November/December - Winona County Historical Society

The Argus
Winona County Historical Society
160 Johnson Street
Winona, MN 55987
Argus
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Winona, MN
55987
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Winona County Historical Society Newsletter
photo by Paul Crosby
Volume 16, No. 6 November/December 2015
On the Wall in Wanek Hall
A look at the Historic River Paintings in Wanek Hall of the History Center
From an article in our newsletter “Chronicles” Volume 3, No. 2, Spring 1984
In 1984 the Winona County Historical
Society received two oil painting for our
collection. These two important paintings were done in 1879 by George Zell
Heuston (1855-1939). The paintings were
originally a wedding gift to his brother
B.F. Heuston, a Winona lawyer and his
wife, May Newman, the daughter of
Circuit Judge, Alfred Newman. They were
married on September 26, 1893 standing
below the flag on Mount Trempealeau.
B.F. and May moved to Tacoma, Washington shortly after and these paintings
hung in their home there. After B.F.’s
death, May brought them to her son Alfred’s house in New York City where they
stayed after her death. Alfred’s wife left
them with George F. Heuston, the artist’s
grandson, who is also an artist, and lives
in Garrison, New York. It is through the
generosity of these two people that the
paintings came to be in our collection.
George Zell Heuston was born in Galesville, Wisconsin in a log cabin built by
his father on land he was clearing for a
family farm. During George’s boyhood
his father returned from the Civil War
wounded and the farm was lost. George
had to pursue a new way of life. At
this time the countryside was canvassed
by itinerant portrait painters. They did
crayon likenesses of prosperous farmers
at five dollars a head. George got a job
with one of them handling gear and taking care of the horse used to travel from
farm to farm. He saved enough money
that summer to buy some paints and began to paint views of houses, barns, and
scenery. Sometimes he sold one for fifty
cents.
George left for Chicago to study art
and a newly opened school, which would
become the present day Art Institute of
Chicago. After a year there, he came
home for the summer and met a girl who
loved music and had studied at the New
England Conservatory for Music in Boston.
Penniless, they were married in 1878.
They settled in Lacrosse, Wisconsin and
set up a photography studio and she
gave music lessons. Their business plan
failed after children arrived. After trying
to be a professional artist in Chicago,
they moved to Arcadia, Wisconsin and
tragedy struck. George’s wife died of
Tuberculosis, leaving him a widower with
three children at age thirty-three.
He tried newspaper reporting but that
did not pay enough. Falling back on his
art skills he became a draftsman for the
urban publics works of Winona. He qualified as a civil engineer and was elected
as Winona’s Civil Engineer. He remarried
and had a comfortable life.
In 1890 George followed his brother,
Benjamin, to Tacoma, Washington. He set
up a studio and went on sketching trips
through the still wild county side. George
became an art teacher and was the only
painter in the northwest to be invited to
the San Francisco World’s Fair. He eventually had a third wife and travelled and
painted and prospered until his death in
1939. w
Board Members
Peter Walsh, President
Mary Nelson, VP
Tom Bremer, Treasurer
Jonelle Moore, ex officio Secretary
Michelle Alexander, City Council
Sandra Burke
Jerome Christenson
Robert Fischer
Tim Hoff
Sue Hovell
Margaret Johnson
Ken Lindamann
Patrick Marek
Mary Polus
Jim Pomeroy
Pat Rogers
Mike Slaggie
LeRoy Telstad
Cindy Timm
Staff
Mark F. Peterson, Director
507-454-2723 ext. 1
[email protected]
Jennifer Weaver, Asst. Director
507-454-2723 ext. 3
[email protected]
Bette Jean Cichoski,
Visitor Service & Shop Manager
507-454-2723 ext. 0
[email protected]
Jodi Brom, Curator
507-454-2723 ext. 4
[email protected]
Walter Bennick, Archivist
Andy Bloedorn, Archivist
507-454-2723 ext. 2
[email protected]
Vickie Hokenstad, Maintenance
507-454-2723 ext. 0
Ann Kendrick, Membership
[email protected]
Laurie Lucas, Rental Coord.
507-452-6609
[email protected]
2
History Never Stops
Membership & Donations
by Mark F. Peterson, Executive Director
It was recently reported in the news that the
Society purchased the two-story building at
118 W. Fourth St. with plans to eventually
tear it down. This followed a similar purchase last summer of the property at 120 W.
