The objective of this web site is to encourage students to study the development of a community during a period of significant historical change. This web site is based on sources like letters, official records, and newspapers. These are all sources that historians have used to discover and write the history of the people of Winona and their community.  This site is designed to allow and to encourage students to study and interpret sources from which they can obtain a better understanding of the lives of the people who established the communities that now make up Winona County.  This site is easy to navigate and use for both teachers and students.  Just click on the link wanted and the computer pulls up the information.  Each major link is further broken down into smaller links, which discuss different information pertaining to the main topic.

          The introduction of Winona’s story begins with the link Wabasha’s Prairie to Winona.  This section will provide students with the information and sources to expand their knowledge of how people on the frontier established homes, farms, and their means of support Students will also be able to compare and contrast the urban and rural settlements of the county.

1. Mdewakantonwan Era: This section gives a brief perspective of Winona’s Native-American heritage.  The Mdewakantonwan Indians, a band of the Eastern Dakota tribe, was the group that settled in this region.  Information on the Indians first encounters and relationships with white people is included.  There are also a few paragraphs on the first settlements of the region.

2. Laying the Foundation: Creating Winona County 1849 – 1854: This section includes the development of Winona County.  It also includes information on Matilda & Willard Bunnel who were the first permanent settlers of Winona County.  Their home still stands just a few miles south of Winona and is open to visitors.  Other topics covered here include the formation of Winona County from Fillmore County.

3. Settlement of the County: This heading includes the establishment of the first settlement, located around the St. Charles area.  The Western Farm and Village Association, an emigration group that helped its members settle in Minnesota is discussed. The last pieces of information listed here include sections on the description of the early roads, surveying and claiming the land, and surveyor’s notes – which were open to the public.

4. Observations on the Settlement and Growth of the City of Winona: This section describes the settlement and growth from three different views: a newspaperman, a farmer, and a businessman.

The second section is titled Steamboats on the Upper Mississippi 1840-1860.  This segment will provide students with information to increase their knowledge of the early steamboats that traveled the Mississippi.  Students will be able to see the similarities and differences between several of the early steamboats.

1. First Steamboats: This area describes how steamboats made travel easier for people and how it improved the quality of life on boats.

2. Captain Orin Smith: Captain Smith, who founded Winona in 1851, is described here.

3. Str. Northern Belle: Describes where the ship was built and who was the captain of the ship.

4. Str. Northern Light: Describes where the ship was built and who captained her.  This link also tells of a few collisions the Northern Light had and when it was finally retired.

5. Str. Sucker State: Describes where the ship was built, where it traveled, and how fast the trip was made.  It also tells the origin of the ship’s name.

6.Str. War Eagle: Describes where it was built.  Also mentioned is the fact that the War Eagle not only carried settlers but was “employed” by the Union in the Civil War.  It was sunk, but many artifacts have been brought up.  Information on where these artifacts are located today are also disclosed here.

Information on the pioneer settlers makes up the next major sector.  Here the students will be able to learn about frontier life from the first hand accounts of a settler.  This section provides letters written by Jane Ely and her son Charles.  Jane Ely’s letters are broken down into two sets.  The first set was written when Jane and her family lived in Ohio and Virginia.  These letters illustrate the draw of the western land. The second set consists of letters she wrote once her family relocated to Winona.  Charles Ely’s letters are tales of his school life.  There is also a eulogy he gave for his good friend upon his friend’s death.

Following these letters is the section pertaining to the schooldays of pioneer life.

1. School Days Prior to Fire in 1862: The information given in this section comes from a newspaper article.  This article is a compilation of interviews with settlers and excerpts from letters describing the schools.

2. First Attempt in 1852: Information here includes who the first teacher was, the number of student she had, and where the school was located.  Also included are descriptions of the school.  A former student wrote one description. 

3. Other Early Schools: This gives a little information on the first private and public schools in the region.

4. Charles Ely’s Story: This data comes from the letters written by Charles Ely in the above section.

5. First School Master: This talks about the first school master, Mr. Bolcum, and where his school was located.

6.State Normal School: This is the story of what is now Winona State University. It tells how long ago the school was founded and lists the names of a few members of its early years who are still alive today.

7. First Commencement: Describes where the first commencement was held and what it was like. 

8. Helen Ely: First Girl Graduate of University of Minnesota: This section includes Ms. Ely's, now Mrs. Williamson, description of what school was like.

9. Pioneer Students: This is a list of students who attended the early school. It is a neat section because some students might have a relative that is listed among the names.

A section on newspapers and other tidbits, titled Newspapers and Other Documents, follows.  These are various tidbits and stories from papers that existed during 1849-1858. Some stories are those of the new school, a drowning death, the opening of the new sawmill, a bakery store theft, and others.

Scratching Beneath the Surface: Historical Sleuthing is a series of “pages” which introduce students to the study of history through the use of original documents. These pages will encourage and teach students how to become detectives when handling historical documents. Students are asked to read and interpret newspaper clippings, letters, and speeches located throughout the site. There are several questions for each of the various articles. Some questions require extra thinking on the part of the students and may also require the help of the teacher. Discussions of these pages by teachers will encourage interest and learning. A bibliography is included for those students who wish to read further information about Winona’s territorial time period. 

The history of Winona County follows the historical sleuthing pages.  This is a speech presented by M. Wheeler Sergeant.  The speech is two parts and rather lengthy.  There are some difficult words and students may need a glossary when reading this speech. However, this speech is a wonderful piece of history.  The mayor possessed a deep knowledge of the political and social life of the people and the community.  He discusses the development of the community within the context of the times.  In his speech, the mayor talks about claims jumping, some of the first settlers, and how the name Wabasha came about.  In addition, he described some of the hardships the settlers faced, and many of the “firsts” that occurred in the county (the first court case, the first frame house, the first Christmas).

The last link, newspapers and the census, contains images of two important papers.  These papers are the Winona Argus and the Winona Republican.  Images are available for the years 1855-1858. The papers can be viewed by a specific year, day, and page.  The 1857 census is also located here.  The census can be viewed by town.  Note: These documents are large and may take a few minutes to download.  The images may appear a bit blurry, but the students should be able to read the documents fairly easily.
 
Julia Rodin, Winona State University