January/February - Winona County Historical Society

The Argus
Winona County Historical Society
160 Johnson Street
Winona, MN 55987
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Winona, MN
55987
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Winona County Historical Society Newsletter
photo by Paul Crosby
Volume 16, No. 1 January/February 2015
Winona’s Golden Age: 1865-1895
This article features excerpts from the full
one written by William Crozier, first printed
in the Winona County Historical Society’s
“Chronicles” Vol. 8, No. 2 of 1989. During
the later half of the 19th century Winona
was booming and a flood of immigrants
poured in to fill the demand for jobs and
to acquire new land. Be sure to stop in the
History Center to view the exhibit, “New
Land, New Life” and to learn more about
Winona’s Golden Age.
Winona, founded in October 1851, had
rapid early and sustained growth until the
turn of the century. In 1855 there were
813 people living in Winona. On the
eve of the Civil War there were 2,464
Winonans, only one hundred less people
than lived in Minneapolis. By 1880 the
population of the town was over 10,000.
Two decades later the size of the city had
almost doubled to 19,714. By 1905 Winona reached its initial population peak
at 20,821.
ily on the railroad for transportation and
communication with its hinterland and the
rest of the nation. By 1900 Winonans
had daily rail service to Chicago, Kansas
City, Green Bay and St. Paul-Minneapolis.
During the 1860s Southern Minnesota
was the greatest wheat producing region
in the country and Winona was the main
port for shipping Minnesota wheat. By
1870 Winona was the fourth largest
wheat shipping port in the United States.
In the 1880s the Minneapolis mills offered
better prices, changes in agriculture, and
the booming lumber industry led to the
decline of the wheat industry for Winona.
The lumber business continued to expand
throughout the last quarter of the 19th
century. Winona’s lumber companies always ranked in the top fifty in the upper
midwest. The sawmills reached their peak
in 1892 when they produced over 160
million board feet annually and ranked
eighth in production of lumber in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Winona’s initial economic infrastructure,
which laid the foundation for the city’s
“Golden Age”, was built on an efficient
transportation system, wheat milling and
lumber. In 1856 over 1,300 steamboats
stopped at the bustling town of Winona.
Thirty years later over 2,500 passed the
rivertown, which now depended primar-
Businessmen wanted to establish a more
secure economic foundation for the city
instead of depending on a few major
industries. Thousands of wagons were
produced and sold around the world by
the Winona Wagon Works. The Winona
Plow Co. and the Winona Harvester Co.
manufactured farm implements, the Union
Fibre Co. used waste materials from the
sawmills for refrigerator packing and the
Chicago & Northwestern built engine and
car shops and two round houses in the
city. Other firms in the city manufactured
everything from fine carriages to lightning
rods.
Winona boosters had set a population goal of 50,000 for their city. Even
though the population never did reach
that number, the city did become a major
economic, educational, cultural, religious
and political center. The growth and
development of Winona is often seen as
the work of a few important men and
their families. But the real strength of the
city was not as much in its leaders as it
was in the ordinary people. The factory
workers, homemakers, clerks, laundresses,
and day laborers whose work built up
the city were not marked by history. The
great majority of Winonans will never
be mentioned in the history books but it
is the lives of these people, the ordinary
people, that is the real stuff of history.
Board Members
Peter Walsh, President
Bruce Montplaisir, VP
Rick Christenson, Treasurer
Jonelle Moore, ex officio Secretary
Michelle Alexander, City Council
Tom Bremer
Sandra Burke
Jerome Christenson
Margaret Johnson
Mena Kaehler
Terri Lieder
Mark Metzler
Patrick Marek
Mary Nelson
Mary Polus
Jim Pomeroy
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]
Joyce Betz, Receptionist
507-454-2723 ext. 0
[email protected]
Jodi Brom, Curator
507-454-2723 ext. 4
[email protected]
Walter Bennick, Archivist
507-454-2723 ext. 2
[email protected]
Andy Bloedorn, Archivist
507-454-2723 ext. 2
[email protected]
Todd McAllister, Maintenance
507-454-2723 ext. 0
Ann Kendrick, Membership
[email protected]
Laurie Lucas, Rental Coord.