Fourth St. This would be a good time to let
our members know what is going on.
When we were planning our building expansion just over five years ago we looked at
adjacent property to see what opportunities
there might be. It became rather obvious
that building the 12,500 foot addition was
all we could undertake at that time, but in
the process, we had a handshake agreement
with both property owners that should they
ever decide to sell their property they would
talk with us first. Last summer the owner of
the property at 120 W. Fourth, which by
the way is the smallest commercial property
in downtown Winona at 11’9” wide by 60’
long, approached us. The roof had collapsed
and he wanted to sell. The property abuts
our property. It also shares a common wall
with the building at 118 W. Fourth St.
A few months ago we were approached
by one of the owners of 118 W. Fourth St.
to see if we had an interest in buying their
property. We were and over time we negotiated a price and with help from the family
of Steve and Barb Slaggie we were able to
close the deal. What does this mean for the
Society? In the short run it gives us ample secure storage for much of the collection from
the Arches Museum. In the long run it assures
the Society that we will have space
Winona County History Center
Thank You for Your Support!
photo by Kathy Greden
to expand. Not if we expand, but when we
do. It is inevitable that at some point in the
future we will want more collection storage
space and/or gallery space. We have now
been able to assure ourselves that this will be
possible. So, we have one very small building without a roof and one larger building
that is in very poor condition. What are our
plans for this property? For now we have
asked the two remaining tenants to move out
by November 30 (the main floor and two
apartments are empty). We will continue to
use it for storage until we can construct a new
building at the Fairgrounds in St. Charles
(following the sale of the Arches property).
We will then tear it all down and create a
nice downtown green space likely using a
few architectural artifacts we have in our
collection and add some seating and other
amenities.
The board looked carefully at this concept
and agreed this was an opportunity we
couldn’t afford to not take advantage of. I
appreciate their foresight, the patience of
the property owners and the support from
the Slaggie family. w
Business Partner Renewals: Biesanz Stone Co.; Bremer Bank; Edward Jones; Gordie’s BP;
Hal Leonard Corp; Heart’s
Desire, Inc.; Hoff Celebration of Life Center; Hy-Vee; Peerless Chain Co.; Sport & Spine; Wells Fargo Bank; Winona Daily News;
Winona Post, Inc.
New Members:
Ben & Sharon Baratto; Jean & Clarence Chuchna, St. Charles, Mn; Bette Jean Cichoski; Nicholas Guy; Allen
Halverson, Fountain City, WI; Allie Kabus, Independence, WI; Scott & Georganne Kaehler; Caylan Larson & Marcy Faircloth; Tim &
Bonnie McBeth, Trempealeau, WI; Bill Wissman
Renewals: Tom & Barb Ames, Rochester, MN; Don & Gwen Anderson, Minnesota City, MN; Jennifer Anderson & David Craw-
ford; Dean & Mary Auna; Barbara Beeman; Marla Beeman; Betty Lou Bierly, LaCrosse, WI; Dr. Scott & Debra Birdsall; Lowell
& Darlene Bjoraker; Les & Vi Boelter; Colleen Browne & Dan McKillop, Seattle, WA; Mary B. Burrichter; Steve & Mary Carson;
Gerry Cichanowski; Gayla Clemons; Selma & Bill Crozier; John Davie, Trempealeau, WI; Robert & Barbara DuFresne; Nick & Lori
Edstrom; Dr. Leon & Ramona English; Rosie & Duane Evans, Minnesota City, MN; Pamela Eyden & Reggie McLeod; Lyndie Fabian;
Tom & Julie Fassbender; Retha & Richard Finger, Lewiston, MN; Steve & Mary Flad; David & Carole Forest; Timothy Forester; Jim
