Society News
Parking Lot to be Developed
We are losing our parking lot at the corner of fourth and Johnson as of May 14, but the good news is the block is being developed. We knew the current lot was going to be temporary since its lease starting in 2010, and it is great news for Winona that the whole block is going to be developed rather than sit as a parking lot and empty block in downtown Winona. We do own property next to the History Center along fourth street and will be developing that space (behind LaBoutique) into a new parking area this spring/summer. It will be smaller than our current lot, but it is better than nothing and will be much nicer than the current leased lot. There is lot and street parking nearby as well which we have mapped on our “museums” page for those planning a visit to the History Center. We are still looking for some funds to develop the new lot; and if you would like to contribute to the project, please contact Executive Director, Mark Peterson, 507.454.2723 ext. 1.
Grants Awarded to WCHS
The Elizabeth Callender King Foundation awarded us $6,000 for Northern Bedrock Preservation Corps to restore the log house at the Rural Heritage Museum. At a time when historic structures across the country are greatly in need of maintenance and repair the number of individuals knowledgeable in these preservation trades is dwindling. Northern Bedrock was established in 2011 to engage the next generation in the preservation trades by partnering with skilled trades professionals doing historic preservation work. Their AmeriCorps crews are comprised of young adults, 18-25 years old, who work during a six month field season on historic sites across the state of Minnesota. By integrating historic preservation training within the corps model, Northern Bedrock provides young adults with the opportunity to explore diverse career paths through hands on experience and training in the building trades and historic preservation fields. Meet them and learn more about their work during the Winona County Fair at the Rural Heritage Museum. They will give daily presentations while they do their work!
We also were awarded a small Legacy Grant from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, $8,000, for security camera upgrades at the History Center.
Welcome New Board Members
Dennis Daniels and Dennis McEntaffer joined the WCHS board in March.
Dennis Daniels is from Winona and recently retired as the owner of Daniels Ace Hareware. He has a B.A. from Drake University and enjoys traveling and hiking. He is married to Donna Daniels, and they have three grown daughters.
Dennis McEntaffer is originally from Pierre, South Dakota. He is a Physical Therapist and owns Sport and Spine Physical Therapy in Winona. His newest adventure is opening Nate and Ally’s Frozen Treat Creations in downtown Winona. Board meetings will now be held there! Just kidding. He and his wife Carmon have two children, Nathaniel and Allison. Dennis M. also volunteers for the Winona Area Chamber of Commerce, The Winona Main Street project, and is on the city’s Heritage Preservation Commission. Dennis told us he is very passionate about the history of Winona and preserving Winona’s historic artifacts, memories and structures.
Archive Collection Inventory Phase I Complete!
We are just about to wrap up our fifteen month Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant-funded basic processing project in our library and archives. Aside from organizing what we have and making it retrievable, we have also been taking a number of basic preservation steps in order to help extend the life of the materials that we hold. Over the past year we have invested about $9,000 in new storage furniture and acid free containers, including flat storage cabinets, shelving, boxes and folders in all shapes and sizes, and thousands of file folders. We’ve flattened, rolled, and repaired a countless number of objects, tied books up in cotton ribbon, eliminated materials harmful to our collection from the storage areas, and removed a seemingly endless amount of metal fasteners and rubber bands. These may sound like small actions, but they are important ones to take in order for us to act as good stewards of the things that we hold. Another important step we’ve taken is to identify a number of objects in poor condition that are important to our mission, and have flagged them for future professional conservation. These objects include material such as an 1855 plat map of Homer, original architectural drawings for the First National Bank of Winona, and a Winona landscape that was painted in 1867. We will be seeking funds over the next several years in order to address the growing list of objects that need attention.
We are sad to say goodbye to the two Inventory Specialists that were hired from the Legacy Fund Grant, Amanda Bartel will be moving on the end of April and Sarah Taubner will be with us a month or two more to help with some other smaller projects before she starts graduate school in the Fall. We thank them both for all their dedicated work and they will be missed as we wish them the best of luck in their future adventures!
