May/June - Winona County Historical Society

The Argus
Winona County Historical Society
160 Johnson Street
Winona, MN 55987
Argus
The
Non - Profit
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Permit # 87
Winona, MN
55987
Address Service Requested
Winona County Historical Society Newsletter
Volume 16, No. 3 May/June 2015
photo by Paul Crosby
Welcome New Board Members!
Four new community members have been
appointed to our Board of Directors, we
would like to welcome them to WCHS!
Sue Hovell serves the
Merchants Bank organization as Senior Vice
President/Director of
Retail Banking Performance, directly working with Mortgage
Loan Officers, Consumer Lending Officers,
Personal Banking Managers, Deposit Services Representatives and Lead Tellers at
all of Merchants Bank’s 21 locations. Sue
has been with the Merchants organization
for 29 years. Sue has an undergraduate
Paralegal degree from Winona State
University and a Master of Arts in Management from Saint Mary’s University.
You may recognize her from her roles as
famous and not so famous Winonans over
the past several years during the annual
Cemetery Walk.
Tim Hoff graduated
from the University of
Minnesota, Program
of Mortuary Science in
1980 with a bachelor
of science degree in
mortuary science. Since
1983 he has been the funeral director
with Hoff Funeral and Cremation Service of St. Charles, Winona, Lewiston,
Rushford and Houston, Minnesota. He has
served as president of Minnesota Funeral
Directors Association 2001 – 2002 and
was co-founder of what is now known
as Children’s Grief Connection (CGC)
(www.childrensgreifconnection.com) currently serving as board chair. CGC was
founded in 2001 by the Minnesota Funeral Directors Association with a mission
of ‘Bringing Hope and Healing to Minnesota’s Grieving Children.’ Tim is currently
serving on the Board of Directors of the
International Cemetery, Cremation and
Funeral Association. He loves to travel,
for business or pleasure. Jenny, his wife
of 32 years, works side by side with Tim
at Hoff Funeral Home as well as with
Children’s Grief Connection. They have
four children; Ashley, Alyssa, Danielle and
Tyler. Tim’s dad, Lowell Hoff, served on
the WCHS board several years ago, and
Tim says, “It is an honor to follow in his
footsteps.”
Patricia Rogers was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and has been married to her life
partner of thirty years this year!
She likes hiking, canoeing, photography,
travel. Pat is the Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Winona
State University. Pat is new to WCHS but
is an enthusiastic supporter of local history! She had to give
up work with Therapy
Dogs International and
Reading Dogs as her
Samoyed is getting a
bit too old and frail for
the work, but hopes to
continue someday with
a newly trained dog.
Pat told us, “I am so
very pleased to be named to the Winona
County Historical Society Board. It is an
honor to serve the community and to work
with so many wonderful new colleagues!”
Ken Lindemann is from
rural Altura, Minnesota
and is a Dairy and
Crop Farmer. His family
farm has been operating since 1862. He
has a B.A. in Business
Finance from St. Mary’s
University. Ken is a member of the Lions
Club of Altura and also enjoys dancing,
and collecting Carson City, NV mint state
coins and gold Civil War coins. Ken likes
to give back to others, for their well-being, as well as his own. He is excited to be
part of a team that preserves and grows
the community. 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
director@winonahistory.org
Jennifer Weaver, Asst. Director
507-454-2723 ext. 3
assistdir@winonahistory.org
Joyce Betz, Receptionist
507-454-2723 ext. 0
desk@winonahistory.org
Jodi Brom, Curator
507-454-2723 ext. 4
curator@winonahistory.org
Walter Bennick, Archivist
507-454-2723 ext. 2
archives@winonahistory.org
Andy Bloedorn, Archivist
507-454-2723 ext. 2
archives@winonahistory.org
Todd McAllister, Maintenance
507-454-2723 ext. 0
Ann Kendrick, Membership
membership@winonahistory.org
Laurie Lucas, Rental Coord.
507-452-6609
rentals@winonahistory.org
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History Never Stops
Membership & Donations
by Mark F. Peterson, Executive Director
Thank You for Your Support!
photo by Kathy Greden
My daughter and son seem nervous about
all the stuff their parents have accumulated,
and knowing we don’t live forever, seem
genuinely nervous about what are they going to do with all the “stuff.” My daughter is
particularly nervous anticipating her brother
will likely not be close by and all the work
will fall on her.
My mother recently passed away at 100
and was still living in the same 5-bedroom
home she has lived in for the past 63 years.
My siblings and I have been sifting through
the things and have had to make decisions
about what to keep, what to give away,
what to sell and what to throw away. I’m certain that my mom would be horrified to know
how much has gone into the dumpster so far.
Granted a lot of that is carpet, junk from the
garage and basement, but still when every
drawer and cabinet is full you can’t keep
everything.