Forsell; Bryan & Diane Forsyth, Houston, MN; Mary C. & Steve Fralish, Mankato, MN; Arlayne Fremling; Phyllis Frisch, Altura, MN;
Ken Fritz; Dr. Todd Funk; Ann Gibson; Jane Habeck; George & Jane Henthorne; Carol Heyl; Glen & Carol Hines; Colette Hyman &
John Campbell; Lawrence & Jeanette Indra; JoAnn Johnson; Victor Johnson & Judith Johnson, LaCrescent, MN; Nadine Kanz; Walter
Kelly; Wayne & Bonnie Kelly; Chris & Jennifer Kendall; Charles & Sherrie Knopp; Jay Kohner & Emilie Falc; Roxy Kohner; Bernetta
Kouba; Rita Lehnertz; Rodney Lingenfelter, Minneapolis, MN; Stanley G. Mann, Minnesota City, MN; Cindy Marek & Doug Lofthus;
Edwin L. Maus, Minnesota City, MN; Kathy & Ron McGuire; Jeff Morgan, Fountain City, WI; Mount Vernon Township, Altura, MN;
Bill & Sue Ann Mullen; Anah & Howard Munson; Steve & Jane Napieralski; Alan & Carole Nelson, Palm Desert, CA; Mary & Jan
Nelson; Paul & Lori Ness; Beth M. Nienow, Rochester, MN; David Pendleton; Julie Pendleton; Nick Perrella; Coleen Peterman; Mary
& Hugh Polus; Robert & Kathy Redig; Connie & John Roche; Linda Runstrom; Charlotte Rupprecht, Utica, MN; Dorothy Sanders;
Marilyn A. Schneider; Mathias F. Schroeder; Florence M. Schubert, RN, Ed D; Rochester, MN; Kay Shaw; Chuck & Judy Shepard;
Robert Shoup; Jim & Diane Sillman, Lucedale, MS; Lisa Rae Skalicky, Altura, MN; Karl & Karin Sonneman; Beverly Spande; Dave &
Judy Stoltman; Jeanne Stremcha, Dakota, MN; Rosine Tenenbaum; Michael & Barbara Thern; Barbara Tibor; John Vivian, Lewiston,
MN; Robert & Ruth Werner; J.J. Weimerskirch, Bismarck, ND; Jerry Whetstone; Elaine Wieczorek; Leighton J. Wilkie, Alma, WI;
Linda Wood, Edina, MN; Dennis & Sharon Woychek; Brooks & Ann Wrampelmeier, Washington, D.C.; Thomas S. & Barbara Wynn;
Brian & Susan Zeller
Donations: Marianne Hohenner;
RTP; Kathleen Barber; Margaret Gunther; Laurie Lucas, In Memory of Roy Votruba; In Memory
of Dorothy Peterson: Eileen Martin; In Memory of Betty Woodworth: Thomas & Kimberly Dekart; Wayne & Bonnie Kelly; Gerald
& Kathleen Thomas; Daniel Lee Challeen; Lorraine Gresel; Margaret Shaw Johnson; Mark & Teri Kusilek; In Memory of Patricia
McGuire: Eileen Martin; Florence E. Badowich; In Memory of Mark S. Fawcett: Laurie Lucas; In Memory of Margaret Gunther:
Kathleen & Chris Carroll; Sally Lehmann; Lynn Nankivil & Ken McCullough; Laurie Lucas; In Memory of Stewart Shaw: Laurie Lucas;
Darlene M. Metzler; In Memory of Sheila Homola Murray: Laurie Lucas
WCHS Museums
160 Johnson St., Winona, MN 55987
Open: Weekdays 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Sunday 12 - 4 p.m.
Laird Lucas Library & Archives; Open: Weekdays 10 a.m. - 12 & 1 - 5 p.m.
The Willard Bunnell House Off Hwy 61, Homer, MN Open for scheduled
performances and special events
Rural Heritage Museum Winona County Fairgrounds; Open for special events
Moving? Headed South for the winter? Be sure to let us know! Please send your change of address to [email protected] so you don’t miss “The Argus” or other mailings. This also helps us save some money, not having to pay for returned
mail. Thank you!
Ensure the Future of the Past!
Remember the Winona County Historical Society in your estate planning.
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Clip and Save Calendar
November
9 Quilt Guild, 7 p.m.
11 Food For Thought: Personal Artifacts: Preserving
Your Family Stories and Heirlooms, with Jodi Brom,
12:05 p.m.
12 Civil War Round Table, 7 p.m.
18 Food For Thought: Creating the Winona
Christmas Radio Show, with Paul Sannerud
and Dan Munson, 12:05 p.m.
19 Wings in the Wind: The Armistice Day Storm
of 1940 with Jon Steffes, Thursday, 7 p.m.
