January/February - Winona County Historical Society

The Argus
Argus
The
Non - Profit
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Permit # 87
Winona, MN
55987
Winona County Historical Society
160 Johnson Street
Winona, MN 55987
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Winona County Historical Society Newsletter
Volume 17, No. 1 January/February 2016
photo by Paul Crosby
Warm Memories
The Winona County Historical Society Quilt Shows
Join us for our annual
Museum Open House!
Sunday, February 14
Noon - 4 p.m.
Demonstrations, Games, Crafts,
Treats, and more!
All for Free as a thank you to
the community for all your
support. Stop in for this fun,
family friendly afternoon!
In the fall of 1983 the Winona County
Historical Society had its first annual
“Harvest of Quilts” quilt show. The
second year the Society’s then new
director, Mark Peterson, travelled the
southeastern Minnesota region to collect about 100 quilts. Area Historical
Societies loaned Quilts from their collections to create a large exhibit exploring
the history of the region through quilting.
Since then the Winona County Historical
Society Quilt shows became an annual
tradition and also influenced the creation
of the Winona Area Quilter’s Guild.
The hard work of that second show paid
off, with 22 Counties participating and
over 1500 people visiting the show. As
the years went by, each show had new
quilts. Some were made by local quilters
and some from the Society’s collection.
Their themes included: A Study of Blue
and White; Star Quilts; Nature’s Garden;
Reflections from the 1930s; Native American Reflections; and more.
The shows went on through the 1990s
and took a few breaks. The last show was
called a “Cornucopia of Quilts” in 2007
and featured a large variety of patterns.
The building project for the Laird Norton Addition started and the quilt shows
ended.
Now the Society is bringing out the best
of their own quilt collection, which has
over 140 quilts and quilt tops in it. Rather
than a show, this new exhibit, will only
use those quilts that are the best of the
Society’s collection, many not seen for
decades or at all.
Some of the quilts exhibited will be a
GAR ribbon quilt; some commemorating
the County’s Bicentennial; one featuring
the La Moille cave drawings; and many
more made by Winona County quilters
from early pioneer days to just a few
years ago. Some quilts will be changed
out every couple months, so stop back in
March and May for new quilts added to
the exhibit. w
“Warm Memories” will open with a
special reception on Thursday, January
14 from 4 - 6 p.m. and will continue with
new quilts presented through June 15!
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]
Andy Bloedorn,
Archivist & Curator of Collections
507-454-2723 ext. 4
[email protected]
Walter Bennick, Archivist
507-454-2723 ext. 2
[email protected]
Ann Kendrick, Membership
[email protected]
Laurie Lucas, Rental Coordinator
507-452-6609
[email protected]
Vickie Hokenstad, Maintenance
507-454-2723 ext. 0
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History Never Stops
Membership & Donations
by Mark F. Peterson, Executive Director
Another year has come and gone. In reflection it has been a very busy, fun and productive year. Some highlights include:
• The always popular “History on the River”
tours onboard the Cal Fremling. Those will be
offered again with an even more ambitious
schedule of new and exciting programs.
• The plays at the Bunnell House. They
proved to be very popular and well received. In 2016 we are going to add another play to the mix focusing on Lafayette
Bunnell, Willard’s brother, a very interesting
character in his own right.
• Moving the Chocolate, Champagne &
Shakespeare event to the History Center. By
all accounts people enjoyed the change and
the event will return again in 2016.
• The Cemetery Walk focused on the stories behind the street names in Winona.
Next year we will be focusing entirely on
the people who worked in the lumber mills,
candy factories, seamstresses, plumbers, etc.
Their stories haven’t really been told yet.
• The Legacy Grant inventory project was
completed in June with a record 32,868
objects inventoried.
• Another successful year highlighting the life
of John Latsch during John Latsch week.
• The House Tour at Christmas was canceled,
but since then several people have offered
up their houses for next year. The Special
Events Committee will be discussing this.
• The purchase of a building at 118 W.