You can’t be in the business I’m in and not be
something of a collector of things, especially
those family items that come with family
history. My wife and I both have our hobbies and with hobbies come “stuff.” We don’t
really fight but we do have discussions about
how do we go about getting rid of some
of what we have short of moving. We have
never had a yard sale though we should certainly consider having maybe several.
have so many toys they can’t even play with
all of them. It’s only in the last 20 or so years
that we have seen rentable storage units pop
up. They never existed before. What is going
on?
All of this ranting ties into what we are doing with our collection inventory project. We
have now inventoried over 31,000 artifacts
and that doesn’t count the Arches Museum
or the buildings at the Fairgrounds in St.
Charles. What we are finding is we have
a lot of “stuff” but a sizeable amount of it
is just “stuff” without the stories connecting
it to Winona County’s history. Who used it?
Who made it? What story does it have to
tell researchers or exhibits? Without that
connection it has little purpose beyond just
being a cool object. Consequently it is taking
up very valuable real estate in our building
which is already crowded. Museums should
not be going for quantity over quality. Over
the next several years we will be seriously
examining our collection and deciding what
we will and should keep. There is a term in
this business called deaccessioning where a
museum removes objects that it has collected
because they no longer fit their mission, are
duplicated, or in poor condition. We have
a very strict policy that governs this process
and you can be assured we will not lightly
go about this work. w
Growing up in a family with four kids all of
our toys fit into a small barrel. Today kids
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 for Summer
Performances, Weekends 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., July 27 through August 2
Rural Heritage Museum Winona County Fairgrounds; Opening Soon!
Business Partner Renewals: Altura Hardware, Altura, MN; Bluff Country Co-op; Boomer’s Quality Plumbing; Coca-Cola Bot-
tling Co.; Goltz Pharmacy; Merchants Bank; Modern Ready Mix; St. Croix Knits; Steak Shop Catering; Windom Park B & B; Winona
Area Chamber of Commerce
New Members:
Kevin Adams, Black River Falls, WI; Dean & Paula Crissinger, Minnesota City, MN; Jim & Jeanne Danneker;
Fawcett Junker Funeral Home; Margaret & Sam Gaustad; Jacob Grippen; John & Marjorie Gustafson, Minnesota City, MN; ; Amy
Gutierrez; Colleen & Dan Koll; Jim Lanik; Frank & Nola Morawiecki; Sabrina & Jerry Robb, Pine City, MN
Renewals: Chris & Harley Antoff; Allan & Jeanine Aspen; Keith & Nancy Beach; Sharon & Richard Behnke; Susan Benke; San-
dra Bennett, Prescott, AZ; Norma Benson; Blandine Berthelot & Joe Jackson; Margaret Boland; Mary Edel Beyer; Lyle, Kris & Alex
Blanchard; Katie & David Borkowski; Thomas & Coleen Bremer; Susan Briggs; Clayton P. Brown, Wilmington, IL; Phyllis Smeed
Brown, St. Paul, MN; Ann Brownell, St. Charles, MN; Dr. Frank & Ruth Bures; Dr. Chris & Kathleen Carroll; Walt & Marian Carroll;
Judge Dennis A. Challeen; Pauline Christensen; Rick & Deb Christenson ;Dennis & Karen Cleveland; Gregory Cotton, Minneapolis,
MN; Patrick & Joan Costello; Tom & Rose Ann Crawford, Tallmadge, OH; Steve & Peg Daley, Lewiston, MN; Dr. Robert F. Datta;
Susan Davey; Betty & John Day, Madison, WI; Susan J. Day; David H. & Cynthia DeLano; Randal & Celia Domeyer, Minnesota City,
MN; David Dorn; Denis Duran, Scottsdale, AZ; Susan E. Eckert, Brandon, SD; Bob & Sue Edel; David B. Ellis, Cane Hill, AR; Mary
Farrell; John R. Fend; Dr. Arnold & Alanna Fenske; Stan & Suzanne Ferguson; James & Enda Fitzmaurice; Kathleen & Michael Flanagan; Darline Freeman, St. Charles, MN; Bernard Frisch; John & Mary Ann Fuchsel; Susan Gannaway; Ronald Galewski; Robert &
