Check out all the fun activities, engaging programs, classes and exhibits offered by WCHS!
Also visit our museums to explore local history through exhibits, tours and more!
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Programs and Classes |
Food For Thought Series |
Learn on your lunch hour! The Food For Thought learning series takes place at the Winona County History Center. Programs, Films, and Book Chats begin at 12:05 p.m. and last approximately one hour (unless otherwise noted). The 4th Wednesday of each month, a book is discussed by the FFT Book Chat group, but all are welcome to partake. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunch. A beverage is served. All are free and open to the public.
Program, Memories Of Whitewater State Park with Sara Holger, March 13, 12:05 p.m.
Whitewater State Park was established in 1919 and has 100 years of memories, stories and history as one of Minnesota’s most popular parks. Hear from Lead Interpretive Naturalist, Sara Holger and her work gathering more recent memories of Whitewater for the Park’s centennial. The third time should be the charm! This program has been rescheduled twice due to our winter weather. Book Chat Nothing to Envy, by Barbara Demick, March 27, 12:05 p.m. In this landmark addition to the literature of totalitarianism, award-winning journalist Barbara Demick follows the lives of six North Korean citizens over fifteen years—a chaotic period that saw the death of Kim Il-sung, the rise to power of his son Kim Jong-il (the father of Kim Jong-un), and a devastating famine that killed one-fifth of the population. (From Amazon Book Description) Program, Local History Topics with MSC-SE Students, April 10, 12:05 p.m. Minnesota State College - Southeast is a comprehensive technical and community college with a full history transfer pathway for students. Students have studied Minnesota history and prepared presentations on a range of state and local topics and are eager to share their topics that turn into historical research papers. Current topics students are researching and will share are Father Lucian Galtier of St. Paul, The Geology of Minnesota, Soudan Mine State Park, and others. Please join us to hear these great first steps into historical research! Book Chat A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle April 17, 12:05 p.m. Note: April’s Book Chat is a week early due to our discussion leaders being at a book conference the fourth week this month. A tesseract (in case the reader doesn’t know) is a wrinkle in time. To tell more would rob the reader of the enjoyment of Miss L’Engle’s unusual book. A Wrinkle in Time, winner of the Newbery Medal in 1963, is the story of the adventures in space and time of Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin O’Keefe (athlete, student, and one of the most popular boys in high school). They are in search of Meg’s father, a scientist who disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government on the tesseract problem.(From Amazon Book Description) Program, James Stovall and Mister Jeff - Researching, Writing, and Producing a Winona History Play with Margaret Johnson, May 1, 12:05 p.m. Learn more about Margaret’s research for this new local play and the history she has uncovered and turned into a stage performance. Program, The Manhattan Project’s Secret Weapon: Dr. Wilhelm with Teresa Woldorf, May 8, 12:05 p.m. When the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, one thing became abundantly clear: the atomic bomb project would need to move forward, and at a breakneck pace. For the Manhattan Project to succeed, millions of pounds of purified uranium was needed, but it didn’t exist. Since the discovery of uranium more than one-hundred-fifty years earlier, no one had successfully purified it. Dr. Harley Wilhelm, a chemist at Iowa State, was recruited onto the project. In September 1942, Dr. Wilhelm went to Chicago, carrying with him a secret cargo: the world’s first ingot of purified uranium. When Dr. Wilhelm presented the ingot to Arthur Compton, the leader of the Manhattan Project’s Metallurgical Laboratory, Compton didn’t believe it was pure. Wilhelm proved otherwise. The man who grew up a sharecropper’s son in southern Iowa was an unlikely character to change world history. His life, from country bumpkin to prolific inventor and Manhattan Project scientist, is an untold story, one which enabled the United States to win World War II. |
Programs and
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Annual Meeting of the Winona County Historical Society
