joyful2beeblogs

East of Raleigh, North Carolina is a town named, Wilson. This town once was a tobacco farming area. But thanks to one elderly gentleman named,Vollis Simpson, it is gaining a reputation for an art of different kinds. The evolution began with the creativity of Mr. Simpson during World War II. Evidiently his mechanical skills mixed with his creativity to invent the idea of using a windmill to run a washing machine.

On his return from the war he worked repairing farm machinery. After his retirement he seemed to have become obsessed with huge, (I’m talking two or more stories high) wind-driven whirligigs. His inventiveness and ingenuity paid off when his whirligigs were bought by private owners. Soon his whirligigs were bought by the town of Wilson and set up in an empty square lot near a museum and gift shop, where keepsakes could be bought of these giant windmill like structures.

Mr. Vollis is now retired from making giant pinwheels but here is a quote from the brochure for the park, from him about why he made them: “I had a lot of material left over , and I didn’t want to junk it or salvage it. I put most of it out there in the pasture. Everybody made fun of me and laughed at me. I didn’t pay ’em no damn mind.”

One thing that makes this park a must to see at night is the reflectors from old cars and machinery that he used on the blades and other parts of the whilrligigs. When the streetlights come on and the wind is blowing hard, those whiligigs make quite an amazing sight!

This Whirligig Park has become a central area for the town where events occur and people gather to enjoy music, concerts, outdoor movies and all kinds of events. There is even a North Carolina Whirligig Festival! Nearby in other blocks of the city there are art galleries, shops, and a brewery.

It’s quite an interesting place to bring family and friends.