Fourth St.. Future plans include demolition
and the creation of a small urban park until
an expansion is warranted.
Winona County History Center
Thank You for Your Support!
photo by Kathy Greden
• Robust schedule of changing exhibits in
the Slaggie Family Lobby. Exhibits for 2016
include a quilt exhibit highlighting the best
of our extensive collection, the popular “Art
of Fine Furniture,” and a bringing together
of most of the artwork in our collection (I’m
particularly excited about this as so much of
it has never been exhibited).
• An aggressive schedule of noontime and
evening lectures, programs and classes.
• Moving of the collection from the Arches
Museum in preparation for a sale of the
property and eventual move to the county
fairgrounds.
I would like to say a special thank you to all
our volunteers from the board to those who
help out at events to those who are regular
volunteers at the desk and in the archives.
You are all amazing and we appreciate
everything you do to help make the Society
the best in the Midwest!
Happy Holidays and thank you for your support. w
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.
Business Partner Renewals: Altra Federal Credit Union; Bloedow Bakery; Brite-Way Window Service; Brown’s Creative
Picture Framing; Coda Composites Co.; Coldwell Banker; Digicom, Inc.; Holiday Inn Express; Insty Prints; Kendell Lumber; Midtown
Foods; RTP Company; T & M of Winona, Inc.; Win Air Aviation Services; Winona National Bank
New Members: Kenneth Lindeman, Altura, MN; Scot Simpson; Mary Jane Sobeck; Christopher Stout; Karen Sullivan; Dwayne
Voegeli; Ben Van Sant, Marine on St. Croix, MN; Kate von Rohr
Renewals: Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, IN; Bob Bambenek; Kathleen Barber; Eric Bartleson; James & Maribeth
Bedtke; Dave Belz; Frederick & Jane Beseler, LaCrosse, WI; Sharon Nissen Beseler, Maquoketa, IA; Jean Billman; Jon Bitu; Rose
Boland; Pat Bronner; Harry & Kathryn Buck, Rochester, MN; Tom & Donna Buck, Holmen, WI; Thomas O. Carlson, West Des Moines,
IA; Dr. David & Kathleen Christenson; Catherine Clair, Minneapolis, MN; Michelle Cochran; Jeff & Arlene Compton; Dr. Roger Cone,
Rushford, MN; Sheila Cunningham; Jodi Dansingburg, Rushford, MN; Betty Datta; Judy & Bill Davis; Patricia Dennis; Hollis & Lori
Donehower, Minnesota City, MN; Beverly Douglas; Connie Dretske; Vicki Englich & Tom Dukich; Diane M. Ebert; Ruth Erickson; O.J. &
Karen Fawcett; Phil & Barb Feiten; Charlotte Gepner; Walt & Dorothy Gilbertson; Susan Jensen Gilman; Carolyn K. Goplen; John
Gregoire, St. Charles, MN; Mark & Jean Hindermann, Pine Island, MN; Chip & Joan Hinds; Harro & Marianne Hohenner; Elizabeth
Indra; Clare & Shari Jarvis; Capt. Richard & Debbie Karnath; Ann Kendrick; Linda King; Ben Klinger; Harland P. & Pauline Knight;
M. Gayle Koenig, Minnesota City, MN; Bob & Marlene Kohner; David & Ann Kohner; Diane Kohner; Keith & Virginia Laken; Sherry
Lange; Don Leaf; Orval & Michele Lund; Jacqueline Mahlke; David & Ruth Marshall; Judith Maus, Minnesota City, MN; Dr. Thomas
