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Partners in History Program Bloedow Bakery Story May 16, 7:00 PM • Wanek Hall • Free Sandbar Storytelling Festival kicks off the local story series by celebrating Bloedow Bakery’s 100th Anniversary. Hear the story of how “Bloedow’s Little Bake Shop” on Broadway began, and how it has continued to be part of the community a century later. Known as Bloedow Bakery today, it has been locally owned and loved since 1924 and is an award-winning Bakery. It was voted one of the “50 Finest Donut Shops in America” by Saveur Magazine. Donuts, buns, rolls, other sweets, and breads are baked fresh daily using the same original recipes. Come and celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Bloedow Bakery and learn its history.
COMMUNITY CONVERSATION "History is present...be a part of it!" Saturday, May 18 • 10:00AM - 12:30PM Cost: FREE (registration requested by Friday, May 17) We believe that everyone has something to contribute to the story of our community. We warmly invite you and your friends to engage in a meaningful conversation about our collective past and the future of our local exhibits. Hosted by Residents Organizing Against Racism and Winona County History Center, this session offers a chance to:
Meet New People: Build connections with a network of individuals passionate about local history.
Collaborate on Exhibits: Join forces to think creatively about how our exhibits can tell our stories more effectively.
Gather Stories: Help us plan how to best collect and share the narratives that define our community.
Come be a part of shaping our history. Your insights and stories are what make our community truly rich and vibrant. We look forward to seeing you there!
Book Reading/Signing Event "Musical Chairs" with Ruth Bures Saturday, June 1, 12 - 2:30pm PM • Slaggie Family Lobby • Free Meet local author Ruth Bures at the Winona County History Center on Saturday, June 1st from 12 - 2:30PM! Ruth will begin her meet-and-greet with an excerpt reading from her brand new book "Musical Chairs: A True, Forgotten Tale of Love, Music, and Furniture" at noon. Bring your book for Ruth to sign, or if you don't have one yet, pick up a copy at the WCHC gift shop!
Partners in History Program Peerless Chain Story June 6, 7:00 PM • Wanek Hall • Free
The Sandbar Storytelling Festival local story series features the story of the Peerless Chain Company. Peerless, located on Winona’s east end, has been in business since 1917. The company started making tire chains and eventually expanded to industrial and hardware chains. In the early 2000s, the company began buying major competitors and today it is the largest manufacturer and distributor of industrial and consumer chain in North America. The group sells chains for a wide variety of light and heavy uses, including marine, agriculture, industrial, forestry, and retail.
SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAM County School Day Camp We will be offering the summer County School day camp at two historic one-room schools this year! Sign your students up for either the Prigge School session on Friday, August 2 at the Winona State University’s Education Village in Winona or for the session at the Gainey-McCarthy School at the Rural Heritage Museum in St. Charles on Saturday, August 3. Both sessions will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and are for one day.
At County School students participate in engaging interactive activities to learn about life as a student over 100 years ago. Make crafts, try historic foods, and experience a day in the life of a student long ago.
Register today by calling 507-454-2723 ext. 0. Cost is $40 for members or $55 for the public (nonrefundable). All supplies are included. Students should bring a lunch that does not require refrigeration.
CONVERSATION HISTORY BOOK CHAT 12:00 PM • Briarcombe Room, History Center Book Chat is free and open to the public. Participate in great discussions about the themes in each month’s book. Held at the History Center. Discussions begin at 12:05 p.m. for about an hour.
April 24 The Story Keeper by Lisa Wingate May 22 Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier June 26 Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.
HISTORY ON THE RIVER CRUISE SERIES Educational Cruises Celebrating Our Heritage
Experience the history, culture, arts, science, stories, music, and more that make Winona County, Minnesota so unique...on the Mississippi River.
Choose from two different cruise times in May, June, July, August and September. Each presentation will be offered during a 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. cruise and again for a 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. cruise. Also enjoy refreshments and the beautiful scenery of the Mississippi River.
Cost: 2024 Sales Start April 22 for WCHS Members and May 1 for the Public! Cruises can be purchased at the History Center or by calling 507.454.2723 ext. 0.
$35 each for WCHS members
$45 each for the public
Get a season pass for all five presentations (you choose your cruise times, until sold out):
$150 for members
$200 for the public
2024 Season Schedule May 30 • 4:00 – 5:30 and 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. “Musical Chairs” & Celebrating Over a Century of Municipal Music with Ruth Bures & Clarinet Quartet The City of Winona built a bandshell in the Classical Revival style in Lake Park near the north shore of Lake Winona in 1924. A century later it still is host to concerts by the Winona Municipal Band and others. In celebration, band member, Ruth Bures, has recently published, “Musical Chairs” a book chronicling the story ofband director Orville Reese. Also, enjoy some live music!
June 27 • 4:00 – 5:30 and 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Steamboats on a Smaller Scale with Frederick Beseler Frederick Beseler, who grew up along the banks of the mighty Mississippi River in Trempealeau, Wisconsin, will talk about the numerous steamboat models that he restored for WCHS about 10 years ago. The models were built in the 1940s and ‘50s by Jacob Mathias of Wabasha, Minnesota. Frederick will talk about Mr. Mathias and how he built the models, as well as Frederick’s restoration process. He will also provide a history of each of the real steamboats that were frequently seen along the Mississippi and at Winona’s levee 100 years and more ago.
July 25 • 4:00 – 5:30 and 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Live Music with Stacy Hughes Stacy Hughes is a singer/songwriter who has been performing for over 30 years. She brings her beautiful voice aboard for some great music on the river.
August 29 • 4:00 – 5:30 and 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. The First 100 Years of the “Upper Miss” River Refuge with Jim Nissen Established in 1924 to be a refuge for fish, wildlife and plants and a breeding place for migratory birds, Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge now covers more than 240,000 acres and extends roughly 261 miles of the Mississippi River across four states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa.
September 19 • 4:00 – 5:30 and 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Hannibal’s Invisibles with G. Faye Dant & Art of the Rural G. Faye Dant is the Founding Director of Jim’s Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center, the only Black history museum in northeastern Missouri. She is the author of the soon-to-be-published, “Hannibal’s Invisibles,” a collection of decidedly universal stories in a coffee table book that chronicles with vintage photographs the life of local Colored faces and Colored places.
General Cruise Information:
Cruises are aboard The Cal Fremling. This two level vessel has an accessible enclosed main deck with a restroom. The Cal Fleming is docked at the foot of Johnson Street at the Winona Levee.
Parking is available on Cal Fremling Drive (enter at Walnut Street) and off Johnson Street.
Boarding begins 15 minutes prior to cruise time. Cruises leave on time!
Cruises are non-refundable unless canceled by the captain or WCHS. We will go in rain. Flooding also rarely affects cruises. If Cal Fremling Drive is closed The Cal Fremling dock is accessible from Johnson Street.
This lecture is co-sponsored by the All-University Arboretum and Land Stewardship Committee as part of the 8th Annual Arbor Day celebration and WSU’s “Tree-Campus USA” recognition.
The Ecological History Lecture Series, March 23 – April 21, 2021, is made possible in part by the people of Minnesota through a grant funded by an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. We thank the generosity of the people of Minnesota. The webinar series is open and free to the public.