507-452-6609
[email protected]
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History Never Stops
Membership & Donations
by Mark F. Peterson, Executive Director
Thank You for Your Support!
photo by Kathy Greden
Happy New Year!
Looking back on 2014 overall we had a
very good year...
monthly programming that was very well
received by the public.
• We began the process of moving buildings
to the County Fairgrounds. Though the property hasn’t sold yet, and it needs to in order
for us to build a new pole building at the
fairgrounds, I’m hopeful it will soon and we
can have everything in place for the County
Fair and Gladiolus Days this summer.
• The rentals for our facility grew by almost
100% during 2014. They have grown every
year since the addition opened with very
little advertising other than word of mouth.
Much of this is due to our rental coordinator
Laurie Lucas who was honored at our Heritage Dinner this year.
• We recently received word we will receive a $70,100 Partnership Grant from the
Legacy funds to partner with Theatre du Mississippi for live performances at the Bunnell
House this summer. We have been looking
for a way to make the interpretation there
more interesting and fresh and think we have
found a way to do it.
• Over 23,000 artifacts have been inventoried thanks to a Legacy grant we received.
The project is on schedule to be completed
by the end of June.
• We did nine boat tours this past year on
the new Cal Fremling and each one sold
out. We have already planned an ambitious
schedule for 2015.
• Our annual special events were all successful and our new John Latsch Week went very
well.
• The Society offered a great variety of new
exhibits including the very popular Art of
Fine Furniture.
• The Society purchased a small property
adjacent to our property that had been
Buck’s Candy Shop. The property became
available and the board thought it would be
prudent to own should we decide to expand
again in the future.
• The groundwork was laid for building our
endowment funds over the next few years.
Those are just some of the highlights. Be
assured your board and staff are working
hard to keep the Society moving forward.
Thank you for your membership and support.
• We again offered a huge amount of
Winona County History Center
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 Summers.
Rural Heritage Museum Winona County Fairgrounds; Opening Soon!
Business Partner Renewals Heart’s Desire, Inc; Hiawatha Broadband Comm.; Kendell Lumber.
New Members Deborah Barber; James & Maribeth Bedtke; Tom & Donna Buck, Holmen, WI; Randall & Marsha Burgett; Jodi
Dansingburg; Loretta Davis; Judy Ellinghuysen, Altura, MN; Susan Jensen Gilman; Mark & Jean Hindermann, Pine Island, MN; David
& Ann Kohner; Barry & Kim McRaith, Minnesota City, MN; Keith & Becky Nelton; Ann Lavine & Kevin Possin; Gerald & Tarrell Portman; RTP Company; Julie Anne Prondzinski; David Schulz & Connie Miller; Cindy Scudiero; Rick & Michele Speltz, Altura, MN; Tara
Welch; Winona Rental.
Renewals John & Janice Ambuhl; James & Laura Armstrong; Kathleen Barber; Eric & Cathy Bartleson; Barbara Bass; Kristine
Beck, Fountain City, WI; Dave Belz; Sharon Nissen Beseler, Maquoketa, IA; Betty Lou Bierly, LaCrosse, WI; Scott & Jane Biesanz; Jon
Bitu; Jean Billman; Clifford & Jeanine Black; Rose Boland; Pat Bronner; Patrick R. Burns, LaCrescent, MN; Dr. David & Kathy Christenson; Catherine Clair, Minneapolis, MN; Bob Cloeter; Mary Crandall, Austin, MN; Sheila Cunningham; Judy & Bill Davis; Patricia
Dennis; Rex & Mary Dodson; Diane M. Ebert; Kent & Dawn Erdmann; Ruth Erickson; O.J. & Karen Fawcett; Greg Gaut & Marsha
Neff; Kathie Geiger; Charlotte Gepner; Carolyn K. Goplen; Julie Gingras; John Gregoire, St. Charles, MN; Dave Herber; Chip &
Joan Hinds; Marian Hopkins; Marguerite Hundt; Elizabeth Indra; Shari & Clare Jarvis; Richard H. Kalabrener, Honolulu, HI; Nadine
Kanz; Peg & Paul Kilkus; Harland P. & Pauline Knight; Gayle Koenig, Minnesota City, MN; Bob & Marlene Kohner; Mrs. Violette
Lacher; Keith & Virginia Laken; Dr. L Charles & Sandy Landman; Sherry Lange; Don Leaf; Joanne Linnee; Jacqueline Mahlke;
Marilyn Maier Gates, Sausalito, CA; Marianne Mastenbrook, Minnesota City, MN; Edwin L. & Judy Maus, Minnesota City, MN; Dr.