& Leone Mauszycki; Joan E. McNeil; Dieter Mielimonka, Steilacoom, WA; Drew Meyer, Altura, MN; JoAn Moham; Kay Morcomb,
Rochester, MN; Mary Moxness; Paul S. Mueller, Rochester, MN; Jon C. Nienow, Lewiston, MN; James O’Grady, Minneiska, MN;
Marvin & Genevieve O’Grady;, Minnesota City, MN; Nancy & Ron Paine, Rochester, MN; Kim Penrod; Arlyn & Connie Picken, Urbandale, IA; Sandra & Richard Pope; Allison Quam & Andy Bloedorn; Kevin & Nancy Quinn; Dominic Ricciotti; Richard & Valerie
Rislow, Lewiston, MN; Louise Robinson & Neal Cuthbert, Minneapolis, MN; Johanna Rupprecht; Sam & Joan Sasser; Jamie Schell;
Randy Schenkat; Bruce & Kathy Schott, Lewiston, MN; Cindy Scudiero; Jeff & Nancy Stevenson, LaCrosse, WI; Kathy Suffrins, Rochester, MN; Frank Tainter; Shannon M. Terwedo, Shingle Springs, CA; Wayne & Naomi Theye; Leona Thiele; Brian J. Tomashek; Tom &
Deborah Thompson; Kelly Welti; Mary Jo Wiltgen; Fr. Thomas Winkler; Larry & Colleen Wolner; Karin & Jim Worthley; Judy Yess
Donations: Carlene Blunt; Barb Burchill; Kelsey Erwin; Laurie Lucas; Paul & Lori Ness; Arlyn & Connie Picken; Wenonah Chap-
ter of DAR; In Honor of Audrey Gorny: Sue & Marty, Jean & Curt; Year End: Altura State Bank; Jack & Jan Ambuhl, in Memory of
Greg Ambuhl; Janet & Bill Baker; Eric Bartleson, in Memory of Cathy Bartleson; Richard & Sharon Behnke; Sandra Bennett; Walt
& Bunny Bennick, in Memory of Gladys Bennick; Roger Berg; Thomas & Coleen Bremer; Rosemary Broughton; Clayton P. Brown, in
Memory of Ruth M. Brown; Tom & Donna Buck, in Memory of Ed & Esther Buck and Cliff & Ann Case; Rick & Debbie Christenson;
Gayla Clemons; Don & Sandra Curtin, in Honor of Jean Engler; Connie Dretske; Barbara DuFresne, in Memory of Robert DuFresne;
James & Mary M. Eddy; Nancy English, in Memory of Bill English; Ruth Erickson, in Memory of Jim Erickson; Mary Farrell, in Honor
of Jodi Brom; Fawcett Junker Funeral Home & Cremation Service; Raymond Felton; Kathi & Greg Fischer; Tim Flaherty; Timothy Forester, in Memory of Rev. A. Thomas Forester; Jean Gardner, in Memory of Dorothy Brom; Gayle Goetzman, in Honor of Goetzman/
Kamrowski Century Farm 1914-2014; Carolyn Goplen, in Honor of Audrey Gorney; Rainy Griesel; Marilyn Hansen; Mike & Sue
Hauser; Tim & Jenny Hoff, in Memory of Lowell Hoff; Bob & Sue Hoodecheck; Sue Hovell; Dorothy P. Hoyt; Clare & Shari Jarvis;
Dick & Debbie Karnath, in Memory of Mickey Ellenbecker; Wayne & Bonnie Kelly; David & Ann Kohner; Laurie Lucas; Kenneth
Lindeman; Kay Morcomb; Steve & Jane Napieralski; Mary & Jan Nelson; LaVerne & Joliene Olson; Jim Pomeroy; Kevin & Nancy
Quinn; Tamara Toye Rench, in Memory of the Toye family; Tom & Bonnie Retzinger; Lawrence & Rill Reuter; Rebecca S. Richardson,
in Honor of the Laird Norton family; Renata Rislow; Sabrina Robb; Patricia Rogers & Wendy Larson; Dan & Pat Rukavina; Randy
Schenkat; Earl & Phyllis Schreiber; Chuck & Judy Shepard; Richard & Barbara Shields; Al Smith, in Memory of Patty Smith; Ellen
Smith; Tom & Debbie Thompson; Joanie Van Brunt, in Honor of Esther Bescup; Peter & Kay Walsh
Trivia Answers: 1. An old stagecoach barn; 2. 82%; 3. Muskrat; 4. 1908
Ensure the Future of the Past!