Erika Gilbertson; Gene & Audrey Gorny; Odean & Mary Anne Goss, Lewiston, MN; Lorraine A. (Rainy) Griesel, Davenport, IA; Gail
Griffin; John Grote; Hammel, Green & Abrahamson, Inc., Minneapolis, MN; Alice Hannon; Marilyn Hansen; Bruce & Jan Harem;
Cherie Harkenrider; Rita Haugh; LaVern & Nancy Hauschildt; Bernard J. & Mary Hennessy, Lewiston, MN; Susan C. Hill; Leslie & Jo
Hittner; Walter Hodgins, Red Wing, MN; Marianne & Harro Hohenner; Amy Holzle, Roseville, MN; Margaret Hohenstein; Curt &
Lorraine Holmquist, Newton, NC; Bob & Sue Hoodecheck; Patricia & William Hoversten, Waseca, MN; Dan & Dorothy Hoyt; Douglas & Patricia Hubbard, Dakota, MN; Peggy Jacobson; Dennis & Yvonne Johnson; Eric Johnson, Minnesota City, MN; Phylliss Mae
Johnson; Lorraine Kilmartin; Mike & Barb Kleinschmidt; Richard & Rose Marie Kowles; Charles Kubicek; Stanley Ledebuhr; H. Vernon
Leighton; John Lelwica, Lindstrom, MN; John & Jullie Levinski; Terri & Allan Lieder; Robert Linden; Larry & Linda Lindsay; Ron Luchau
& Luisa Rybicki; Maureen & Patrick Marek; Marian A. Mason; R. Scott & Heather McQueen, Minneapolis, MN; Dr. John K. Meinert,
Scottsdale, AZ; Darlene M. Metzler; Charles & Betty Meyer, St. Charles, MN; Gerald M. Modjeski; Kenneth & Sally Mogren; David
P. Moore; Dan Motl; E.W. & Marion Mueller, Rochester, MN; Florence Mueller, St. Charles, MN; Dr. Roy R. Nasstrom; Sharon Nelsen,
Rantoul, IL; Nancy Ann Nelton; Dan Nisbit; Bud Nystrom; Jeanne, Marilyn & Marite’ Olmstead; LaVerne & Joliene Olson; Nancy
O’Reilly; Mike & Kathryn Orlowske; Robert Page; Lyelle Palmer; Dave & Kathy Palmquist; Kay Peterson; Peter & Cheryl Randklev;
Robert & Jean Raz; Donna Rekstad; Thomas & Bonnie Retzinger; James & Nancy Reynolds; Renata Rislow; Don Rivers; Barbara
Rockwell & Walt Ayotte; Dr. Curt Rohrer, Wabasha, MN; Dan & Pat Rukavina; Michael & Jennifer Rupprecht, Lewiston, MN; Betsy
Sawyer; Neil & Ann Sawyer; Randy Schenkat; Steve & Margaret Schild; Jim & Jane Schneider; Doris Schoenike; Allen R. Schulz;
Marilyn Schwab; Sally Sieracki, Springfield, VA; Carol Slade; Steve & Barb Slaggie; Al Smith; Ellen Smith, LaCrosse, WI; Walter
& Jeanette Steiner; Cathy Streit, Circle Pines, MN; Carole A. Stever; Mary Testor; Byrle Tschumper; Dr. Scott & Kathy Turner; Penny
& Ken Venus; Matt & Lyla Vetter; Brian Voerding; Janis Vose; Margery A. Wallerich; Sherri & Nathan Wendland; Dave Wickstrom;
Geraldine S. Williams; Dr. Thomas & Chris Wilmot; Pamela Wolfmeyer; Ronald Zaudke, Prescott, WI; JoAnn Ziegeweid, Minnesota
City, MN
Donations: Jodi Brom; Laurie Lucas; Winona Health; In Memory of Marie Dorsch:
Mark & Kathie Peterson; Dave and Kathie
Christenson; In Memory of Gladys Bennick: Mark & Kathie Peterson; In Memory of Jacqueline Keller: David & Kayla Ritter; In
Memory of David Wetzel: David & Kayla Ritter; In Memory of Dorothy Peterson: Walter & Virginia Bennick; Ruth Erickson; Jonelle
Moore; Janis Vose; Beverly Spande; June & Gordon Ballard; Gail Orcutt; Carolyn Goplen; Laurie Lucas; Mark and Kathie Peterson; Year End: Hawkins Ash CPA’s; Carol Heyl; E.W. & Marion Mueller; Jeanne, Marilyn
& Marite Olmstead, in memory of Roland “Ole” Olmstead; Dick & Jaci Will, in
Ensure the Future of the Past!
memory of Deanna Harders.
Trivia Answers 1. 1855; 2. 2004, 3. A Midsummer Night’s
Dream and The Winter’s Tale, 4. fur; 5. 1858, 1913, 1948
Remember the Winona County
Historical Society in your estate
planning.
11
Clip and Save Calendar
May
5 Volunteer Appreciation Party, 4 - 6 p.m.
6 Food For Thought: Fossils of Winona County with
Beverly Sandlin, 12:05 p.m.
11 Quilt Guild, 7 p.m.
13 Food For Thought: From the Page to the Stage:
Writing and Producing the Bunnell Story, with
Lynn Nankivil & Paul Sannerud, 12:05 p.m.
14 Civil War Round Table, 7 p.m.
16 Antony and Cleopatra and George Colburn: A
Silent Movie with a Winona Connection, 7 p.m.
