Who we are
Windborn is a development, hospitality, and community revitalization group that is focused on breathing new life into Aledo’s historic downtown. For the last century, Aledo has been home to beautiful rural surroundings, local farm-fresh food, festivals, and a walkable downtown with local shops and artisans. Windborn is dedicated to reviving Aledo’s historic buildings and telling their stories. We strive to create opportunities that will inspire togetherness, promote small businesses and the arts, providing future generations with their own memories of small-town life.
The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. —
Ecclesiastes 1:6
history
We remember downtown as a place to shop, gather, create, and celebrate. A trip downtown meant we could search for the perfect pair of shoes from Hall’s, buy candy with friends at Ben Franklin, watch the homecoming parade down College Avenue, browse the hit list records at Cooper TV, or catch up with a neighbor at the parking meter.
Department stores and changing times shuttered these businesses. A drive down College Avenue or Main Street became a quiet, vacant, and bittersweet experience for those who strolled down the sidewalks of Downtown Aledo.
Between new technology and a pandemic, life looks a little different than it did ten years ago. A laidback lifestyle with a tight-knit community sounds more and more appealing, and working away from the office is now the norm. Online retail has created an opportunity to beautify the historic storefronts again and fill them with businesses that can participate in both the local economy and the global economy while giving everyone a taste of small-town life.