Michaela Gaffke / Winonan

A vast exhibit of 140 quilts showcases Winona’s heritage in the Winona County Historical Society display “Warm Memories: Winona County Quilts.”

Civil War era quilt blocks, 17 quilts and two quilted pillows are currently on display. Eight quilts hang from the ceiling, two are in a showcase and the rest hang from the walls. Many of these quilts were made from people in the early pioneer days, and some were only crafted a few years ago.

Assistant director of the Winona County Historical Society, Jennifer Weaver, said the quilts have been donated over the years.

“The Winona County Historical Society has been around for 81 years, slowly collecting things,” Weaver said.

One of the oldest quilts on display, “Crazy Quilt,” sewn in 1883, is her favorite. The quilt was made by Louise Bunnell Page and according to Weaver, a piece of the fabric sewed into the quilt is said to be from her mother’s wedding dress.

There was also a quilt made of ribbons on display, featuring events from the Civil War, county fairs and a Taft button from his visit to Winona. One quilt on display was even made from scraps of neckties.

In the fall of 1983, the Winona County Historical Society hosted its first annual “Harvest of Quilts” show. The second year, director Mark Peterson traveled to southeastern Minnesota and collected 100 quilts. Historical societies around the area then contributed their quilts, and together they created a large quilt exhibit.

Participants from 22 counties and 1,500 people attended the show. These shows went on through the 1990s, and the last was in 2007. “Warm Memories: Winona County Quilts” is a product of these past shows. Rather than doing a show, they decided to do an exhibit of the best of their own quilt collection instead.

This exhibit goes through June 15, and some quilts will be switched out every few months to keep public interest and due to limited space.

“It is fun to see the new quilts people bring in,” Weaver said.