25 Memorial Day, History Center Open 12 - 4 p.m.
27 Food For Thought: Book Chat, Madame Tussaud,
by Michelle Moran, 12:05 p.m.
June
3 Food For Thought: Race and Ethnicity at Rochester
State Hospital, with Chris Stout, 12:05 p.m.
8 Quilt Guild, 7 p.m.
10 Food For Thought: From Plague to Plainview: The
Story of Early Brand-Name Medicines, with Erik
Heinrichs, 12:05 p.m.
11 Civil War Round Table, 7 p.m.
13 Chocolate, Shakespeare and Champagne!,
7 - 9 p.m.
18 History On the River Cruises begin, Tickets at the
History Center and a schedule on page 3.
20 The Art of Fine Furniture Opening, 1 - 3 p.m.
24 Food For Thought: Book Chat, The Invention of
Wings, by Susan Monk Kidd, 12:05 p.m.
27 “The Hired Girl Gets Married”, Summer Perfor-
mances Start at the Bunnell House, Tickets at the
History Center.
Step Back in Time at the Bunnell House!
Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Starting June 27 through August 2
We have joined forces with Theatre du Mississippi to create a new experience for visitors to the Historic Willard
Bunnell House just south of Winona in Homer, Minnesota.
Theatre du Mississippi is producing a play titled, “The
Hired Girl Gets Married,” written by Lynn Nankavil and
directed by Paul Sannerud. Visitors will walk through the
house while the Bunnells are helping their hired girl, Rachel
Vennon, prepare for her marriage. We will explore not
only a new beginning and new identity for a young bride,
but for all, as pioneers in a new town. Lynn told us, “When
I began my research for, “The Hired Girl Gets Married,”
I knew that I wanted to tell a highly personal story about
the occupants of the house. It was my intention to find an
actual historic event that had taken place during the years
of the Bunnell family’s tenure in the house and build a story
around it. I have written many plays based on Winona or
Minnesota history and know that writing a historical drama
takes many months, so you need to find characters you
want to “live with” for some time. The Bunnells, I was to
find, were perfect for this purpose.”
The Bunnell House Summer Performances will be held
Saturdays and Sundays starting June 27 through August 2
(closed July 4). Tickets are $8 for members or $10 for the
10
public. Space is limited for each performance so please
purchase your tickets in advance to assure a spot for your
desired date and time. Tickets are on sale now at the History Center. You can charge by phone, 507-454-2723,
ext. 0, or stop in at our Tickets and Information desk in the
lobby.
The Carriage House on the Bunnell grounds will be open
for attendees to gather before being welcomed into the
house for the performance. Visitors will also be able to
view some Bunnell artifacts, get a snack, and shop for some
gifts and souvenirs. w
Summer Theater Deals!!!
Get $5 off your
Ticket with a code on your Bunnell House
Ticket Stub!
This project is supported
in part by an Arts and
Cultural Heritage grant
from the Minnesota
Legacy Fund.
...And get 10% off your purchase when
you show your GRSF ticket at the
Bunnell House Gift Shop!
(yes, that’s in addition to our member
discount too!)
Summer Learning for All Ages
A New Pioneer School!
We are offering a new and more authentic experience for
the Pioneer School Summer Day Camp held at the Gainy
School on the Winona County Fairgrounds in St. Charles.
Don’t worry though, all the popular and fun activities and lessons will still be a part of this long-time program.
Now, students can choose from either a one-day or two-day
session. Days are now from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. (Please bring
lunch along) We suggest enrolling younger students in the one
-day session and older students in the two-day, but either
choice is open to all students ages 6 to 12 years old.
Licensed teachers, along with Winona State University Education Majors, will lead students through traditional pioneer
school lessons, games, art projects, skills and games. All supplies and a loaned costume will be provided!
Space for each session is limited so please call the History
Center to enroll your student, 507 - 454 - 2723 ext. 0.
Sessions and Cost:
One Day Sessions: July 8 or August 5, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.;
$25 public/$20 WCHS members
Two- Day Sessions: July 9-10 or August 6-7, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
each day; $40 public/$30 WCHS members
Winona County Trivia
1. In what year was Laird & Bros. established in
Winona?
2. What year was the first Great River Shakespeare
Festival?
3. ...and what plays were performed that first year?
4. For what lucrative trade item did voyagers into the
Upper Mississippi River Valley come to trade?
5. In what years were these schools established?
Winona Normal School, St. Mary’s College, and
Winona Area Technical College.
Answers can be found on page 11
History O
the River n
!
WCHS is Back on
The Cal Fremling
Floating Classroom!
WCHS programming is taking to
the river again this year by offering
evening programs aboard Winona
State University’s floating classroom, The Cal Fremling. WCHS
members will get a first chance at tickets for this season’s
River History Cruises aboard the Cal Fremling. Tickets will
be available to our members starting at 9 a.m. May 15.