21 Handmade Neighborhood Sale and Museum Shop
Specials, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
26 Closed for Thanksgiving
27-29 Not-So-Black Friday and Shop Local Specials in
the Museum Shop
December
1
7
9
10
12
14
16
24
25
Food For Thought/A Page in History: A
Community Conversation with Sara Pajunen,
12:05 p.m.
Annual Quilt Drawing Winner announced, need not
be present to win.
Food For Thought: Book Chat, The Memory
Keeper’s Daughter, by Kim Edwards, 12:05 p.m.
Civil War Round Table, 7 p.m.
Hands - On History: German Christmas Star Craft
Class with Polly Renk, 1 p.m.
Quilt Guild, 7 p.m.
WCHS’ Volunteer Christmas Breakfast, 8 a.m.
Open 9 a.m. - Noon Christmas Eve
Closed for Christmas
January 1 - Closed New Year’s Day
Get Your Quilt Tickets!
House Tour Takes a Break
Annual Quilt Raffle
No Christmas Candlelight House Tour Dec. 6
The Winona Area Quilt Guild has donated “All Wrapped
Up,”a Christmas theme quilt that is 90” x 100” for the
WCHS annual quilt raffle fund raiser. You can view this fun
quilt at the History Center and get your chances to win. $1
each. We will draw the winner Monday, December 7 at 8
a.m. Need not be present to win. w
We will not be offering the Christmas Candlelight House
this year. For the past few years it has been increasingly
difficult to find homes for the tour and so it was decided
to give the event a rest. After 29 years, the Christmas
Candlelight House tour has had well over 150 homes,
generously opened up for the public by their homeowners. Thank you to all those gracious hosts who allowed
the community into their homes for this festive event. Also,
a big thanks to the churches that participated over the
years too, offering treats and entertainment. Thank you
to all the volunteers and committee members who brought
a great event together each year. Its been a success, but
has run its course and we are looking forward to a couple
NEW tours we will be offering in 2016 featuring County
back roads and Winona’s glorious stained glass. Watch
for more this Spring! w
Ryan Lange is from Winona. His
parents are Joanne and Dave
and he has two dogs, Yogi and
Icee.
Ryan loves to travel, and enjoys
history and museums very much.
As a child he has travelled the
tri-state area visiting historic
sites and museums. Ryan has an
extensive book collection on history and art. He also likes trying new cooking recipes and
a good glass of wine.
Ryan has a Bachelor of Arts in History after graduating
from Winona State University in December 2014. He started volunteering in the archives and assists Andy in cataloging primary sources and other volumes into the PastPerfect
database, a museum inventory software. Ryan likes volunteering the archives, helping preserve our past, and to
help researchers access records and documents. Ryan says,
“History is my passion, and by volunteering here, I have an
Volunteer Spotlight
active connection to that interest, as well as, a sense of joy by
being able to help as much as I
can.”
Charley Langowski is also from
Winona and is volunteering in the
Archives. Her parents are Paul
and Michelle and she has two
siblings, Dani and Randi. She also
has two dogs, Ole and Sven.
Charley loves exploring the river when she is not doing her
other hobby: applying for jobs. She is a graduate of Appalachian State University and studied anthropology and
archaeology.
She really enjoys seeing what people thought was important about their life and times in Winona and how they
saved various items. One of Charley’s favorite quotes is,
“Life’s what you make it, so let’s make it rock!” w
Wish
List
Maintenance
Volunteer
to help with
light bulbs,
and other
light carpentry jobs.
$100 for
magnetic reusable name
tags.
Program
ideas and
speakers.
10
3
Biography
by Walter Bennick
William Ashley Jones
1822-1914
Surveyor, Editor and Railroad Executive
William Ashley Jones, the son of Augustus and Mary (Reyburn)
Jones, was born on September 1, 1822 in Caledonia (Washington) Missouri. William’s father, an army veteran of both the War
of 1812 and the Mexican War, was a wealthy slave-owning
farmer and entrepreneur and a personal friend of President
Andrew Jackson.
At the age of 19-years, Jones was married to 21-year-old
Eliza Jane Wallace Burt in St. Louis, Missouri. Eliza, the daughter
of Andrew and Esebella (Onmsten) Burt, was born in St. Louis
County, Missouri on December 27, 1820. The couple settled in
St. Louis, Missouri where their first three children were born.