Thomas & Leone Mauszycki; Joan E. McNeil; Barry & Kim McRaith, Minnesota City, MN; Ruth Meier; Mark & Marsha Metzler; Drew
Meyer, Altura, MN; Dieter Mielimonka, Steilacoom, WA; JoAn Moham; Kay Morcomb, Rochester, MN; Drs. Paul G. Morgan & Rita
Miller; Mary Moxness; Paul S. Mueller, Rochester, MN; Arlene Neitzke; James D. & Robyn Nelson; Stephen Nett; Jon C. Nienow,
Lewiston, MN; Dr. Mary E. Nilles, Rollingstone, MN; Doug Nopar & Joann Thomas; A M “Sandy” Oskamp, Cochrane, WI; Nancy &
Ron Paine, Rochester, MN; David Pendleton; Don & Donna Peterson; Gerry & Nancy Polson; Kevin & Nancy Quinn; Lynne Rabuse &
Paul Kohner; Steve Rader, Rollingstone, MN; Bill & Randi Reinarts; Marijo Reinhard & Steve Bennick; Dominic Ricciotti; Richard & Valerie Rislow, Lewiston, MN; Louise Robinson & Neal Cuthbert, Minneapolis, MN; Sam & Joan Sasser; Bruce & Kathy Schott, Lewiston,
MN; Cay Shea-Hellervik, St. Paul, MN; Karl & Karin Sonneman; Shirley Stanford, Blair, WI; Jeff & Nancy Stevenson, LaCrosse, WI;
Kathy Suffrins, Rochester, MN; Wayne & Naomi Theye; Leona Thiele; Marian Thiewes, Belle Plain, MN; Tom & Deborah Thompson;
August & Anne Thurmer; Barbara A. Tibor; Brian J. Tomashek; Nancy Vaillancourt, Owatonna, MN; Bernie & Janet Wagnild, Minneapolis, MN; Cheryl & Greg Weaver, Rollingstone, MN; Nancy A. Wiltgen; Fr. Thomas Winkler; Larry & Colleen Wolner; Judy Yess.
Donations: Ruth Erickson; Laird Norton Company, LLC; Dr. Thomas & Leone Mauszycki; Kathryn & Thomas Ready; Annual Fund
Drive: John & Janice Ambuhl, in Memory of Gregory Ambuhl; Dean & Mary Auna; Sandra Bennett; Walt & Bunny Bennick; Jean
Billman; Margaret Boland, in Memory of William Donaldson; Rosemary Broughton; Barb Burchill; Rick & Debbie Christenson;
Digicom, Inc.; Robert & Barbara DuFresne; James & Mary Eddy; Ruth Erickson, in Memory of Jim Erickson; Mary Farrell; Dr. & Mrs.
Arnold W. Fenske, in Memory of Marian Lee; Kathi & Greg Fischer; Timothy Forester, in Memory of Fran Forester Steele; Jim Forsell; Maxine Gabrych, in Memory of Benjamin Ernst; Jean Gardner; Greg Gaut & Marsha Neff; Norma Grausnick; Rainy Griesel,
in Memory of Robert Griesel; Mike & Sue Hauser; Rod Henry Jr., in Memory of Ernestine Henry; Leslie & Jo Hittner; Dan & Dorothy
Hoyt; Kensington Senior Apts; Richard & Rose Kowles; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Charles Mettille, in Memory of Anita Mettille; Darlene M. Metzler; Bruce & Mary Beth Montplaisir; Kay Morcomb; Mary & Jan
Nelson; Paul & Lori Ness; Doug Nopar & Joann Thomas; Mike & Kathryn Orlowske,
in Memory of Joseph L. Orlowske; Gerry & Nancy Polson, in Honor of our wonderful
Trivia Answers 1. Mark Twain; 2. 1967;
neighbors; Hugh & Mary Polus; Kevin & Nancy Quinn; Tamara Toye Rench, in Memory 3. 1853; 4. Steamboat Days; 5. May 29,
of the Toye Family; Renata Rislow, in Memory of Harvey Rislow; Barbara Rockwell &
1941 and the steel pieces weighed 19 ½
Walt Ayotte; Daryl & Mary Rusert, in Honor of Anah & Howard Munson; Chuck & Judy tons.