March 21, 7 p.m.,Winona County History Center, Members only. Members: join us for the 84th Annual Meeting of the Winona County Historical Society. The evening will start with a short business meeting. We will award retiring board members and vote in their replacements. Then, hear from the Society’s director for the past 36 years, Mark Peterson. Mark has plenty of entertaining and amusing stories to share as he reflects on his three dozen years at the helm of WCHS. Mark will be retiring in May this year. The search committee hopes to announce the new Executive Director at the meeting! After hearing of Mark’s many adventures toiling in the trenches of local history, enjoy a dessert reception in the Slaggie Family Lobby to conclude the evening. Not a member? It is always a great time to join. Stop in, call or log on to join! A Page in History with We are the Willows March 27, 3 p.m. Winona County History Center, Free. We Are The Willows is a Minneapolis-based orchestral indie rock band that crafts dynamic, intimate songs. Get a preview and learn more about the history behind their performance they have brought to Winona that highlights songs inspired by 350 letters written by frontman, Peter Miller’s grandparents during World War II. This special presentation is free and open to the public. Their Page Series performance will be held Saturday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m. For more info and performance tickets log onto pagetheatre.org. The Power of Silver: Traditional Norwegian Jewelry April 23, 7 p.m. Winona County History Center, Free. For centuries, Norwegians have treasured the beauty of silver. Silver showed the prosperity of a family, and, according to folk belief, could cure sickness in humans and livestock, improve crops, and protect against storms and evil spirits. Brooches were more than simple shirt fasteners. Laurann Gilbertson, Chief Curator at Vesterheim, The National Norwegian - American Museum & Heritage Center, describes different styles of Norwegian silver brooches and jewelry, and the traditional beliefs surrounding this powerful metal. |
Classes |
Historic Craft Class: Pysanky
April 7 & 14, 1 p.m., Winona County History Center, $12 public, $10 members, registration required. Create designs on eggs using wax and natural dyes! This fine art of Easter egg decorating originates in Scandinavian countries including Poland and the Ukraine. Learn more about this traditional historic art form, the special tools, and create an egg of your own to take home. All supplies are included. Best for Ages 10 and up. There are two sessions to choose from for this class. They fill fast! Register at the History Center tickets desk or call 507.454.2723 ext. 0. |
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History on the River |
History on the River, our educational cruises, will be back for another season this summer! Join us out on the river on either the Cal Fremling or Winona Tour Boat, both leaving from the Winona Levee. Cruises are on Thursday evenings, and are 90 minutes long with a program and sightseeing time. A variety of refreshments are included with each cruise as well.
Tickets are sold in advance at the History Center or by calling 507.454.2723 ext. 0. Tickets are $27 for non-members and $22 for WCHS members. Save with our pick 3 option, and go on your choice of any 3 History on the River cruises for $75 for non-members or $60 for our members.
2019 Tickets will go on sale for WCHS members May 1 and then to the public May 6.
Parking is available near the Levee off Johnson St. and Walnut St. as well as on Cal Fremling Drive. The Cal Fremling (CF) is docked near Johnson St., and the Winona Tour Boat (WTB) is near Walnut Street.
Boarding begins 15 minutes prior to the listed departure time on the schedule below. Please note the changing departure times as we near the end of the season when the sun sets earlier.
Weather related cancellations will be determined 4 hours prior to departure time and are decided by the captain. We will go in rain. Plan that the cruise will go unless you get a call from us. If a cruise is cancelled due to weather or river conditions, ticket holders can choose another cruise or can be issued a refund, otherwise cruise tickets are non-refundable. Any cancelled cruise topics are not rescheduled.
Check back in March for the 2019 Schedule!
Tickets are sold in advance at the History Center or by calling 507.454.2723 ext. 0. Tickets are $27 for non-members and $22 for WCHS members. Save with our pick 3 option, and go on your choice of any 3 History on the River cruises for $75 for non-members or $60 for our members.
2019 Tickets will go on sale for WCHS members May 1 and then to the public May 6.
Parking is available near the Levee off Johnson St. and Walnut St. as well as on Cal Fremling Drive. The Cal Fremling (CF) is docked near Johnson St., and the Winona Tour Boat (WTB) is near Walnut Street.
Boarding begins 15 minutes prior to the listed departure time on the schedule below. Please note the changing departure times as we near the end of the season when the sun sets earlier.
Weather related cancellations will be determined 4 hours prior to departure time and are decided by the captain. We will go in rain. Plan that the cruise will go unless you get a call from us. If a cruise is cancelled due to weather or river conditions, ticket holders can choose another cruise or can be issued a refund, otherwise cruise tickets are non-refundable. Any cancelled cruise topics are not rescheduled.