Public ticket sales will open May 20 at 9 a.m. They can be
purchased at the History Center or to charge by phone, call
507-454-2723 ext. 0. Tickets are $15 for members and $20
for non-members. Package 3 cruises and get them all for
$40 if you are a member or for $55 for non members. Not a
member? It is easy to join. Call, stop in, or log on. See below
for more!
2015 On the River Program Schedule
Cruises leave the Levee Dock at 7 p.m. sharp
Each cruise is 90 minutes with an educational program, sightseeing time, and light refreshments!
June
18 Bridge Progress I
25 Ranger Ed Lagace – Mississippi River Refuge History
July
2 Capt. Richard Karnath - Steamboating Memories
9 Colette Hyman – Dakota Life Along the River
16 Bill Wittenbreer – Early Landscape Artists of the Upper
Mississippi
23 Celebrating John Latsch Week Cruise
30 Bridge Progess II
August
6 Scott Lowery and Bob Stuber - Music on the Mississippi
13 Capt. Richard Karnath, Steamboating Memories II
8 (Tuesday) Bridge Progress III
20 Carol Jefferson, PhD. – Understanding Islands
27 Kathy Greden – Photographing the River: Currents of
Change and Purpose
September
15(Tuesday) Bridge Progress IV
History in the Making: Watch the Bridge Progress!
June 18, July 30, August (Tuesday) 18 and September (Tuesday) 15; all 7 p.m. depart. $15 members/$20 public each
or do them all for $50 members/$70 public
3
Biography
by Walter Bennick
Bertolet Perry Rosenberry, 1881-1927, Physician
The concept of the Winona Clinic was suggested in 1920 by Dr.
Bertolet P. Rosenberry when he partnered with Doctors Edmund
M. McLaughlin and Walter W Nauth. The following year the
clinic was organized at 172 Main Street in the former Kissling
Grocery Building. From that simple beginning, the Winona Clinic
has expanded and growth to become Winona’s main provider
of medical care.
Bertolet Perry Rosenberry, the son of Alvin and Martha (Perry)
Rosenberry, was born in Menomonie County, Michigan on
September 27, 1881. Like his father, Bertolet attended medical school at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, graduating with the class of 1904 and completed his internship at the
University of Michigan during 1904-1905 academic year. He
established his first medical practice in Arcadia, Wisconsin on
April 1, 1097.
Dr. Rosenberry was married to Helen Hume in Muskegon, Michigan on September 22, 1908. Helen, the daughter of George
and Mary (Stevens) Hume, was born in Muskegon in 1881 and
graduated from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in
1903. Following their marriage the couple settled in Arcadia
where Dr. Rosenberry had his medical practice. On January 16,
1911, the couple had their first child born to them, a son they
named George. Unfortunately, the baby died four days later.
Dr. Rosenberry continued with his medical practice in Arcadia
until October of 1913 when he returned to Ann Arbor and the
university for a year of post graduate studies. While at Ann Arbor, a daughter, Lois, was born. Upon the completion of his studies in surgery and X-ray, Dr. Rosenberry and his family settled
in Winona and he joined the medical practice with Dr. Edwin S.
Muir in the Richardson Building at 58 West Third Street.
Soon after arriving in Winona, Dr. Rosenberry was called on to
conduct a post-mortem examination on Charles Bratz who had
been shot to death by Charles Suffrins at the Suffrins store in
Pickwick on September 17, 1914. Following a coroner’s inquest,
Suffrins was indicted on three counts of murder, and following a
lengthy trial in Winona he was found not guilty of all charges.
Dr. Rosenberry became active in Winona’s medical community
and was involved in public health issues including the prevention
and treatment of tuberculosis in the county. He was also called
upon to provide physical examinations for new recruits to Company C of Winona’s National Guard.
4
As World War I heated up, Dr. Rosenberry enlisted into the
Army Medical Corps, the first Winona physician to do so. He
began his military service at Camp Benjamin Harrison near Cincinnati, Ohio where he had three months of specialized military
medical training. Following his training, he was soon promoted to
the rank of major and was transferred to France where he was
in command of a front-line medical unit in the trenches. Following
the war’s end, Major Rosenberry returned to the United States
and was discharged from the army at Camp Dix, New Jersey on
June 8, 1919.
Soon after returning to Winona, Dr. Rosenberry was selected by
the United States Public Health Service to be a special examiner
for Winona County of all former servicemen who need medical
or surgical care because of wounds they received in the service
or because of exposure to gas. Dr. Rosenberry teamed with Dr.
Walter W Nauth in developing a Winona hospital unit for the
U. S. Public Health Service for the treatment of ex-servicemen in
the county. The Winona General Hospital was then under contract with the U.S Public Health Service to provide hospital care
to these ex-servicemen who were under Doctors Rosenberry and
Nauth’s care.