Shepard; John & Charlotte Speltz, in Honor of Phylliss Mae Johnson; Tom & Kathy Suffrins, in Memory of Wilfred & Betty Davis; T & M of Winona, Inc., Engrav’s DecoratEnsure the Future of the Past!
ing; LeRoy & Cindy Telstad; Bela Trubacek, in Memory of Ivan Trubacek; Peter & Kay
Remember the Winona County
Walsh; Dick & Nancy Wheeler.
Historical Society in your estate
planning.
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Volunteer Spotlight
Clip and Save Calendar
January
1 History Center closed, Happy New Year!
8 Civil War Round Table, 7 p.m.
10 New Land, New Life Exhibit Opening, 1 - 3 p.m.
12 Quilt Guild, 7 p.m.
21 Food For Thought: Birds of Passage with Hal
Cropp, 12:05 p.m.
24 How to Make Lefse, 10:30 a.m.
28 A Page in History: Hector Del Curto, 12:05 p.m.
28 Food For Thought: Book Chat, Growing Up on the
Mississippi by Kent Stever, 12:05 p.m.
History Center Open House
Sunday, February 8, 12 - 4 p.m.
The events committee is busy planning a great Open House
again this year. Each year the History Center is open for
a free afternoon of activities, crafts, demonstrations and
more.
This year we will have various crafts and activities throughout the museum. In the Archives staff and volunteers will be
offering genealogy research tips and information about
caring for your family heirlooms. There will be handouts to
take with information about caring for your family treasures. Special PH pens will be given away (as supplies last)
to test your storage materials to see if they are safe for
your treasured items at home.
We will have a traveling exhibit at this time that explores
the lives of Norwegian Immigrants to Minnesota during
1825 - 1925. Members of the Winona Sons of Norway
lodge will help visitors make their own traditional heart
woven basket and will host Nisse storytelling and scavenger hunts.
A few favorites are still on the schedule, including vintage
Valentines in the classroom. Create a special Valentine
for someone you love! There will also be plenty of treats,
specials in the Museum Shop and more. We will again be
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February
8 History Center Open House, 12 - 4 p.m.
9 Quilt Guild, 7 p.m.
12 Civil War Round Table, 7 p.m.
18 Food For Thought: History of the Armory with
Walt Bennick, 12:05 p.m.
20 “BlindSight” Film and Photography Reception,
time TBA
22 See you at our booth at the Frozen River Film
Festival (Feb. 18-22) , 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
25 Food For Thought: Book Chat, The Monuments
Men by Robert Edsel, 12:05 p.m.
welcoming community organizations and clubs to highlight
all the wonderful partners we have in Winona!
It will be a fun afternoon at the History Center, and all
for Free! Check our website and the local media for a full
schedule closer to February.
Laura Davey
Laura has been working in the
archives on numerous projects.
She has been a wonderful addition to the Society. She was
born in Lewis, Washington and
lived in Germany for three years
because her father was in the
Army. She grew up in Junction
City, Kansas. She has two daughters. The oldest lives in Casper
Wyoming with her three children, Rhiannon, Glory and Anakin.
Laura’s youngest lives in Seoul, South Korea and teaches Kindergarten. She has been there for three years.
The Laird Lucas Library
and Archives
Laura likes to read and enjoys all genres, but really likes fact
and fiction books. She also enjoys crafting and a few of her favorites are stamping, card making and jewelry.
Recognized as one of the finest local archives in MinShe graduated high school in 1976 and went to Cloud County nesota, the Laird Lucas Library and Archives contains
Community College, Geary County Campus, in 2001. She
irreplaceable collections of manuscripts, documents
graduated in 2004 and while there she helped set up their
and photographs. Professional historians, students and
library and also worked at it.
family researchers find this outstanding facility a valuable resource to fill their needs for research, study and
information. If you have ancestors from our area, you
may discover your “roots” in this research center. We
can provide you with information on how to trace your
family tree or assist you with research in most areas of
1. What famous American author visited Winona in
local history.