In 1847, Jones and his family moved to Dubuque, Iowa where
his uncle, Senator George W. Jones, lived. Jones purchased
the Dubuque Miner’s Express and became its editor. It was in
Dubuque where three more children were born and a daughter
died. Jones sold off his interest in the paper in the spring of
1853 and obtained employment as a deputy federal surveyor
as Dubuque was the headquarters of the Surveyor General of
the Old Northwest Territories. He was assigned to the Minnesota
Territory near Wapasha’s Prairie later that summer.
Jones quickly acquired land on the claims of Orrin
Smith, Erwin Johnson and Silas Stevens, and with his rural connections, he was able to acquire 160 acres in Mount Vernon
Township and another 1500 acres in St. Charles Township.
Around 1856, he established a farm on his St. Charles property
and built the largest barn in the region on it. However, while acquiring this property, Jones “crossed swords” with Henry D. Huff
who owned a good share of the plotted community.
By the fall of 1855, Jones was living in Winona with his family, while in Winona, another five children were born and three
died, including their 16-month-old son, Robert, who died on May
29, 1857. After settling in Winona, Jones was appointed by
President Pierce to take a census of the “mixed-bloods” on the
Lake Pepin reservation and to adjudicate their claims to reservation land.
Soon after securing land in Winona Jones built a large building
at the southeast corner of Third and Franklin Street, in which he
made his home. The building later converted into the ten-room
Stadt Hamburg Hotel, which in 1892, was razed to make room
for a brick building.
4
In the early winter of the previous year, Jones had established
the Winona Argus, the first newspaper in Winona. It was a
4-page, 6-column weekly with leanings toward states’ rights
and took a proslavery stance and advocated against non-white
citizenship. It editorialized that equality referred only to white
Americans being equal to white Englishmen. Jones continued
publishing the Argus until July 4, 1857 when he sold it to Henry
B. Cozzens who closed it down on September 3, 1857. Again
Jones crossed swords with Huff as Huff started his own newspaper, the Winona Weekly Express, which was more neutral in its
political stance.
Early in 1855, Jones became involved in two local transportation projects. In March of that year, the Territorial Legislature
authorized the incorporation of the Winona Ferry Company
to provide ferry service for Winona. The following year, the
charter for the Transit Railroad was renewed and Jones bought
$20,000 of company stock and was named the company’s vicepresident. However, during the financial panic of 1858-9 the
stocks were deemed worthless and Jones lost all the monies he
had invested.
In 1858, Jones was elected the second one-year mayor of
Winona, following Martin Wheeler Sargeant. After he served
out his term it appears that Jones and his family moved to their
farm near St. Charles. On October 12, 1859, while visiting the
tenant in his old home, Jones was accosted by an intoxicated
Joseph Denno who accused him of having his cattle damage his
garden. During the ensuring pushing and shoving, Jones stabbed
Denno, who soon died. Jones was arrested for manslaughter
and was released on bail until his trial later in December. After
a brief trial the jury found Jones not guilty of the charges and
Jones returned to his home near St. Charles.
About five years later, Jones and his family returned to
Dubuque, Iowa where he worked as a surveyor, and for a while
as the city recorder. In 1881, Jones filed a claim against the
Minnesota Bond Commission regarding loses he incurred when
the Transit Railroad was taken over by the Winona and St. Peter
Railroad. Unfortunately, he lost his bid for recovery and blamed
Henry Huff for his loss. Two years later, in 1883, Jones surveyed
in Sully County, Dakota Territory and aided in the development
of the Yankton, Okobojo and Fort Buford Railroad, of which he
was named its president.
It appears that around 1890, while Jones was living in Pierre,
Dakota Territory, he and his wife, Eliza, separated and Eliza
went to Minneapolis, Minnesota to live with her son, Stonewall
Jackson Jones. In 1900, Jones was living in St. Charles, Minnesota and working as a surveyor, while his former wife was in
Minneapolis with her son. By 1905, Jones was now in St. Paul,
Minnesota and living in the city poor house. In August of 1908,
Jones was being held in jail on a charge of assault with a
deadly weapon for stabbing another poor house inmate.