Remember the Winona County Historical Society in your estate planning.
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Weekend Front Desk Staff
Clip and Save Calendar
January
1
11
12
13
14
14
27
27
History Center and Archives Closed - Happy
New Year!
Quilt Guild, 7 p.m.
Farewell Open House for Jodi Brom, 4 - 5:30 p.m.
Food For Thought: Birth of a Nation and the
Erasure of Black History, with Tycho de Boer,
12:05 p.m.
Warm Memories Exhibit Opening Reception,
4 - 6 p.m.
Civil War Round Table, 7 p.m.
Food For Thought: Book Chat The Sun Also Rises
by Ernest Hemingway, 12:05 p.m.
A Page in History with Sossy Mechanics, 1 p.m.
February
8
11
14
17
24
26
28
Quilt Guild, 7 p.m.
Civil War Round Table, 7 p.m.
I Love History Open House, Noon - 4 p.m.
Food For Thought The History of the Winona
Knitting Mills, with Pete Woodworth,12:05 p.m.
Food For Thought: Book Chat, In the Garden of
Beasts, by Erik Larson, 12:05 p.m.
Frozen Friday Film Set, Time TBA ffrf.org
FRFF Awards and Closing Reception, 5 - 7 p.m.
Watch for our Annual Members’ Meeting in March!
If you come to the Winona County History Center on
the weekend you will find one of several smiling faces
to welcome you. We are able to be open seven days a
week because of our dedicated weekend staff. Some you
may see on the weekdays and in other capacities with the
WCHS too.
WCHS visitor service manager, Bette
Jean Cichoski is a regular on the
weekdays and weekends. We met her
in the September/October issue. She
schedules all the amazing people who
are the faces of the History Center
and here are those you might meet on
a weekend.
The newest at the desk, yet long-time
supporter of WCHS, is Kathie Peterson. You may also know her as Mark
Peterson’s wife. She started helping
out at the desk this fall and has been
a joy to have around more often! Kathie is originally from Connecticut and
met Mark while doing an internship in Rochester, Minnesota. They have two children, Rachel and Andrew; and two
grandchildren Claire and Lucy. Kathie loves to ski, weave,
and flower garden.
Ann Kendrick was featured in the March/
April 2013 issue of the Argus. She often
volunteers during the weekdays too and is
our volunteer membership secretary.
Roxie Ressie (not pictured) works at Dahl
Toyota in Winona, but is a enthusiastic
and fun receptionist here at WCHS as
well. You will see her on the weekends
and at evening events too.
Natalie Mitchem is a student at Winona
State University majoring in European
Studies with a History minor. She also
can be found at Acoustic Cafe. Natalie
also loves to read, bake and spend time
outdoors. w
Wish List
Winona County Trivia
$100 for magnetic reusable name tags. THANK YOU!
1. The armory which now houses the Winona County
Historical Society’s main museum was built in 1915.
What was in that location prior to its construction?
$70 for handheld Label Maker.
Plastic Storage Shelving $40 per 5 shelf unit - would
like 6 units total.
The Archives needs St. Charles High School yearbooks
for: 1956, 1958, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990,
1992.
Archival-quality
rare book boxes:
$150 (or $25/box)
See Collection Corner
article on pg. 5.
2. What was the casualty rate of the 1st Minnesota
Volunteer Infantry Regiment on the second day of the
Battle of Gettysburg?
3. What furry little water mammal was Winona worried about during the 1965 Flood of the Mississippi
River?
4. When did the Winona Boiler and Steel Company,
originally called the Winona Boiler and Bridge Company, open in Winona?
Answers can be found on page 11.
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3
Biography
by Walter Bennick
Jeremiah Putnam Gray, 1833-1921
River man
Jeremiah Putnam Gray, the
son of Jeremiah and Sarah
(Osborn) Gray, was born in
Tuppers Corner, Meigs County,
Ohio on November 30, 1833.