On Exhibit
NEW Exhibits at the History Center
Uh, What’s That?:
Marvelous Medical Instruments
March 30 - June 15
This new exhibit in the Slaggie Family lobby showcases our interesting medical collection, along side a few devices on
loan, which feature some very odd tools and equipment that are now very common in their modern-day form. Can you
guess what device was used for what ailment? Learn the history of the medical field in Winona County, from Watkins’
cure-all liniment to Winona General Hospital to pioneer doctors and nurses. Sponsored by Winona Health.
100 Years of Music: The Winona Municipal Band
On Exhibit starting May 1
On June 1, 1920, Doctors Rosenberry and Nauth formed their
partnership with Doctor McLaughlin and set up a joint practice
in the Richardson Building in offices formerly occupied by Doctors Muir and George L Gates. A year later the three doctors
renamed their partnership, the Winona Clinic and moved their
offices to the Kissling Building, next to the Colonial Theater, at
172 Main Street. The following year, they added two new doctors, Edward A Risser and Stuart W Adler, to the staff.
We are bringing out our collection of uniforms and images from the 100 years of the Municipal Band in Winona. A section of the History Center’s main exhibit hall will hold this look into the band’s history. Don’t miss a special event held on
May 16, 7 p.m. at the History Center. The Municipal Band will be celebrating its rich history with a showing of “Antony
and Cleopatra.” The original score for the 1914 silent film was composed by Winona Band conductor, George Coburn.
On January 18, 1927, tragedy struck when Dr. Rosenberry died
of a heart attack while testifying in a civil suit between William
Allen and the Chicago Great Western Railroad. Dr. Rosenberry
had realized that he had a heart condition and had told friends
that he expected to die suddenly as a result of a heart attack.
He had assisted in a major surgery that morning and had rushed
to the court house as soon as he had finished. Although he
disliked testifying on the witness stand, he accepted it as a part
of his professional duties. Dr. Rosenberry had examined William Allen regarding the accident and stated there was nothing
abnormal in his findings.
The popular exhibition of fine craftsmanship, beautiful woods, and interesting lines is back! This summer, community curator, and local fine furniture maker, Jamie Schell, will gather new pieces from regional and national artists to showcase
the history of furniture making as a craft and its transformation into the world of art as well. Furniture maker Craig
Johnson will be back with a workshop on using hand tools in woodworking. Mark your calendars for June 20, 1 - 3 p.m.,
to stop in the Opening Reception during Winona’s Steamboat Days to view the exhibit and visit with many of the artists.
Sponsored by Winona National Bank. Learn more
Left: Craig
at www.theartoffinefurniture.com.
Johnson
More information about related
Right: Jamie
Schell
programs and workshops will be in the
next issue, online and in the media
soon! We are very excited to have
another amazing exhibit curated by
Jamie Schell.
Plan Your Visit!
William Allen was an employee of the Chicago Great Western
Railroad and was injured is an accident when a boxcar detailed
and fell across his legs. Allen was freed but claimed he was
under the boxcar to his neck and had severe injuries, but the
rest of the railroad crew disagreed with him. The jury found for
Mr. Allen and awarded him $9,000 for his suffering. Dr. Rosenberry’s funeral was held at the First Congregational Church and
following the service his remains were transported to Muskegon
for burial in Oakwood Cemetery. w
The Art of Fine Furniture 2015
June 20 - July 31
History Center Admission:
$5 Adults, $3 Students,
WCHS members free!
Chair by Craig Johnson
Log-on to winonahistory.org
and click MUSEUMS
9
Society News
John Latsch Week Returns July 20 - 25
We are planning another week to celebrate, philanthropist, John Latsch. The
wholesale grocer in Winona’s early
days donated most of the public land
we use today.
The week will include a program, a
cruise on the Cal Fremling educational
vessel, games, contests and prizes at
the Farmer’s Market and more. Area
Parks will be offering special programs to highlight Latsch’s gifts and
legacy. Watch the next issue, web and
media for a full schedule.
Bridge Kiosk at the History Center
MNDOT has an interactive kiosk in the
History Center lobby for community
members and visitors to explore the
history of Winona’s bridges, the new
bridge progress, the historic bridge’s
restoration, and more. Updates will be
added as progress is made. Through
a touch screen, people will be able to
access the information they want to
From the Archives
know through news articles, images,
video, and computer imaging.
MHS Director Spoke at Annual Meeting
On March the Winona County Historical Society members met for the
Annual Meeting. New board members,
featured on the cover, were elected
and we thanked those whose terms
were up. Mark Metzler, Mena Kaehler,
Rick Christenson, and Bruce Montplaisir retired from the board this year.
Mary Nelson was elected as the new
Vice-President and other officers were
re-elected (all are listed on the first
page).