Continued on page 8
On Exhibit
NEW Exhibits at the History Center
We are Winona: The Cultures of Our County
Now - January 10, 2016
Through historical biographies we explore the traditions of the various cultures that make up the
people of Winona County. Featuring the exhibit, “One Community, Many Stories” from Project
FINE, highlighting the stories of today’s immigrants to Winona County.
Upcoming Exhibits for 2016!
Warm Memories: Winona County Quilts
January 15 – June 15
“Prof. Story” an African American
musician and cook who lived in
Winona during the early 1900s. Learn
about him and others who were apart of
Winona’s cultural heritage.
We have a vast quilt collection and will be bringing out the best of them for viewing. We will also take a look at the
heritage in quilting, origins of patterns, cultural influences, and how they hold the history of a life, a family, and a community.
Art of Fine Furniture 2016
June 18 – July 31
The most popular exhibit WCHS has had, this 4th annual show will sure to be a hit again with all new pieces.
Preserved in Paint: Winona County Art History Collection
August 6 - October 30
From portraits to landscapes, some of our art pieces in the collection have been part of other exhibits, but many have
not been on exhibit for a very long time, if at all. This exhibition will highlight the best of our art collection that will take
us back in time to visualize Winona County years ago.
Plan Your Visit!
History Center Admission:
$5 Adults, $3 Students,
WCHS members free!
Log-on to winonahistory.org
and click MUSEUMS
9
Society News
A New Microfilm Machine in the Archives
Thanks to a Minnesota Legacy grant the
Laird Lucas Library and Archives features
a brand new microfilm machine. Fully digital, this new system can edit pages, cut
and paste, save clippings, improve clarity
and much more. What is micro film? It is a
strip of film with small images of documents, mainly for saving newspapers, that
are too large to store themselves. Andy or
Walt will be happy to show you! Stop on
in and check it out.
A new series of programs are being
developed for families and children
too! Several will be offered this next
summer. As before members will be
able to get tickets first and receive
discounts!
The Winona Argus, volume
one, number three, was
published on Wednesday,
October 1, 1854. Its first
issue was published on
September 20, 1854. It was
published every Wednesday morning until September 3, 1857. It was a four
page, six column sheet with
pro-slavery and statesrights leanings.
We would like to thank the crew of
the Cal Fremling, our ticket takers, and
the public for making this new way of
presenting our past and relationships
with the Mississippi River a success!
...and some history. The History on
the River cruise programs aboard the
Cal Fremling (operated by Winona
State University) were a huge success
this past season. Each Thursday, with
a few added special trips, we took
some of our regular programming on
the river over the summer and into this
fall. We are planning for next season
and welcome any topic ideas related
to local history and/or the river, but
don’t worry we will bring back a few
of the more popular topics too. You
can send your ideas to [email protected].
The 17th Voices From the Past: Woodlawn Cemetery Walk was a great
success rasing over $6500. Over 600
students came to learn more about our
city’s street names October 7 - 9 and
over 650 people came to the public
tours over the weekend and the indoor
performance that Thursday evening.
We would like to extend a huge thank
you to the dedicated volunteers that
make this event what it is. The planning committee, script writers, actors,
guides, treat bakers, parking attendants, and admission table helpers all
create a wonderful and educational
experience. We also greatly appreciate the Trester Trolley with Coldwell
Banker Skeels/Moore for the rides
around the Cemetery; Whitewater
State Park for a naturalist site for the
school days; the generous advertisers
in the program, and our lead sponsor
Merchants Bank.
For 2016 we will explore the lives
of the working class in Winona. From
Knitting Mill workers to chamber
maids, the 18th annual Walk will celebrate the people who made Winona
work over the decades.
8
By Walter Bennick
William Ashley Jones’s signature found in the Huff
Hotel register, dated Oct. 1853
This is a view of Winona from the
levee at the foot of Lafayette
Street In the foreground is a two
story building that stood along
Front Street between Lafayette
and Center Streets. The building next back is the Minnesota
House, a hotel built by A. B. Smith
and the third two story building
became the offices of the Winona
Argus in September of 1854.
A Great Cemetery Walk
Fun on the River
From the Archives
Biography, cont. from page 4.
When Jones went before the court, he
explained that he was a pauper. He once
had over a million dollars in railroad
stock which was deemed worthless when
the railroad went into receivership and he
was penniless. His wife had left him and
he wandered the country, not being able
to settle in one place.
