The Winona History Center

10/08/2026

Back in Winona’s days as “Spring Fountain Park,” a key attraction was the cyclorama, a large, cylindrical structure designed to envelop viewers in a 360-degree painting.

The cyclorama first displayed a swirling, 15,000 square foot painting of the battles of Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge, and Lookout Mountain. The work was painted between 1886-1888 by South Bend artist Henry Kellogg, who was a topographic engineer in General Thomas’ army and was present for battles at Chattanooga. Kellogg was not alone – hundreds of men from Kosciusko County served in the Civil War, including in and around Chattanooga. 15 local soldiers were killed in Chickamauga in the battles of 1863, and many more were wounded. Spring Fountain Park was, therefore, a fitting location for such a Civil War monument.

Located between the Eagle Lake Hotel and the boathouse, the painting was seen by thousands of visitors who were made to feel as though they were standing in the midst of war.

The cyclorama was later redone by New Orleans artist Prof. E. J. Pine to depict the “Life of Christ.” Local leaders of the Bible conferences felt that scenes of Christ were more suitable for their assemblies than scenes of a violent war. By 1901, records indicate that the cyclorama was being used as a gymnasium, and by 1919 the decaying building was torn down to make room for construction on the Billy Sunday Tabernacle in 1920.

09/24/2026

Hungry for fresh baked goods? Hungry for Scripture? Either way, Helen “Ma” Sunday has you covered!

Sourced from Ma Sunday’s own collection of recipes, discover delicious Scottish fancies, coconut krispies, oatmeal raisin cookies, Centennial Cake – and the unique Scripture Cake and Scripture Bread, which partner Bible verses with baking ingredients to create a playful combination of physical and spiritual food.

Paired with the Scripture cake’s 1 cup of chopped figs and raisins, for example, is Samuel 30:12 – “and they gave him a piece of cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.”

08/26/2026

Yesterday, the freshmen at Grace College had “The Hike” orientation, which involves a cardboard boat race on Winona Lake. But this isn’t the first time Winona has held races!

What is now the island was dug out in 1902, but before then, it was used as a racetrack equipped with a grandstand! During the development of Spring Fountain Park in the late 19th century, the marshy peninsula was transformed for driving horses.

The 55-acre piece of land was described as “level as a ballroom floor and perfectly free from shrubs or brush of any kind, and covered with a strong, thick sod, that makes it the best driving track to be found anywhere in the state.” The track followed the general
path of what is now the Administration and Auditorium boulevards.

We hope the new Grace students had a great day on the lake!

07/27/2026

Did you know Winona Lake used to have its very own “Venetian Night” festival?

After Alexander McDonald, president of Standard Oil of Kentucky, financed the digging of the canal in 1902, “Venetian Nights” were held annually in midsummer along the canal banks. Unique parades of beautiful floats attracted vast crowds to huge bleachers that had been moved into position along the canal. The lake shores were “ablaze with colored lights, music will be by Rogers’ Band, and arrangements will be made to care for a great crowd of people,” according to the summer program.
A carnival queen was to be selected by popular vote, with the coronation of the queen occurring at a reception the night before the carnival. The Winona History Center owns one such crown (pictured below, but not currently on display), which would have been worn by Nell Denson King sometime prior to her marriage in 1910. Boats donated by the Assembly were thematically decorated, and prizes were awarded.

The last pageant was held in 1917, when a near-tragedy occurred. A float depicting the homes of a drunkard and a temperance man capsized when the drunkard fell overboard and the other passengers all rushed to his aid.

07/20/2026

This past Saturday, the 18th, marked the day when, 101 years ago, John Philip Sousa performed for Winona Lake’s Chautaqua programming.

The Chautaqua movement started as a summer program for Sunday School teachers at Chautauqua Lake, New York, in 1874. The movement spread rapidly, reaching its peak in the 1920s as a community-based cultural movement featuring lectures, music, drama, and education programs. Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Chautauqua is the most American thing about America.”

In 1894, Dr. Solomon Dickey, a leader of the Presbyterian Church, dreamed of building a “kind of religious Chautauqua,” which led him to purchase Spring Fountain Park with the financial backing of his denomination. A corporation known as The Winona Assembly and Summer School Association was formed and the first Bible conference was held in the summer of 1895. The Chautauqua programs drew crowds of as many as 250,000 in a summer!

John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) was a composer and conductor known as the “March King” because of his many outstanding U.S. military march compositions, including The Stars and Stripes Forever, Semper Fidelis (the official march of the U.S. Marine Corps), The Washington Post, and The Liberty Bell. Sousa also conceptualized the sousaphone, which aptly bears his name. John Philip Sousa and his band, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under Walter Damrosch, played at Winona on July 18, 1925.

07/01/2026

Are you wondering how you should spend your 4th of July this week? Take some inspiration from Winona Lake 80 years ago!

This video from July 4, 1946, shows Winona residents gathering for games, races, time on the lake, and a tournament of tug-of-war – but instead of pulling a rope, they use what appear to be firefighter hoses to push a ball along a wire to the other team’s pole!

The 1940s was a decade of growing success for Winona Lake. The Winona Lake Bible Conference began to flourish and quickly became the centerpiece of the summer season in Winona. One church historian noted about the period, “The quality of the personnel running Winona, the larger and more efficient operation of concessions, the growing crowds, and the move of new organizations to the area all combined to push Winona to its height in popularity and fame.”

Also occurring in 1946:
- Grace Seminary faculty member Dr. Homer Kent, Sr., became the first pastor of Winona Lake Grace Brethren church.

- Dane A. Miller, who would eventually become the founder, president, and chief executive officer of Biomet and a significant contributor and civic leader to Winona Lake, was born on February 7 to schoolteacher parents in Springfield, Ohio.

- The USCGC Winona (WPG-65), a U.S. Coast Guard Cutter named after Winona Lake, Indiana, was commissioned on April 19 and stationed August 15 at San Pedro, California.

06/23/2026

The Billy Sunday Home will be having our open house again from 5PM-8PM this Fourth of July! As you enjoy the parade and concert before the fireworks, stop by the Sunday Home and get a taste of some local history!

06/12/2026

The Winona History Center will be closed today and tomorrow, June 12-13th for a private event. We will be open again Monday, June 15th, at 9:00 am.

05/23/2026

The Winona History Center will be closed for the day on Monday, May 25th.

05/23/2026