Posted by: Mary Alice Anderson on: December 5, 2011
When I visited Ford’s theater earlier this year I learned walking tours of downtown DC led by “Mrs. Keckely” are offered. Bummer! I would have loved to learn more about Mrs. Keckley’s neighborhood, but was unable to go for a tour that day. I met Mrs. Keckley in Mrs. Keckly* and Mrs. Lincoln, a fascinating biography [...]
Posted by: Mary Alice Anderson on: November 20, 2011
An evening out for pizza at a former blacksmith shop (the buildings limestone shell was built in 1857) got me thinking about a newspaper photo of my great-grandfather, Henry Einhorn, visiting with blacksmith William Benz. Located on Winona’s east end, Benz Blacksmith was Winona’s last surviving blacksmith shop. The April 5, 1954 Winona Republican Herald said a Benz worked in [...]
Posted by: Mary Alice Anderson on: November 13, 2011
Yesterday’s trip to the Reads Landing Brewing Company turned out to be a history lesson. We’ve driven through the Mississippi River town of Reads Landing countless times, but hadn’t ever turned off Highway 61. First stop: the Wabasha County Historical Society. The museum’s brochure describes the building, built in 1870, is the oldest schoolhouse in [...]
Posted by: Mary Alice Anderson on: November 8, 2011
One more travel adventures post with a local history theme! Our visit to Hibbing was a pleasant surprise. We discovered a lovely city and enjoyed visiting variety of interesting sites. The Hull Rust Mahoning Mine, is the largest open pit operational mine in the world and nicknamed “The Grand Canyon of the North.” We climbed aboard equipment [...]
Posted by: Mary Alice Anderson on: October 30, 2011
Looking for more information about Charley Goddard and Company K in the Civil War? Charley, the young soldier in Gary Paulsen’s young adult novel A Soldier’s Heart is mentioned in an August post, Music and letters connect us with the Civil War. Here are more resources about Charley and the Minnesota 1st regiment. Winona County [...]
Posted by: Mary Alice Anderson on: October 21, 2011
What’s the connection between the phrase ignorance is bliss, Alexander Graham Bell’s induction device, the insanity plea, an apparatus used to treat polio patients, and the assassination of President James Garfield? What son of a famous American was present at both Garfield’s assassination attempt and President McKinley’s? It’s all in Candice Millard’s incredibly fascinating and [...]
Posted by: Mary Alice Anderson on: October 14, 2011
I can’t find the trolls under the Winona Wagon Bridge, but they were abundant on our road trip to Mt. Horeb in Southeast Wisconsin. Mt. Horeb was settled by Norwegian immigrants in the 1820′s and proudly celebrates its Norwegian Heritage with trolls along its Trollway main street, museums, gift shops, and Little Norway, a historic [...]
Posted by: Mary Alice Anderson on: October 7, 2011
I remember being all dressed up in my angel wings for a school pageant and in come’ One Shot; he got our attention took his photo and was on his way.” Kathy Greden, Winona Photographer Friends and I had fun remembering One Shot’s Friday night appearances at area basketball games. He came in wearing with [...]
Posted by: Mary Alice Anderson on: October 2, 2011
My husband and I had a one-day trip to Mason City and Clear Lake, Iowa. We should have made it a two-day trip and stayed at the newly renovated Park Inn Hotel, the only Frank Lloyd Wright Wright designed hotel remaining in the world. 76 Trombones welcomed us to Music Man Square where we learned [...]
Posted by: Mary Alice Anderson on: September 24, 2011
Doors Open Milwaukee, an event planned to get people into over 100 historic buildings, museums, corporate offices, hotels, breweries, homes and more is happening this weekend. The exciting event is an opportunity for folks to see places we don’t always take the time to visit and learn about their community. The organizers describe Doors Open [...]
Posted by: Mary Alice Anderson on: September 12, 2011
A university student’s eyes lit up when I said I taught a course for teachers on using primary sources in the classroom! I learned about them in high school; I’m glad I did; my university professors expect us to know how to find them and use them for research. I wish we had used them [...]
Posted by: Mary Alice Anderson on: August 29, 2011
Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! Musicians from Wisconsin’s First Brigade Band brought 150 year-old Civil War brass instruments, a drum, stories, and songs to the Winona County History Center and made the Civil War come alive at an August program. We heard the sounds and stories of brass instruments representing over 200 in a collection at a [...]
