For years, I’ve passed that little windmill on Telegraph at 60th and wondered about it. But it wasn’t until earlier this week that I actually decided to look into its history. What the heck is that thing and why is it there?

According to this site on windmill buildings around the country, the origin of the Oakland Windmill isn’t quite clear. These days the decrepit landmark, which sits vacant in front of a house, mostly gets used as a big tagging target, but back in the ’50s and ’60s it was used as a lemonade stand and a flower shop. Rumor has it that the windmill had a previous, even more interesting life before the the mid-century, though.

Some people believe that the windmill was part of the entrance to Idora Park, a historically Italian neighborhood in North Oakland that was once home to an amusement park back in the early 1900s. Idora Park was known for its bear pit, opera house, roller coasters, trolley, and famous bird lady, amongst other attractions. (If you’re a fan of historical ephemera, check out this amazing collection of old postcards from Idora Park’s heyday). Sadly, like SF’s Playground-at-the-Beach, Oakland’s Idora Park is a thing of the past. The amusement park shuttered its doors in 1929. While it hasn’t been confirmed that the little windmill is a survivor from the long gone attraction, until I hear otherwise, I have a whole new respect for this historic wind-propelled landmark.