargain!  Three dollars per person to tour the Buddy Holly Center which also included the J I Allison house, where Buddy and J I wrote music. 

Buddy Holly was born on September 7, 1936 in Lubbock, Texas. The museum had many artifacts and stories about Buddy Holly but I was disappointed that the only place we heard any of his songs was watching the video.  It would have been so much nicer if they had played his songs.  

His first song That Will Be The Day was inspired by John Wayne from the western movie The Searchers.  Even though his career lasted 18 months he managed to have 25 hits.

I enjoyed the story of Buddy, J I Allison and Joe Mauldin walking into a Harley Davidson shop looking to buy three motorcycles.  The salesperson didn't recognize them and  suggested they leave.  They went to a Triumph dealer and bought three motorcycles and went back to the Harley dealer to show him what they bought.  

We were in a RV park in Clear Lake, Iowa and LC and Marilyn Boyer were also in the park.  LC lived there at one time and showed us the Surf Ballroom where Buddy performed with the Crickets.  He was killed in a plane crash after that performance.   

The tour of the J. I. Allison house began at 1 pm.  There were about 20 people standing around the gift shop waiting to take the tour.  Our tour guide took everyone in the tiny circa 1950's house.  There were so many people I didn't feel real comfortable.  It would have been so much better if they had the house open and a docent inside and people could visit it without waiting for a huge crowd.  

The West Texas Walk of Fame was across the street 

Here's just a few names that appeared:  Buddy Holly, Waylon Jennings, Mac Davis, Jimmy Dean, Tanya Tucker, Roy Orbison, Gatlin Brothers and Dan Blocker.

Our next stop was to another largest in the world museum--  The American Wind Power Center.  There were 170 rare windmills on over 28 acres.  One hundred of these are in the exhibit hall. Admission was $5.00 a piece or $10 for a family.

This mural called the "Legacy of the Wind" covers 6,000 square feet and took two years to complete.  There were people in there setting up for a wedding so I didn't get a great photo.

These were huge and you can barely see Bill in this photo.

As tall as this building was, they had to dig down another floor to display this section.  

This is Monitor WV Series windmill that is still in its original shipping crate.  It was manufactured by the Baker Manufacturing Co. of Evansville, Wisconsin from 1933 to 1960.  

This is  the Elmer & Melvyn Miller Windmill weight collection.  

Are you wondering why this Red Ryder air rifle is featured in this musuem?  

The Plymouth Iron Windmill Co of Plymouth, Michigan made a vaneless wrought iron pumping windmill.  It was so different that it did not sell well.  C. Hamilton, inventor for the mill, perfected a new all metal air rifle in 1888.  He showed it to the company president who said, "Clarence it's a Daisy".  The company then started giving one with every windmill sold.  

The air rifle became so successful that the Plymouth Company ceased making windmills and changed its name to the Daisy Manufacturing Co.  which became world famous for its Daisy Rifle.  

These were salesman's samples.

Once we were through with the indoor exhibits we went outside to view more.

Hopefully, with our truck in the photo it will show you how large the building is.  They are also working hard to expand the exhibit in another large area that is not open for a couple of months.  

The cost of one of these is about a million dollars.  This generates the electricity for the museum.

This is a replica of the Yeardley which was built in 1621.  it was the first wind driven grist mill in North America.

I always enjoy something that is a little different and this museum was it.  

We hurried back to the Elks as we were going to dinner with Freddy and Delcie Prather. 

I can't believe I didn't even take a picture of us at dinner.  I had the camera, but we were so busy catching up since we last saw them, I completely forgot.  

Dinner and the company were great, but I was glad to get back and prop up my foot tonight.  

Turtle Safely..........