1885? Hint: Much of his writings take place on the Mississippi River.
The Winona County Historical Society Archives are
located in the Laird Lucas Library on the lower level of
2. In what year was the current Winona High School
built?
the Winona County History Center. The library reading room can accommodate up to ten researchers at a
3. The Treaty of Mendota, which opened the Winona
time. The library is non-lending, copies are made for a
region to white settlement, was signed in what year?
fee, free wifi.
Winona County Trivia
4. During what celebration did The Lady Gay, the only
steam boat with a V-paddle wheel in the US in 1970,
visit Winona?
5. When was the first steel on the Winona Bridge
erected and how much did the pieces weigh?
Check it out for Free during the History Center Open
House, Sunday, February 8, 12 - 4 p.m. Get genealogy tips, information and resources for preserving your
family archives and heirlooms, and more.
OPEN: Weekdays 10 a.m. - Noon & 1 - 5 p.m.
Email: [email protected]
Answers can be found on page 11
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Biography
by Walter Bennick
Catherine Helen Allison, 1878-1966
Superintendent - Winona General Hospital
Catherine Helen Allison, the third of four children born to Stephen and Mary (Sinclair) Allison, was born in Port Perry, Durham
County, Ontario, Canada on March 1, 1878. Her father was
a Port Perry druggist and grandson of Casper and Barbara
(Monk) Hoover, a loyalist who had immigrated to Ontario from
New York after the Revolutionary War. Catherine, or Kate, grew
up in Port Perry and was trained as a nurse at the Toronto, Ontario General Hospital, which was followed with a position as a
nurse at the Toronto Hospital for the Incurables.
She was employed as the night supervisor and nursing instructor
at Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1912, she was moved
to Proctor, Rutland County, Vermont where she was employed
as the superintendent of Proctor Hospital until July of 1918
when she entered the United States Army Nurse Corps and was
stationed at the base hospital at Camp Lee in Prince George
County, Virginia. Shortly after arriving at Camp Lee, Catherine
became a naturalized citizen of the United States. She served
at Camp Lee for one year and was discharged from the army in
July of 1919.
Following her discharge from the army, at the age of 41 years,
Catherine accepted the position of superintendent of the Winona General Hospital, replacing May Smith, who had recently
resigned and returned to the J R Watkins Company. Catherine
began her employment at the Winona General Hospital on August 2, 1919, after a year of communications with the hospital
board to arrange her employment. In addition to her duties
as the hospital superintendent, Catherine was also placed in
charge of the hospital’s nurse’s training program. Catherine also
brought with her several nurses who had worked with her at
Camp Lee.
The Winona General Hospital was twenty-five years old when
Catherine was hired. It was a three story building that had been
constructed in 1899 near the southeast corner of Wabasha and
Lincoln Street. An additional large three story wing had been
added to the west in 1917 and included two operating rooms,
a laboratory room and an x-ray room. In 1902, a nurse’s home
had been built behind the hospital facing Lincoln Street. When
Catherine became the superintendent, the hospital had a staff
of thirty, the majority being student nurses.
With Catherine at the helm, the hospital grew and many im-
4
provements were made, including a modern steam laundry and
the completion of the patient rooms in the new wing. In addition,
a third floor was also added to the nurse’s home. Miss Allison
was very active in the State Hospital Association, and in 1926
she was elected its second-vice-president.
In 1927, a 40-bed addition to the hospital was opened to relieve congestion in to older portion. It included a maternity ward
and nursery on the fourth floor and the sixth floor was designed
for pre-tubercular cases which had an adjoining roof garden. In
addition, a new kitchen was included which doubled the capacity of the old one
In 1936, Samuel L Prentiss, the board treasurer, sponsored the
opening of the Catherine Allison Library at the hospital in a
room on the fifth floor that was equipped with standard book
shelves and a magazine rack that could hold up to 100 periodicals. Later, Mr. Prentiss’s daughters provided an endowment
to be used to maintain the library and purchase materials for
it. The library was set up because over the years a number of
books and magazines had been donated for patient use, with
few places to store them. Over 1,200 books were placed in the
library and Mrs. Kathryn Fuller organized and catalogue the
book according to the Dewey decimal system.
