Located on an island in the mighty Mississippi River in southeast Minnesota, Winona is a small town with a big history.

Getting its name from an Indian name meaning "first born", Winona was founded by a steamboat captain in 1851. It's location on a island in the Mississippi made it a transportation hub and one of the country's thriving cities by 1900.

This legacy remains in the form of historic buildings and in a ongoing harmony with the river. Nearly surrounded by water, life in this historic town is shaped by the river. The river provides endless beauty, recreation and commerce. Because the CodaBow Workshop sits on the banks of the river, some of our bowmakers paddle canoes to work.

As a trading hub for western expansion, Winona became a cultural hub. Some of the finest artisans of their time resided in Winona. Architects, sculptors, stained glass makers, and musicians. Commerce and manufacturing also dictated that Winona be a technology hub as well. Lumber mills, iron works, food processors, and knitting mills dotted the shoreline.

Today, Winona still remains a unique blend of technology and culture. Several blocks downstream from the CodaBow Workshop is the birthplace of Hal Leonard,one of the world's largest publishers of sheet music. That location is now the site of their largest printing facility.

Several blocks upstream from the CodaBow Workshop is the birthplace of Fiberite (now known as Cytec), one of the early innovators of carbon fiber and now an industry leader in composite materials.

Knowing Winona's origins as a city of 'first born' and understanding her nurturing of both art and science, it seems only fitting that the first graphite fiber violin bow was born here on the quiet banks of the Mississippi River.

We are proud of our heritage and of our community and we would welcome the opportunity to share them with you. Please come visit.

- photos and copy courtesy of the Winona Convention & Visitors Bureau