Before the construction of the windmills, Golden Gate Park was paying the Spring Valley Water Works up to 40 cents per 1000 gallons of water. To avoid this expense the North (Dutch) Windmill was commissioned in 1902 when Superintendent John McLaren deemed the Park's pumping plant insufficient to supply the additional water essential to the life of the Park. A survey and inspection of the vast area west of Strawberry Hill revealed a large flow of water toward the ocean. The North windmill was constructed to reclaim the drainage towards the Pacific Ocean and direct fresh well water back into the park. Alpheus Bull Jr., a prominent San Franciscan, designed the North Windmill. The Fulton Engineering Company received the bid for the ironwork, and Pope and Talbot Lumber Company donated sails (spars) of Oregon pine. The North Windmill was installed, standing 75 feet tall with 102 foot long sails. The Windmill pumps water up an elevation of 200 feet with a capacity of 30,000 gallons of water per pump per hour, supplying and replenishing Lloyd Lake, Metson Lake, Spreckels Lake and Lincoln Park. The water is pumped from the valley into a reservoir on Strawberry Hill from there the water runs downhill into Falls and Stow Lake. The North Windmill was successful causing another system of wells and a second windmill at the southwestern corner of the Park to be recommended. Samuel G Murphy provided from his own means, $20,000 to erect the windmill. The South Windmill (Murphy Windmill) stands as the largest in the world, having the longest sails in the world, since its construction, with the ability to lift 40,000 gallons of water per hour.