In February of 1940, Catherine Allison took six month leave
of absence to care for her mother in Port Perry. Then on July
17, 1940, she resigned her position as superintendent after 21
years of service. She was replaced by Lucille Spencer as the
superintendent of nurses and Ephraim S Moe as the hospital
administrator under a new reorganization plan.
A year later Catherine’s mother died and Catherine sold her
home in Port Perry and
moved to St. Louis, Missouri where she was
employed as the chief
medical librarian for the
School of Nursing for
the St. Louis City Hospital. She remained in St.
Louis until 1953 when
she resigned at the age
of 75 years. From St.
Louis, Catherine settled
in Toronto, Ontario
where she died on January 17, 1968 at the
age of 89 years due to
senility. She left no survivors and her remains
where cremated at the
Toronto Crematorium.
On Exhibit
NEW Exhibits at the History Center
New Land, New Life: Norwegian Immigration to Minnesota, 1825-1925
January 10 - March 31
The St. Paul Sons of Norway Synnove Nordkap lodge has researched and developed this 20-panel exhibit highlighting the history
of Norwegian immigration to Minnesota. Winona’s chapter of the Sons of Norway has sponsored the exhibit’s journey to Winona
and we are excited to host this interesting look into the lives and traditions of 19th and early 20th century Norwegian immigrants.
Artifacts from the Winona County Historical Society’s collection will be featured and local stories of Winona County’s Norwegian
immigrants.
Hands On History Gallery Programs: We are excited to announce new exhibit programing that offers an immersing and
fun experience with history. Try out historic crafts, skills and learn more about our past by doing things our ancestors did!
Activities will be geared for all ages and abilities.
More Around Town@YARNOLOGY
Schedule for New Land, New Life
You won’t want to miss a chance to meet the
How to Make Lefse
amazing Arne and Carlos--the hottest
Saturday, January 24, 10:30 a.m.
knitting team to come out of Norway.
Heart Basket Craft and Nisse Scavenger Hunt
Sunday, February 8, 12 - 4 p.m.
(During Open House, stop by at any time)
2015 Exhibit Schedule
Yarnology in downtown Winona will
host an afternoon colorwork class ($75
+ materials) and an evening book signing
party (cost $10) on January 18. The class is
filling fast, but be sure to sign up for the book
signing! log on for more yarnologymn.com or
call 507.474.9444
Showing this year at the History Center!
January 10 - March 22 New Land, New Life
March 30 - June 15 Uh, What’s That?: Marvelous Medical Instruments
June 20 - July 31 The Art of Fine Furniture 2015
August 6 - December 31 We are Winona: The Cultures of Our County
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Society News
Bunnell House to Reopen this Summer
with a New Twist!
In partnership with
Theatre du Mississippi, we will be
reopening the Historic Bunnell House
in Homer Minnesota
this summer, but with
a new twist! Thanks
to a grant from the
Arts and Cultural Heritage fund of the
Minnesota Legacy amendment, we will be
bringing history to life through a series
of plays going on throughout the house
based on the Bunnell’s lives and early
settlement of Winona County. The performances will be produced by Theatre du
Mississippi and will be offered throughout
the summer. More information and details
coming soon!
Educational River Cruises will be Back!
We will be offering Educational programs aboard the Cal Fremling Floating Classroom every Thursday evening
starting June 18 through August 27.
From the Archives
A schedule of programs will be announced in March and special early
ticket sales will be available for our
members prior to public ticket sales. A
few special tours will also be offered
throughout the boating season, so stay
tuned for more in the next issue of the
Argus!
Programs Online: A Pilot
We offer many programs through the
Food For Thought series and by hosting evening speakers. We would like to
make recordings of these programs and
have them available for those that either
did not make it, live too far away, have
limited mobility, or would like to see the
again or share it with a friend. The ques-
tion is though, is there a need? We will
be recording this winter’s programs and
uploading them to our YouTube channel
and will see how many are watched. If it
seems that folks use this new resource we
will continue with more recordings.
The 100th anniversary of WWI is underway and this was the time when Winona’s
Armory was built. Now, part of the History Center, the Armory opened its doors
in March of 1915. We will have a small
exhibit and a film in the lobby highlighting its history. It was not only home to
our local National Guard unit, but many
public events were held in its walls.