Late in 1855, the Gray family,
including seven children, moved
to Winona County, Minnesota
and homesteaded in Warren
Township. A year later, Putnam’s mother, Sarah, died and her
remains were interred in the Warren Township Cemetery.
Around 1860, Putnam moved to Chariton County, Missouri where
he was employed as a day laborer. While living in Missouri,
he met the Noah Abrams family who lived nearby. During the
summer of 1861, Putnam and Noah Abrams’ son, Elijah, went
to Mason County, Illinois to enlist into Company G of the 38th
Illinois Infantry Regiment. The company was quickly sent to Fort
Davidson, Missouri where it was attached to the Army of Southeastern Missouri. About a year later, Elijah Abrams died of his
wounds in a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.
Putnam served along the Mississippi River until he was discharged on September 15, 1864 and returned to Mason
County, Illinois where he was married to Sarah Abrams. Sarah,
the daughter of Noah and Nancy (Rose) Abrams, was born in
Decatur County, Indiana on December 30, 1846. Soon after her
birth, the Abrams family moved to a farm in Linn County, Missouri.
Shortly after his marriage Putnam brought his wife to Winona
and settled near the levee and worked as a carpenter. While
living in Winona, Sarah had two daughters born to her, Addie in
1866 and Nancy in 1868. In 1868, Putnam purchased a farm
in Warren Township and moved his family there. His property
was lost through foreclosure in 1870, but Putnam and his family remained in Warren Township where his sons were born;
Veranzos in 1872 and Lafayette in 1874. By 1875, the family
was living in Winona where he worked building boats and as a
pilot on Samuel Van Gorder’s ferry boat. Around 1870 Putnam
purchased a strip of river front property in Mt. Vernon Township
and soon began building a house of salvaged lumber lost by the
lumber rafts.
4
Putnam and his family were living in Mt. Vernon Village around
1880 because his daughter, Margaret, was born there in 1881.
By 1885, however, Putnam and his family were living in Minneiska, Wabasha County, Minnesota and Putnam was employed as
a government light keeper and would nightly light the old-style
kerosene beacon lamps which were used to mark the river channel during the night. Putnam was also an ingenious builder of
water craft, in addition to being an excellent fisherman. He was
reported to have caught the largest catfish ever taken from the
Upper Mississippi River which weighed in at 129 pounds.
After Putnam settled in Minneiska, he became rather famous
for his summer home, the crazy-man’s castle, he had built along
the water’s edge about two miles downriver from Minneiska.
The castle had the appearance of a riverboat which included
an odd collection of steeples, towers, verandas and porches, all
painted in gaudy colors. Putnam became the subject of legendary tales told by his youngest son, Lafayette. Putnam was
to have been the inventor of the “Ferris Wheel.” Apparently,
he had built a crude wheel of wood that was set on a metal
axle. Carriages were mounted on the wheel which was turned
by two men with a hand crank. Putnam set the contraption up
on an empty lot in Winona, charged fees for a ride, and did a
booming business. One day, however, one of the carriages did
not turn freely and its passengers were dumped out. Putnam
stopped the wheel, took it home, and stored it away. Later,
George W. Ferris approached Putnam and obtained the rights
to his contraption and redesigned it into the “Ferris Wheel.”
In his later years, Putnam was a staunch prohibitionist, and
actively promoted the prohibition of alcoholic beverages. By
1905, Putnam no longer spent much time at his “castle” and
began to dismantle it as it became quite dilapidated. A storm
which blew up in late July of 1905 completed the castle’s demolition leaving a pile of rubble in its place. Putnam considered rebuilding his castle, but realized that he was just too old to do it.
He continued building boats and, in 1906, invented a new style
of boat that would move at a relatively high rate of speed.