Check back in March for the 2019 Schedule!
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Fundraisers and Special Events |
Annual Meeting of the Winona County Historical Society
March 21, 7 p.m.,Winona County History Center, Members only.
Upcoming WCHS Fundraiser Events
March 21, 7 p.m.,Winona County History Center, Members only.
Upcoming WCHS Fundraiser Events
- Chocolate, Shakespeare and Champagne, June 7, 2019
- Voices From the Past Cemetery Walk, October 12 & 13, 2019
- Christmas House Tour, December 6, 2020 (offered even numbered years)
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Exhibits and Openings |
2019 Slaggie Family Lobby Exhibit Schedule
Whitewater 100, Now - June 7
Whitewater State Park is nestled in the Whitewater river valley between St. Charles and Elba, Minnesota. The Park was established in 1919 and has a vast and interesting history that includes a CCC camp, floods, WWII German POWs, and much more. Explore the park’s past in this new exhibit and join in the fun of the park’s celebrations all year!
The Art of Fine Furniture 2019, June 15 - August 10
The 7th annual Art of Fine Furniture exhibition is sure to delight again! Showcasing the historic talents of fine furniture making, the pieces in each annual exhibit are handcrafted by regional artists and craftsmen and are testaments to age old woodworking skills with artistry of design, and are sure to be future heirloom pieces admired for generations. Founded in 2013 The Art of Fine Furniture is an annual exhibit featuring the creations of professional and hobbyist studio furniture makers. Related educational and inspirational workshops and discussions encourage professionals and aspiring amateurs alike to think deeper about the works they create and to push themselves to create new extraordinary works. Also learn more at theartoffinefurniture.com!
Opening Event: Saturday, June 15, 1 - 3 p.m.; meet and visit with the artists and enjoy some snacks!
Victorian Winona: Through the Lens of Charles Tenney, August 14 - January 26
Charles Tenney (1847 - 1917) and his partners left a large collection of their photographs behind when they retired from their photography business in Winona in 1892. Many of these images are now the property of the Winona County Historical Society. These photographs include stereograms, which are double images used with a special viewer called a stereoscope to create a three-dimensional image and what are known cabinet prints, which are mounted on card stock. These images are from the 1870s and 1880s and give us all a detailed look around Winona and the region in Victorian times.
Opening Event: Wednesday, August 14; with a special Food For Thought program; Victorian VR: A History of Stereo Photography with Robert Taunt at 12:05 p.m.
Whitewater State Park is nestled in the Whitewater river valley between St. Charles and Elba, Minnesota. The Park was established in 1919 and has a vast and interesting history that includes a CCC camp, floods, WWII German POWs, and much more. Explore the park’s past in this new exhibit and join in the fun of the park’s celebrations all year!
The Art of Fine Furniture 2019, June 15 - August 10
The 7th annual Art of Fine Furniture exhibition is sure to delight again! Showcasing the historic talents of fine furniture making, the pieces in each annual exhibit are handcrafted by regional artists and craftsmen and are testaments to age old woodworking skills with artistry of design, and are sure to be future heirloom pieces admired for generations. Founded in 2013 The Art of Fine Furniture is an annual exhibit featuring the creations of professional and hobbyist studio furniture makers. Related educational and inspirational workshops and discussions encourage professionals and aspiring amateurs alike to think deeper about the works they create and to push themselves to create new extraordinary works. Also learn more at theartoffinefurniture.com!
Opening Event: Saturday, June 15, 1 - 3 p.m.; meet and visit with the artists and enjoy some snacks!
Victorian Winona: Through the Lens of Charles Tenney, August 14 - January 26
Charles Tenney (1847 - 1917) and his partners left a large collection of their photographs behind when they retired from their photography business in Winona in 1892. Many of these images are now the property of the Winona County Historical Society. These photographs include stereograms, which are double images used with a special viewer called a stereoscope to create a three-dimensional image and what are known cabinet prints, which are mounted on card stock. These images are from the 1870s and 1880s and give us all a detailed look around Winona and the region in Victorian times.
Opening Event: Wednesday, August 14; with a special Food For Thought program; Victorian VR: A History of Stereo Photography with Robert Taunt at 12:05 p.m.