By 1910, Jones was an inmate at the St.
Peter (Minnesota) Hospital for the Insane
where he remained until his death on
June 9, 1914; his remains being interred
in the hospital’s cemetery. His former
wife, Eliza, died on April 21, 1915 and
was buried in the Crystal Lake Cemetery,
which is located in North Minneapolis. w
While working on the inventory records I came across an
item identified as an “immigrant skirt”. I wondered what
that was, so I did some research. I didn’t find anything,
though, so I concluded that it must have been a skirt worn
by an immigrant coming to America. It’s made of dark
hand woven wool. The material was woven and made
into a skirt by Maria Charlotte Fredricke Nemoth. She
was born on October 10, 1817 in Pomerania, Prussia and
married Johanna Kressin Sr. on November 4, 1835, also in
Pomerania Prussia. Maria and Johanna had three children
born in Prussia: Johanna, Jr, Wilhelm, and Caroline. The
family sailed from Stettin, Germany on the ship “Ajax” and
arrived in New York City on September 11, 1843. They
ended up in Jackson, Wisconsin. There Heinrich (1845),
Carl (1850), and Franz (1851) were born. Maria Charlotte passed away on April 5, 1853 in Kirchyan, Wisconsin
and was buried in David Star Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery. The skirt came to Winona with Franz who married
Johanna Henrietta Charlotte Fellfaum on April 13, 1880 in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In Winona they had two children:
daughter Adele Hellen Ottille Kressin who was born on
February 28, 1884 and son Bonno F. G. Kressin on August 4, 1886. Adele worked for 30 years in the Winona
Public School system as Clerk for the board of Education.
She lived on east 7th Street and never married. Adele
donated the skirt to the WCHS on June 25, 1964, while
she resided at St. Anne’s Hospice in Winona. She passed
Collection Corner
By Jodi Brom
away on September 15, 1966 and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery. This has personal meaning for me because,
although I was very young then, my mother worked at St.
Anne’s and I believe I met Adele there! What a story! w
5
Food For Thought
A Lunchtime Learning Series
The Food For Thought learning series takes place
at the Winona County History Center. Lectures, Films,
and Book Chats begin at 12:05 p.m. and last approximately one hour (unless otherwise noted). Attendees
are welcome to bring their own lunch. A beverage is
served. All are free and open to the public.
Helsinki, she founded three touring ensembles based on her Finnish heritage. Her current duo Aallotar explores the similarities
and differences of cultures grown apart and in her solo work
she melds audio interviews, concept, and acoustic and electronic music into live sound presentations. Her music has received
grants from Minnesota State Arts Board and Koneen Säätiö and
she is Finlandia Foundation’s 2015-16 Performer of the Year.
She will be performing at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum
through the Page Theatre’s Off the Page Series at 7:30. Both
these experiences are free! Please RSVP for the evening performance through the Page Theatre box office, space is limited.
Lecture Personal Artifacts: Preserving Your Family Stories and Book Chat The Memory Keeper’s Daughter,
Heirlooms, with Jodi Brom, November 11, 12:05 p.m.
WCHS Curator of Collections, Jodi Brom, will share some simple
and effective ways to store and care for your family photos,
heirlooms, and ways to document the history and stories they can
share with future generations. The holiday time is a great time
to gather grandpa’s memories of his old banjo or great grandmother’s crazy quilt or that funny photo of your uncle swimming
for the first time. Order forms will offered for personal archival
supplies, but the knowledge and ideas are free!
Lecture Creating the Winona Christmas Radio Show, with Paul
Sannerud and Dan Munson, November 18, 12:05 p.m.
Theatre du Mississippi’s 4th annual Christmas Radio Show will
feature the 1950s and many Winona memories. What procedures, processes and research go into developing a script? Join
Paul and Dan as they take a look into the work for producing
this unique local historically based performance. Mark your
calendars for the performances held the weekend of December
4th, 5th and 6th.
Lecture A Page in History, A Community Conversation with
Sara Pajunen, December 1, 12:05 p.m. (Tuesday)
Past and future. Is it important to know our history? What power
do we have, with one life, to influence the future? How can the
two connect? Sara Pajunen is a Minnesota-based musician. After
receiving classical music degrees (violin) in both Minneapolis and
Upcoming Books
for Food For Thought Book Chat
The Sun Also Rises
by Ernest Hemingway
January 27, 2016
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by Kim Edwards, December 9, 12:05 p.m.