On Christmas Eve of 1909, Putnam’s wife Sarah died at the age
of 63 years. Four years later, Putnam was married to Beverly
Shively at the home of the bride’s 55-year-old son. Following
their marriage, the couple settled on Mr. Gray’s farm near Minneiska. In 1920, Putnam and his wife went to live with Putnam’s
son Lafayette, in Minneapolis. He died at the Old Soldier’s
Home in Minneapolis on June 28, 1921 and was buried next to
his first wife in Evergreen Cemetery near Minneiska. Putnam was
survived by his second wife, Beverly and his five children. w
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. Opening Reception Thursday, January 14 from 4 - 6 p.m.
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
From the Archives
Society News
Annual Quilt
Winner
The winner of “All
Wrapped Up”
the 2015 quilt
created by the
Winona Area
Quilters Guild and
machine quilted
by Mary Nelson is
Diane Gielow of
Rushford, Minnesota.
A Change in Staff - A Goodbye Party for
Jodi Brom
Our Curator of Collections for the past
29 years is moving on to new pursuits.
Jodi Brom’s last day with the WCHS
was November 30. We would like
to invite our members and the public
to wish her well with an open house
reception in her honor on Tuesday,
January 12 from 4 - 5:30 p.m. at the
History Center. We hope you can join
us for this celebration and wish her
well.
Along with being in charge of the
three dimensional collection, Jodi enjoyed doing crafts and ran the American Girl Club. She also helped at
numerous events and did many public
programs. Pictured: Jodi working on a
German Paper Cutting.
A Party for Jodi
Tuesday,
January 12
from
4:00 - 5:30 p.m.
at the History
Center.
8
Although Jodi will no longer be with
WCHS, saving your history and our
craft classes will resume!
Andy Bloedorn, one of the WCHS
archivists for the past 3 years, will
be taking on more hours and adding the Curator of Collections duties
to his schedule here. Various historic
craft classes will continue as well with
various wonderful volunteers excited
to help out.
A New Play for the Bunnell House
The Elizabeth Callendar King Foundation has awarded the WCHS with
a grant to write a new play for the
summer performances at the Bunnell
House with Theatre du Mississippi.
Local Playwright, Lynn Nankavil, who
wrote the debut season’s performance
of “The Hired Girl Gets Married,” will
start work on a script that will highlight the life of Willard’s more famous
brother, Lafayette Bunnell.
Lafayette was quite the character
according to various accounts from
writings and news stories. He was the
leader in the exploration and discovery of Yosemite Valley and wrote a
book depicting it as well as a book
about the Winona area. Recently an
unpublished manuscript was found in
the vault of the Winona Public library
and it is currently here at the History
Center being conserved and studied.
You will learn a lot more about Lafayette and Willard’s family, again this
summer at the Bunnell House. Watch
for more information coming soon!
New Board Officers Elected
In December the WCHS Board of Directors elected new officers. The new
President, taking Peter Walsh’s place,
is Mary Nelson. The new Vice President is Bob Fischer, filling in Mary’s
old post. Tom Bremer will continue as
Treasurer.
We would like to thank Peter for his
dedicated service to Winona County
history as a board member and as
president. Peter has moved to the
Twin Cities to be closer to his grandchildren. His volunteering will truly be
missed. Peter also helped out at various events and was a tour guide for
the History Center. Thank you Peter!
Show your
Love for your
Sweetheart
and History!
Get your Valentine
something from the
Museum Shop!
Many beautiful locally
made items, Victorian and
Vintage inspired jewelry,
and gifts.
By Walter Bennick
1914 Plat Map of Section One of Mt
Vernon Township; Putnam Gray’s Castle
was located on the banks of the Mississippi
River, about two miles downstream from
Minneiska. It existed for about 35 years;
and Putnam Gray at his home near Minneiska is seen with his wife, Sarah, standing
between the two unknown women.
Putnam Gray’s strip of property along the Mississippi River was located in Section One of Mt. Vernon Township, Winona County, Minnesota.
It was along this strip that he began, in 1870, building his Castle of salvaged lumber. He never completed his task, but rather kept adding to
structure over the years. Around 1905, he began dismantling his castle as it was rotting away; a wind storm finished the job in mid-summer.