Lauren Leighton
of Winona won
the Annual Quilt
raffle. The beautiful quilt was made
and donated by
the Winona Area
Quilters Guild and
machine quilted by Mary Nelson. Thank
you all who purchased tickets for this annual fundraiser.
The Society itself turns 80 this year, having been established in June of 1935.
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Watch for programs and
events throughout 2015 as
we celebrate these milestones!
Historical Pageant in Whitewater State Park, 1934.
From left to Right: The Winona General Hospital was first built in 1899, with later additions in 1917 and 1927. The plat of the
Winona General Hospital at the corner of Wabasha and Lincoln Streets. The old Winona General Hospital was razed in November
of 1963 to make way for an apartment complex, today known as the Heritage Apartments.
House Tour Thank you!
The 29th annual House Tour was a great
success, raising over $3000! Thank you
so much to the event committee members,
volunteers, St. John’s Church members, the
Fastenal Museum and especially the home
owners. Thank you all for going on the
tour and for supporting local history.
After a 4H Winona County History
pageant held in Whitewater State Park
(pictured below), Mildred Sebo and others joined together and formed WCHS.
This July will mark the 5 year birthday of
the Laird Norton addition to the Armory,
creating the History Center as well!
Quilt Winner
A Year of Birthdays!
2015 is a special year for the Winona
County Historical Society! We have several birthdays this year.
By Walter Bennick
Soldiers in front of Armory, 1917
Collection Corner
By Jodi Brom
I was looking at the Society’s 2015 calendar and the May
photo reminded me of an artifact we have in the collection. The museum has the builder’s plate from the Winona
Bridge Railway Company’s bridge across the Mississippi
River. This was on the east end of Winona near Jefferson
St., and was popularly called the “Green Bay” bridge. It
opened in August of 1891 and closed in 1985 due to repairs needed. It was owned 2/3 by the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad and 1/3 by the Green Bay and
Western Railroad. For most of its life those two railroads
used it to access Winona from their lines in Wisconsin. The
Milwaukee Railroad also used this bridge from 1952 1979 to reach their line in the Chippewa Valley after their
pontoon bridge at Reeds Landing washed out in the 1952
food. The bridge burned on December 17, 1989, after
some kids tried to build a camp fire in the middle of it. I
retrieved the builder plates while the bridge was being
dismantled in 1990. This meant standing on the bridge’s
approach and yelling at the top of my lungs to get the
worker’s attention. I did get it and the crew brought it
over to the History Center for me. The Brom Foundry sandblasted it to remove the corrosion.
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.
Play Reading “Birds of Passage” with Hal Cropp
January 21, 12:05 p.m.
This two person play reading explores the life of the immigrant.
Many arrived in the United States during with the intention of
returning to their villages. Known as “birds of passage,” many
of these eastern and southern European migrants were peasants
who had lost their property as a result of the commercialization
of agriculture during the late 1800s. They came to America to
earn enough money to allow them to return home and purchase
a piece of land. However, many stayed. Hal Cropp is the Executive Director of the Commonweal Theatre Company in Lanesboro, Minnesota.
Book Chat Growing Up on the Mississippi by
Kent Stever, January 28, 12:05 p.m.
Charming stories of small town life in Winona, Minnesota, in the
1950s. The book is “a joyous autobiography containing stories,
local histories and snippets of life found in the river town of my
youth.” A reviewer writes that the new book “opens the floodgates of memory for long-time Winonans and kick-starts a time
machine that sends all readers back to vivid scenes from Winona’s past. Mixing extensive research with personal narrative,
Stever’s ‘Growing Up On the Mississippi’ offers more than dry
history, but the vibrant details of life in another time in the island
city.” It is “a love affair with a town and growing up.”
Tango has been in the Del Curto family since the early 1900s.
Hector’s great grandfather was a bandoneónist and composer,
and his grandfather, also a great bandoneon player, introduced
Hector to the world of Tango and the bandoneon. By the age of
17, Hector Del Curto had won the title “Best Bandoneon Player
Under 25” in Argentina. A Page in History is a partnership with
the Page Theatre of Saint Mary’s University and gives Winonans a
chance to meet performers and learn more about the background
of their work. Find performance tickets at pagetheatre.org or call
the box office at 507.457.1715
Lecture History of Winona’s Armory: Celebrating 100 Years,
with Walt Bennick, February 18, 12:05 p.m.
