Assemblyman Leland Yee: San Francisco - The other 'Windy City'

Chicago is officially dubbed "the Windy City," but those of us in San Francisco, particularly those of us living near the western end of Golden Gate Park, know that San Francisco could easily take home the blue ribbon for windiest city.

When the city's founders first began work to turn barren sand dunes into the lush green park it is today, they capitalized on the idea of using wind ­ one of the most readily available natural resources ­ to get the job done.

The North and South windmills, also known as the Dutch and Murphy windmills, are two important educational and cultural landmarks in the city of San Francisco. They were constructed in 1902 and 1905, before electricity was commonly used, to pump vast amounts of water from underground wells to irrigate the nearly three-mile-long stretch of greenery that was to become Golden Gate Park.

From start to finish, both windmills are uniquely San Franciscan. The North Windmill was envisioned by John McLaren, together with park commissioners Adolph B. Spreckels and Reuben Lloyd, who convinced the SF Recreation and Park Commission to begin bidding on the construction of an oceanside windmill.

The windmill was designed by Alpheus Bull Jr., a prominent San Franciscan. The Fulton Engineering Company completed the ironwork and Pope and Talbot Lumber donated the Oregon pine used to make the sails. Following the success of the first windmill, the South Windmill was also designed and built through local efforts and became the largest windmill of its kind in the world.

The two windmills were once as beautiful as they were functional. Towering 95 feet tall, they were often featured in early pictures of San Francisco. Sadly, both windmills have fallen into a state of disrepair. You may have noticed that the South Windmill has lost its 114-foot-long sails, and water and insect damage have led the windmills' interior and external wooden structures to decay. These two treasures now stand as desiccated reminders of their former power and purpose.

The Campaign to Save the Golden Gate Park Windmills was established to ensure that no further harm comes to these importance pieces of San Francisco history and that they are restored to their original splendor to be enjoyed as historical and cultural landmarks for San Francisco natives and visitors alike.

Launched in 2000, the campaign has developed a unique restoration plan that incorporates the windmills' rehabilitation into a larger beautification project for the west end of Golden Gate Park. When the project is complete, Golden Gate Park will be home to a new soccer field, gardens and bike and foot paths. A refurbished Millwright's Cottage, with an historical education center for the public to learn about native plants and our beautiful historic windmills, will also open.

Phase 1 of the restoration is well under way. In 2002, the operating mechanism, or cap, of the South Windmill was dismantled and shipped to the Netherlands for repair and reconstruction. Lucas Verbij, a world-renowned expert in windmill construction and restoration, is performing the repairs. The windmill's tower is being stored here in San Francisco and the cap is expected to be returned and reinstalled in July or August of 2004. Landscape improvements will begin shortly thereafter.

These extensive plans have garnered much support, financial and otherwise, from the community. Late last month, the campaign received more great news. It was awarded a grant from the Coastal Conservancy's San Francisco Bay Conservancy Program. The $750,000 grant is the second grant the campaign has received from the Coastal Conservancy and will fund the restoration of the South Windmill's base, as well as provide interpretive programs to highlight the windmill's historical, cultural and educational value. While this costly restoration project will continue to require funding, this latest grant will go a long way towards helping the campaign achieve its goals of beautification and restoration.

The Golden Gate Park windmills extend a critical message about the importance of alternative, renewable energy sources.

In addition to being a popular destination for park visitors, the windmills hold architectural significance for their innovative designs in engineering and construction. They also serve as teaching tools as models of early irrigation systems. We hope the Campaign to Save the Golden Gate Park Windmills will continue to demonstrate a dynamic partnership between the City and the state in the effort to save these architectural and historical gems. To learn more about the Campaign to Save the Golden Gate Park Windmills, visit www.goldengateparkwindmills.org.

Leland Yee is an assemblymember representing the 12th Assembly District.