During the winter months, Putnam lived in his home on a farm near Minneiska, about two miles upstream from his castle. Photos and information donated by Theresa Kohn of Plainview, Minnesota. w
In 1965, Grace Watkins King donated to the Historical Society
a six volume set of books titled “Historical and Statistical Information Respecting the History, Condition, and Prospects of the
Indian Tribes of the United States”. This set of books was part
of the extensive Native American collection that she and her
father had collected over the course of their lives, much of which
was generously donated to the Historical Society. Written by
Henry Schoolcraft, and published between the years of 1851
and 1857, this series is arguably the most extensive ethnological
study of Native American populations produced during the 19th
century. Schoolcraft was employed as the Indian Agent at Sault
Saint Marie, Michigan, and oversaw the federal government’s
relations with many of the tribes located in the Upper Great
Lakes. His first wife, Jane, was a woman of Ojibwe and ScotsIrish ancestry, and was instrumental in educating Schoolcraft in
the customs and language of the local Native American population. Due to his professional and family life, Schoolcraft was well
positioned to produce a work such as this, but more importantly,
he recognized the significance of collecting and documenting
the ethnographic information before it was lost to history, as the
frontier and its indigenous populations were rapidly changing.
The six volumes are beautifully constructed and contain a wealth
of information, including origin stories, language, vocabulary,
and grammatical analyses, tribal movements and emigrations,
customs and accounts of daily life, biographies for many warriors and chiefs, along with a massive amount of other historically important data. The books are overflowing with maps,
engravings, illustrations, and plans. Most notably, these books
contain a great number of engravings produced by Seth East-
Collection Corner
By Andy Bloedorn
man, many of which are unpublished in any other source (an
example is pictured below). The historical significance and
uniqueness of the Historical Society’s volumes is further enhanced
by the gift inscriptions found on the inside cover of three of the
six volumes. This set of books was given to Charles Wilkes, the
leader of the United States Exploring Expedition, and a captain
in the United States Navy during the mid-nineteenth century.
The first volume is inscribed by Henry Schoolcraft himself, while
volumes two and three are signed by Luke Lea and Charles Mix,
both Commissioners of Indian Affairs during the 1850s.
These books have started to show their age, and we have hopes
to have them professionally restored. In the meantime we have
been looking to purchase
archival-quality rare book
boxes for each of the volumes.
The total cost for these boxes is
$150 (or $25/box); if you are
interested in helping purchase
these boxes, we would very
much appreciate it. These books
are an important part of our
library collection, and we will
make sure that we preserve
them for the future. 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.
Lecture Birth of a Nation and the Erasure of Black
History with Tycho de Boer, January 13, 12:05 p.m.
Tycho de Boer, History Professor at Saint Mary’s University, will
focus on the ways in which the film, as well as other Civil War
commemoration efforts, sought to eradicate the role of slavery
as the cause of the Civil War, to turn the Civil War itself into
a conflict between two sides that both fought heroically on the
battlefield, and to depict the era of Reconstruction as a massive political blunder rather than as a time of promise and hope
for African Americans. The so-called “Birth of a Nation,” in this
version of events, was not Abraham Lincoln’s “new birth of freedom” but the romantic reconciliation of North and South as the
Ku Klux Klan “redeemed” the South, supposedly saving it from
the rule of newly freed blacks, radical Republicans, and northern carpetbaggers.
1:00 p.m.
Physical theater and dance company Sossy Mechanics (Think
“Fred and Ginger meet Spike Jonze and his City Slickers”), will
present an excerpt of their 1930’s “brilliantly, cleverly funny”
romantic comedy Trick Boxing: Swingin’ in the Ring, followed by
selections from Trick Boxing Special Features which give a peak
into the history of the company and the show. Company members (in fact, the entire company), Megan McClellan and Brian
Sostek will also be available for a Q&A session after the program. Then, be sure to see them perform at the Page Theatre
the same evening. Get tickets for the evening’s performance at
the Page Theatre!
Lecture The History of the Winona Knitting Mills with Pete
Woodworth, 12:05 p.m.
