Hudson Valley, NY is situated roughly one hour south of New York’s capital, Albany. Situated alongside the Hudson River, Hudson Valley is thought for its vineyards, orchards, and farms. Designated as a Nationwide Heritage Space, the Valley is steeped in historical past, pure magnificence, and has been described as “a real break from town, with leafy lanes, wineries, and loads of farm-to-table eating choices.” This space of our nation price visiting may have the privilege of, partly, shaping the present director of The Danish Windmills, Shaun Sayres, together with maybe his love of historical past. Shaun Sayres grew up operating the streets of New York’s Hudson Valley space, inhabitants 15,000, about 23 occasions the dimensions of Elk Horn, house of the Danish Windmill, inhabitants about 650.
So how does he make his method from the Hudson Valley to the Danish mecca of southwestern Iowa? For Shaun, his journey started with attending an area faculty to finish his undergraduate diploma with a BA in Historical past, with the intention of educating highschool. That was till he thought possibly educating faculty appeared like enjoyable and he jumped proper into working towards his Grasp’s in American Historical past which he accomplished on the College of New Hampshire. Shaun is presently working by the Clark College PHD Program.
Whereas on the College of New Hampshire, Shaun met his present accomplice, Sarah McDonald. Sarah is the manager director of Shelby County. After a profession within the realm of long-distance relationships, Shaun headed west, touchdown in Harlan in 2021. After coming to the Midwest, Shaun substituted for educating for a 12 months earlier than assuming the principal function at Windmill. . As a lot of chances are you’ll know, Shaun changed Lisa Steen Riggs as supervisor, who had been the supervisor of the windmill since her arrival in Elk Horn in 1976. The windmill itself was inbuilt 1848, simply 175 years in the past!
I actually loved chatting with Shaun this previous week and was amazed at how a lot I realized concerning the museum! There have been so many issues I did not know! Let’s not inform my grandparents who’ve a robust Danish heritage! Shaun shared that in what is taken into account an awesome and profitable 12 months, the museum will welcome over 80,000 company from throughout the USA and the world, with guests from as far-off as Indonesia and guests touring from nations throughout the African continent!
And whereas he and his employees are happy with the big variety of guests they’ve entertained and educated, as they wrap up their busy season, Shaun has his sights set on some huge, huge objectives forward.
The aim, which is presently not being met by nobody’s fault, is to have the windmill up and operating and operating each day. A secondary aim is to have wearable tooth that may be used for dwell demonstrations, area journeys, Four-H occasions, and different group outreach initiatives. The present wheels are offline and the hassle to purchase new ones shall be a giant capital marketing campaign effort. Shaun is presently gathering the data wanted to place collectively a robust capital marketing campaign. And whereas I will not reveal an excessive amount of of Shaun’s long-term objectives and visions for our small (however huge in impression) slice of Danish heritage right here in Southwest Iowa, I’ll say that the plans he has for the 50th anniversary in 2026 made my history-loving coronary heart flutter. And do not inform my husband, however he might have already volunteered me to assist with efforts associated to that celebration. Okay, the hurdles forward are many: working mill, new grinding wheels, telling Jay Robinson I volunteered for one more undertaking… However as you recognize, the Danes is usually a bit cussed and that a part of my heritage it’s alive and effectively in me.
Shaun encourages everybody to observe the Danish Windmill on Fb to remain updated on the newest occasions and actions. Shaun and the Windmill crew shall be at Christkindlmarket in Des Moines, a smaller model of the market that takes place in Chicago yearly from December 1-Four representing a Scandinavian retailer.
I’m a deep lover of custom, order, historical past and I really feel that change is usually pointless. I really feel the exact opposite after speaking to Shaun! I’m enthusiastic about his degree of imaginative and prescient, his young-at-heart objectives to maintain the windmill flourishing, and his imaginative and prescient to revive it to a degree of operation that shall be very effectively obtained by each locals and guests to far. Shaun shares that though Elk Horn is so totally different from life within the Hudson Valley, the flexibility to attach and meet so many individuals on a private degree is a appeal that not many cities within the US provide. what that reference to a small city could be, so to Shuan and Sarah we are saying: “Det var sa lidt!” You’re very welcome certainly!