Stephen Elliott, Director of the Minnesota Historical Society (pictured) gave
a talk about what it means to be the
stewards of history and how we all
make history. Then, the group made
their own fruit pizzas with Bloedow’s
sugar cookies, frosting and a variety
of fruit.
Yum! If you are interested in becoming
a member, stop in the History Center
or email membership@winonahistory.
org.
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level museum building depending on
the weather. A cash bar will also be
offered for those who are not champagne fans, but the crisp bubbly will
still be part of the ticket price, along
with a delicious assortment of chocolate desserts made by area caterers,
restaurants and bakeries.
Come and join in the fun and get
a hint of this season’s Great River
Shakespeare Festival and mingle with
the cast and crew!
Above: Kissling Grocery;
Left: Bertolet Rosenberry;
Right: Winona Clinic and
fire.
Work at the Bunnell House
We have been working on the Bunnell
House to ready the site for reopening this summer. Volunteers and staff
have been cleaning, doing yard work,
moving furniture pieces, painting, and
more to prepare. The transformation
will continue with more work on the
grounds and restoration to the house
as we approach the opening June 27.
If you are interested in helping give
us a call, 507-454-2723 ext. 3. Learn
more about the reopening and summer performances on page 10.
A New Place for Chocolate, Shakespeare, and Champagne
The Winona County Historical Society’s summer fundraiser, Chocolate,
Shakespeare, and Champagne will be
held June 13 from 7 – 9 p.m. at the
Winona County History Center (160
Johnson St.). The favorite summer
party will have the same treats, but
with some added twists to the evening.
Because of construction on the grounds
at the long-time location, The Alexander Mansion B&B, the event will move
to the History Center. The move can
welcome more to the party and can
be held outside (with a block closed
on Johnson st.) or inside the multi-
By Walter Bennick
Tickets are $25 or $20 for WCHS
members and are available at the
Winona County History Center in
advance or at the door. Sponsored by
Winona National Bank.
The Winona Clinic Building was located at 172 Main Street and was formerly the home of the Kissling Grocery Store. After the clinic to its new location on Sarnia Street, the building was used as a professional building and housed offices for lawyers, accountants,
insurance agencies, etc. The building was destroyed by fire at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, February 13, 1974. The fire completely
consumed the interior of the building caused the roof and upper floors to drop into the basement.
This month, I wanted to give you an update on the Inventory Project, which started in March of 2014, and ends
on June 28. This was funded by a Legacy Grant from the
Minnesota Historical Society.
The team has inventoried over 31,000 items. This includes
all of the items in the vault, the exhibits, and in offices at
the History Center. We have just completed the inventory
at the Bunnell House and soon we will be moving out to the
Arches Museum and the County Fairgrounds.
There is quite a bit of technology behind keeping track of
this history! We use a program called Past Perfect, which
is an industry standard for museums our size. It is used not
only for the collection, but also the Archives, and the membership records.
Each person using Past Perfect works on either a desktop
or a laptop computer. Artifacts are given an Accession
number, description, measured, condition info, location in
vault, and then a photograph is taken this all goes into Past
Perfect. The data is all stored in a central database on
the server.
When we work off-site, we remotely connect to the database. To do this, we installed high speed Internet at the
Collection Corner
By Jodi Brom
Bunnell House, Arches, and County Fairgrounds.
The server contains not only the Past Perfect data, which
includes nearly 30 years of my work, but also much other
museum data. With so much data on the server, we all
take the security and backup of the data very seriously.
Our volunteer IT Department, which consists of my husband
Erik, and his colleague Lance Tagliapietra, manage our
server and network. They have created an automated
backup system which includes five copies of all the data,
some on-site and some off-site, that is updated daily. In
addition, we have various snapshots going back in time.
This is similar to what the Minnesota Historical Society
does.
To support this project, we purchased three new laptop
computers, a new server computer, installed additional wifi access points, and upgraded to faster network switches.
All of this work has kept the project moving along smoothly. If you are interested in more detail, Erik has written an
expanded article and backup plan online at www.winonahistory.org/IT. Let me know if you can access this, and I will
print out a copy for you. w
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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 Fossils of Winona County with Beverly Sandlin,
May 6, 12:05 p.m.
Beverly is host to the fossil adventure blog, bluffcountryfossils.
net, teaches fossil and rockhounding classes for the River Roots
School, and speaks throughout the area. She will present the
types of fossils that are in Winona County with locations and
tips for your own adventures in fossil hunting. A Winona County
map and guide will be available though the Museum Shop.
Lecture From the Page to the Stage: Writing and Producing
the Bunnell Story, with Lynn Nankivil & Paul Sannerud
May 13, 12:05 p.m.
