St Oda mill, with swirling clouds in the background by Jolanda de Jong-Jansen

About "St Oda mill, with swirling clouds in the background"

by Jolanda de Jong-Jansen

About the artwork

The Sint Oda mill stands right next to canal the Zuid-Willemsvaart in the Boshoven district of the town of Weert.
The picture was taken with a beautifully coloured sunset and there was a strong wind which made the big cloud spin. It was as if the sails of the mill were whirling this cloud.

Information about this mill :
In the 19th century, Wilhelmus Nijs bought a plot of arable land and built a windmill here.
Nijs' mill became one of the most ornate windmills in Weert. The mill was named after the Sint Oda chapel a little further down the road in Boshoven.
Wilhelmus died in 1922. His son Jacques continued the business for some time, until their other son, Leo (Lei) took over. Lei Nijs would continue to grind exclusively on the wind, especially buckwheat and rye flour, until well into the '50s without a sans streamliner blade. Only in 1954 was a hammer mill and mixing boiler installed. Around 1959, the inner rod was bushed and the mill's efficiency increased.
The business passed once more from father to son in 1961. Wiel Nijs continued to grind buckwheat and rye for a long time. The Sint Oda mill expanded to include a shop selling flour and pet food. It was not until 2002 that the last milling took place, after which Nijs sold the mill.
After that, the mill has stood almost exclusively idle and is in poor condition.
A pity of such a beautiful mill that shows the history of Weert and experience has fallen into a bad state.

Created by Jolanda de Jong-Jansen with support from AI.