Please note there is no November Book Chat and the December
one is moved ahead due to holidays. On a winter night in 1964,
Dr. David Henry is forced by a blizzard to deliver his own twins.
His son, born first, is perfectly healthy. Yet when his daughter
is born, he sees immediately that she has Down’s syndrome.
Rationalizing it as a need to protect Norah, his wife, he makes
a split second decision that will alter all of their lives forever.
He asks his nurse to take the baby away to an institution and
never to reveal the secret. But Caroline, the nurse, cannot leave
the infant. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the
child herself. So begins this beautifully told story that unfolds
over a quarter of a century in which these two families, ignorant
of each other, are yet bound by David Henry’s fateful decision
that long-ago winter night. (From Amazon books.)
Our 2016 Calendars,
which feature military
pictures from our archives, are available at
the History Center or any
of our generous advertisWinona County HistoriCal soCiety Calendar
er locations! A big thank
2016 you to Mary Nelson for
selling ads and those
who are in the calendar are: Altura State Bank, Bloedow Bakery, Boomers Plumbing, Bremer Bank, Coca Cola Bottling Co. of Winona, Coldwell
Banker Skeels/Moore, Dahl Automotive, Edward Jones, Funk
Dental, Great River Shakespeare Festival, Hawkins Ash CPAs,
HBC, Winona HyVee, InTech, Merchants Bank, Midtown Foods,
Minnesota Marine Art Museum, Plasticert, Russell and Associates,
Schneider Heating and Air, Steak Shop Catering, The Grill and
Signatures, Windom Park B&B, Winona Monuments, Winona
National Bank. Thank You! Also, a thank you to Heather Ratz for
her design skills.
FREE!
Programs & Events
Wings in the Wind: The Armistice Day Storm of 1940
with Jon Steffes, Thursday, November 19, 7 p.m., at the History Center
Jon Steffes is an elementary teacher from La Crescent, Minnesota. Besides teaching second grade, running the Summer Recreation
and Aquatic Center for the City of La Crescent, and being the Vice President of the District 300 Foundation, Jon enjoys writing novels. Jon’s first book is called Dirty Hands, and is based on the 2007 floods that occurred in La Crescent. His second book is called
Wings in the Wind: The Armistice Day Storm of 1940. Wings in the Wind used Jon’s father as the main character, following Bob
Steffes through the blizzard that killed dozens of duck hunters in the Mississippi River bottoms in November, 1940. Jon’s third book
is an outdoor mystery that takes place in northern Minnesota and is called Drawing Trouble. Jon’s fourth book will be out in October, 2015, and is called 45 Days. It uses Jon’s grandfather, Nic Steffes as the main character. Nic and his friend, Schmitty, trap the
Trempealeau River bottoms for the majority of the trapping season during The Depression in 1937. It is a prequel to Wings in the
Wind. Jon grew up in Winona, Minnesota and writes outdoor adventure books for readers of all ages. Jon loves to hunt and fish
the river bottoms and bluffs he writes about and often gives talks to groups and schools about his books and the writing process.
Hands - On History: German Christmas Star
Create a German Christmas Star Ornament with Polly Renk, Saturday, December 12, 1 p.m. at the History
Center
Polly will guide the group through the process of making a German Christmas Star, which can be used as an
ornament. These are popular Christmas ornaments since the early 1800s and have several names, including,
Advent star, Danish star, German star, Nordic star, Pennsylvanian star, Polish star, Swedish star, Christmas star,
and are considered Origami, because they are created with folded paper and no glue. The ones we will be
creating will be the style of the Froebel Star, or Fröbelstern, in German. It is named after the German educationist Friedrich Fröbel (1782–1852), founder of the Kindergarten concept. He encouraged the use of paper
folding for educating children about geometric and mathematical concepts.
There are similar stars that use the term Moravian, which comes from what English speaking countries call the Moravian Church, but in Germany, they are known as Herrnhut stars,
named after the Moravian Mother Community in Saxony, Germany, where they were first
commercially produced. These stars are often illuminated and can have as many as 110
points!
This class is free and all supplies are included. Please sign up by calling 507-454-2723
ext. 0 or stop in the History Center. Space is limited.
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