In the 1850\u2019s windmills were at their peak in the Netherlands, with 9.000 mills of which 2.000 in Friesland: 1.800 drainage mills and 200 industrial mills, like flourmills, papermills, threshing mills, sawmills and to process oil seeds, wool or paint. It was in 1848 that miller Kok applied for permission to build a flourmill in Heerenveen. The authorities refused, as the intended site of the mill would be to close to the road: the shadow of the sails could frighten passing horses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1849<\/strong> 1873-1920<\/strong> 1898<\/strong>
A new request, somewhat further from the road, was approved of one year later. The mill was built by W.F. Looman and was called \u2018Welgelegen\u2019 (\u2018well situated\u2019). \u2018Welgelegen\u2019 was built to mill grain and to husk barley and buckweat. These crops were grown locally and were the main food for common people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Welgelegen\u2019 was owned in this period by miller Johannes Melis Tjepkema. The street where the mill is situated, is named after him and untill today the mill is locally known as \u2018Tjepkema\u2019s mill\u2019.
The invention of the far more powerfull steam engine and later the combustion engine made windmills redundant. At the turn of the century there were about 4.000 windmills left, in 1946 1.300 and now about 960. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The masonry base of the windmill was increased in height by 5,5 metres. Houses in the surroundings were causing problems with free wind.<\/p>\n\n\n