New Land, New Life Exhibit Opening Celebration
Saturday, January 10, 1 - 3 p.m. at the History Center
In partnership with the Sons of Norway, Win-Nor Lodge, we welcome the traveling exhibit, “New Land, New Life,” which takes a
look at stories of Norwegian immigrants from Norway. You are invited to explore the exhibit and some special Norwegian foods for
the opening on January 10. It is free and open to the public. Check out related programing: Saturday, January, 24 at 10:30 a.m.
learn how to make Lefse! This traditional soft flatbread is a holiday favorite for many Norwegians. During our Annual Open House
on Sunday, February 8 we will make traditional Norwegian heart baskets and go on a Nisse scavenger hunt in the museum! A Nisse
is part of scandinavian folklore and is a small elf-like being that can be very mischievous.
WCHS archivist, Walt Bennick, will give a hisotry of Winona’s
Armory that was built in 1915 and is now part of the Winona
County History Center. This National Register of Hisotric places
building was not just a place for Winona’s National Guard unit
to train, but it also served as a community center, hosting many
dances, speakers, roller skating and more!
I Y History: The History Center Open House
Book Chat The Monuments Men by Robert Edsel,
February 25, 12:05 p.m.
At the same time Adolf Hitler was attempting to take over the
western world, his armies were methodically seeking and hoarding the finest art treasures in Europe. The Fuehrer had begun
cataloguing the art he planned to collect as well as the art
he would destroy: “degenerate” works he despised. In a race
against time, behind enemy lines, often unarmed, a special force
of American and British museum directors, curators, art historians, and others, called the Monuments Men, risked their lives
scouring Europe to prevent the destruction of thousands of years
of culture.
Upcoming Books
for Food For Thought Book Chat
March - The Invention of Wings by Susan Monk Kidd
April - Montana 1948 by Larry Watson
May - Zeitoon by Dave Eggers
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Programs & Events
Page in History Hector Del Curto, January 28, 12:05 p.m.
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Sunday, February 8, 12 - 4 p.m. at the History Center
Crafts, treats, entertainment, demonstrations, games, and more will be featured at our annual Open House. As a way to say thank
you to our community, free admission and a slew of family fun is offered during this special event. We also showcase area organizations and clubs, so be sure to stop in!
Fun Things to Do at the Open House
Victorian and Vintage Valentines in the Classroom, 12 - 4 p.m.
Create a Norwegian Heart Basket in the Lobby, 12 - 4 p.m.
Nisse Story and Scavenger Hunt starting in the Lobby, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Genealogy Tips and Preserving Your Family Heirlooms Information in the Archives, 12 - 4 p.m.
Meet Winona Organizations and Clubs, 12 - 4 p.m.
What is it? What Artifacts Can Tell Us! at the Tipi, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Plus much more! Find a full schedule on our website closer to the Event!
February 1
8 - 22
FRFF.ORG
Frozen River Film Festival Screening of “BlindSight” and Photography Exhibit Reception
Friday, February 20, Time TBA at the History Center
BlindSight examines the photographic imagination of the members of the Seeing with Photography Collective through their photography. Some of the pieces shot by them will be on exhibit during the Festival at the History Center. While all the members were
sighted at one time, they are all now blind or visually impaired. Many came to photography after their blindness, and photography
has given them a new voice, a way to express what they feel, what they see inside their head. The results are transformative, for all
the members and for the viewer. They are a tangible proof of how creativity enhances life and gives power. Bob Sacha, director,
cinematographer, editor, teacher and photographer and, above all, a collaborator on visual journalism projects will be at the reception for a conversation following the film. In 2014 he shot the video for team project for the Guardian US that won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, a National Emmy for New Approaches to News and Documentary Programming. BlindSight, a documentary
short about a group of blind photographers that he directed and shot, produced with Kate Emerson, had its world premiere at
DOCNYC, the countries largest documentary festival.
At the Museum Shop
Victorian and Vintage inspired, as well as, locally made
jewelry for Valentine’s Day! Also, soaps, lotions, candles, and
many other wonderful local gifts for those you love!
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