Research Trip to Winona

A couple weeks ago I took a trip to Winona to visit the research library and archives at the Winona County Historical Society.  It was a truly great trip.  I met a lot of great people who were extremely helpful at the historical society and came away with some great information in the end!

I did a little site seeing!

And then got to the Winona County Historical Society bright and early, which happens to be located in the beautiful 1915 Armory building. 

As it turns out the family I’m researching (and many of the branches who married into it) are extremely influential people in Winona’s history, there were articles about mansions  they built in the 1800s (and the destruction of a couple in the 80s and 90s) and the careers they lead as well as the families they raised. 

I wish I could share more details, there were a lot of really interesting finds, but instead I’ll share this: 

"Cemetery Symbolism" Voices from the Past, Winona County Historical Society. From the Woodlawn Cemetery Discovery Walk 2010.

It’s a trinket I picked up that was published by the WCHS, very interesting! I brought it along when I finally took my trip to Woodlawn Cemetery at the end of the day to wrap things up.  Little did I know that ten minutes to dusk was not going to be enough time to find the families who rest there.  What an incredible cemetery, it is huge and sprawling across the bluffs, one of the more beautiful cemeteries I’ve been to considering it’s age.

Related Posts:

1. Endangered Cemeteries: Preserving Overlooked Historic Sites
2. September
3. Make History Contest: Choosing a Project