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Perry's Weathervane

Using the direction of the wind to foretell the weather and warn of approaching storms is an ancient tool for farmers and travelers. Before the days of modern meteorology, low tech devices and simple observation of Mother Nature's patterns served to keep people and crops safe.

Strips of cloth and flags were first used as wind indicators, and the word vane actually comes from an old English word, fane, meaning flag.Therefore a weathervane is technically, a "weatherflag".Common early American weathervane designs included ships, roosters and running horses, such as this one.