We are losing our parking lot at the corner of fourth and Johnson as of May 14, but the good news is the block is being developed. We knew the current lot was going to be temporary since its lease starting in 2010, and it is great news for Winona that the whole block is going to be developed rather than sit as a parking lot and empty block in downtown Winona. We do own property next to the History Center along fourth street and will be developing that space (behind LaBoutique) into a new parking area this spring/summer. It will be smaller than our current lot, but it is better than nothing and will be much nicer than the current leased lot. There is lot and street parking nearby as well which we have mapped on our “museums” page for those planning a visit to the History Center. We are still looking for some funds to develop the new lot; and if you would like to contribute to the project, please contact Executive Director, Mark Peterson, 507.454.2723 ext. 1.
Grants Awarded to WCHS
The Elizabeth Callender King Foundation awarded us $6,000 for Northern Bedrock Preservation Corps to restore the log house at the Rural Heritage Museum. At a time when historic structures across the country are greatly in need of maintenance and repair the number of individuals knowledgeable in these preservation trades is dwindling. Northern Bedrock was established in 2011 to engage the next generation in the preservation trades by partnering with skilled trades professionals doing historic preservation work. Their AmeriCorps crews are comprised of young adults, 18-25 years old, who work during a six month field season on historic sites across the state of Minnesota. By integrating historic preservation training within the corps model, Northern Bedrock provides young adults with the opportunity to explore diverse career paths through hands on experience and training in the building trades and historic preservation fields. Meet them and learn more about their work during the Winona County Fair at the Rural Heritage Museum. They will give daily presentations while they do their work!
We also were awarded a small Legacy Grant from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, $8,000, for security camera upgrades at the History Center.
Welcome New Board Members
Dennis Daniels and Dennis McEntaffer joined the WCHS board in March.
Dennis Daniels is from Winona and recently retired as the owner of Daniels Ace Hareware. He has a B.A. from Drake University and enjoys traveling and hiking. He is married to Donna Daniels, and they have three grown daughters.
Dennis McEntaffer is originally from Pierre, South Dakota. He is a Physical Therapist and owns Sport and Spine Physical Therapy in Winona. His newest adventure is opening Nate and Ally’s Frozen Treat Creations in downtown Winona. Board meetings will now be held there! Just kidding. He and his wife Carmon have two children, Nathaniel and Allison. Dennis M. also volunteers for the Winona Area Chamber of Commerce, The Winona Main Street project, and is on the city’s Heritage Preservation Commission. Dennis told us he is very passionate about the history of Winona and preserving Winona’s historic artifacts, memories and structures.
Archive Collection Inventory Phase I Complete!
We are just about to wrap up our fifteen month Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant-funded basic processing project in our library and archives. Aside from organizing what we have and making it retrievable, we have also been taking a number of basic preservation steps in order to help extend the life of the materials that we hold. Over the past year we have invested about $9,000 in new storage furniture and acid free containers, including flat storage cabinets, shelving, boxes and folders in all shapes and sizes, and thousands of file folders. We’ve flattened, rolled, and repaired a countless number of objects, tied books up in cotton ribbon, eliminated materials harmful to our collection from the storage areas, and removed a seemingly endless amount of metal fasteners and rubber bands. These may sound like small actions, but they are important ones to take in order for us to act as good stewards of the things that we hold. Another important step we’ve taken is to identify a number of objects in poor condition that are important to our mission, and have flagged them for future professional conservation. These objects include material such as an 1855 plat map of Homer, original architectural drawings for the First National Bank of Winona, and a Winona landscape that was painted in 1867. We will be seeking funds over the next several years in order to address the growing list of objects that need attention.
We are sad to say goodbye to the two Inventory Specialists that were hired from the Legacy Fund Grant, Amanda Bartel will be moving on the end of April and Sarah Taubner will be with us a month or two more to help with some other smaller projects before she starts graduate school in the Fall. We thank them both for all their dedicated work and they will be missed as we wish them the best of luck in their future adventures!