Local playwright Lynn Nankivil will share the journey of taking
historical research and creating a performance as a way to
interpret history. From building an identity for someone from
the past through many different eyes, to creating a story from
the framework of the research, it was a fun challenge that she
will share. Willard Bunnell’s brother, Lafayette Bunnell, wrote
an early history of the era, so his view of his brother is mostly
favorable, although he too, drops a few interesting hints about
Willard’s rather bad temper and tendency to “drink a dram or
two.” Following these hints is the most interesting part of the research because it usually leads you to a fairly accurate account
of the person whose story you wish to tell. Lynn said, “I feel a
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Programs & Events
responsibility to the people that I write about and try to portray
them in as accurate a way as I am able.” Paul Sannerud will
also share insights of bring history to life from a director’s point
of view.
Book Chat Madame Tussaud, by Michelle Moran,
May 27, 12:05 p.m.
Volunteer Appreciation Party
Smart and ambitious, Marie Tussaud has learned the secrets of
wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated
wax museum, the Salon de Cire. Spanning five years, from the
budding revolution to the Reign of Terror, Madame Tussaud
brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent
for wax modeling saved her life and preserved the faces of a
vanished kingdom. (From Amazon.com.)
Tuesday, May 5 , 4- 6 p.m. at the History Center
Lecture Race and Ethnicity at Rochester State Hospital, with
Winona’s first Municipal Band Director, George Coburn, wrote the piano accompaniment for the 1914 silent film “Antony and
Cleopatra.” Join us in celebrating the Winona Municipal Band’s 100th anniversary with a showing of the film with Associate Professor of Music James Doering, Ph.D., who will perform the score on the WCHS’ Steinway. The Antony and Cleopatra score, which had
not been played since 1914, was reconstructed by Doering from surviving sources in the Library of Congress. Doering’s research
explores Colburn’s score as one of the earliest American attempts at thematic film scoring. This event is free but a free-will donation
of $10 to the Winona Municipal Band is suggested. Popcorn and beverages will be served.
Chris Stout, June 3, 12:05 p.m.
Rochester State Hospital operated from 1879 – 1982 and
served thousands of patients over the hundred years of its operations. When the Mayo Clinic opened in 1889 with 6 patients,
there were already over a thousand patients being treated in
Rochester at the state hospital. Over its years of operations,
patients from different ethnicities were treated and often the
stereotypes and prejudices of the times affected how they were
diagnosed and treated. Of great interest is a scandal that
erupted in 1889 when a black patient was killed by two attendants and was covered up. This scandal led to a statewide
investigation and led to major reforms in the organization of
state institutions in Minnesota.
Lecture From Plague to Plainview: The Story of Early BrandName Medicines, with Erik Heinrichs,
June 10, 12:05 p.m.
Erik will take us back in time to explore the origins of early patent medicines, when in 16th century Germany a plague doctor
created the first brand-name medicine in a modern sense. This
kind of secret remedy remained remarkably the same up to the
time of Watkins, who started his famous “cure-all” lineament in
Plainview, Minnesota over 400 years later.
Our volunteers are invited to a spring volunteer appreciate party as a small way of saying thank you for all that they do. We are
“Happy Campers” with so many wonderful volunteers! If you are one of them, please RSVP to Jennifer by May 1. We will have a
light supper, prizes and “s’more” fun.
Antony and Cleopatra and George Colburn: A Silent Movie with a Winona Connection
Saturday, May 16 , 7 p.m. at the History Center
Chocolate, Shakespeare, and Champagne
June 13, 7 - 9 p.m. at the History Center
Our summer fund raiser event is moving to the History Center! This fun party to welcome summer and celebrate Winona’s festival
season with the Great River Shakespeare Festival will be able to hold more people and offer some fun new ways to celebrate our
community’s rich history and the performing arts. Rain or shine fun will be had, decedent chocolate desserts will be served; champagne and a cash bar will be available (along with some non-alcohol choices); and get some glimpses into GRSF’s season with
“Much Ado About Nothing” and Romeo and Juliet!” Sponsored by Winona National Bank.
The Art of Fine Furniture Exhibit Opening
June 20, 1 -3 p.m. at the History Center
The Art of Fine Furniture is an exhibit of works by regionally and nationally recognized studio furniture makers, brought together by
WCHS’ community curator for the exhibit, Jamie Schell, who is a local artist and fine furniture maker himself. Stop in and visit with
the artists and view some amazing furniture pieces handcrafted by regional artists. Sponsored by Winona National Bank. Free and
open to the public, refreshments thanks to Bluff Country Co-op. Learn more by visiting www.theartoffinefurniture.com
from Food For Thought Book Chat
Benjamin Franklin by Walter Isaacson
My Antonia by Willa Cather
The History of Wapasha’s Prairie by Myron Nilles
Book Chat The Invention of Wings, by Susan Monk
Kidd, June 24, 12:05 p.m.
This exquisitely written novel is a triumph of storytelling that
looks with unswerving eyes at a devastating wound in American
history, through women whose struggles for liberation, empowerment, and expression will leave no reader unmoved. (from
Amazon.com)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
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