The Winona Knitting Mills started operations in 1943 after
Walker Woodworth and Harry Stone purchased the vacant
three story building at the end of Second street. Over 66 million
sweaters were created by the 20,000 employees over the 57
years of manufacturing. A few of the sweaters were even worn
by Mr. Rogers and Jeff Bridges in the movie, The Big Lebowski.
Pete will share these and other stories from the history of the
Winona Knitting Mills.
Book Chat The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, Book Chat In the Garden of Beasts, by Erik LarJanuary 27, 12:05 p.m.
The Sun Also Rises is one of Ernest Hemingway’s masterpieces
and a classic example of his spare but powerful writing style. A
poignant look at the disillusionment and angst of the post-World
War I generation, the novel introduces two of Hemingway’s most
unforgettable characters: Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley.
The story follows the flamboyant Brett and the hapless Jake as
they journey from the wild nightlife of 1920s Paris to the brutal
bullfighting rings of Spain with a motley group of expatriates.
(description from Amazon.com)
Upcoming Books
for Food For Thought Book Chat
Programs & Events
*A Page in History Sossy Mechanics, January 27,
son, February 24, 12:05 p.m.
The time is 1933, the place, Berlin, when William E. Dodd becomes America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s Nazi Germany in a
year that proved to be a turning point in history. In the Garden
of Beasts lends a stunning, eyewitness perspective on events as
they unfold in real time, revealing an era of surprising nuance
and complexity. The result is a dazzling, addictively readable
work that speaks volumes about why the world did not recognize the grave threat posed by Hitler until Berlin, and Europe,
were awash in blood and terror. (description from Amazon.com)
Exhibit Opening: Warm Memories
January 14, 4 - 6 p.m.
Join us for a special reception Thursday, January 14 from 4 - 6 p.m. to open the new exhibit in the Slaggie Family Lobby, Warm
Memories: Winona County Quilts. We have over 140 quilts in our collection and will be bringing out the best of them! From commemorations to family traditions, their threads hold the stories of our past.
Winona County Historical Society Open House
Sunday, February 14, Noon - 4 p.m.
A fun and free family day at the Winona County History Center as a way to say thank you for your love
of history! The WCHS keeps your history and is such a success because of this amazing and supportive
community. You sure do love your history! Come celebrate and explore exhibits, get some research and
genealogy tips; learn about preserving your own heirlooms; share your love by making a traditional
valentine plus some poetry guidance from Winona’s poet laureates; eat some treats; learn about our
wonderful community partners; play some old-time games; try out some historic skills; and much more!
Frozen River Film Festival: Frozen Friday and Awards Celebration
FRFF is held at Winona State University and at venues around Winona, February 24 - 28, 2016 Get passes and more at frff.org!
On Friday of the Festival we are excited to host a series of four Navajo Oral History Project films that were completed during the
summer of 2015, each about 20 minutes long. Each film features the life story of a Navajo elder which was researched, filmed,
edited, and produced by a team of students from both Winona State University and
Diné College, the Tribal College of the Navajo Nation (pictured: Peggy Scott interview).
The films are archived at the libraries of both schools, The Navajo Nation Museum and
Library, The Winona Public Library, and the Smithsonian institution’s National Museum of
the American Indian. Please check the FRFF schedule for screening times.
The Festival wraps up with an awards celebration at the History Center Sunday, February 28 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The Awards Ceremony is open to the public and
will have a cash bar and hors d’oeuvres. A $1,000 cash award will go to the 1st place
feature length film; a $500 award to the second place feature length film; and a $250
award for each of the People’s Choice Award and the Student’s Choice Award. The jurors
for the feature length films are Chamath Perara, Gita Pai, and Mary Farrell. *The Page Theatre at Saint Mary’s University has teamed up with
us again to offer programs for a more in depth look at the history
behind and into the work of the performances scheduled at the
Page. Watch for more A Page in History programs!
March - Orphan Train by Christine Baker Kline
April - Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth
May - The World’s Strongest Librarian by Josh
Hanagarne
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