Book Celebrates Winona’s 100 Years
Just in time for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the town of Winona Lake, a new book, Winona at 100: Third Wave Rising, The Remarkable History of Winona Lake, Indiana, is being released.
Written by Terry White with Steve Grill and published by Winona Lake-based BMH Books, the book details each wave of development over the last 100 years. It includes new information, unearthed stories, and recent developments since the last attempt at a definitive history of the town was published 53 years ago — in 1960 — by Vincent H. Gaddis and Jasper A. Huffman.
The book will be released on June 1, in time for the town’s Centennial Celebration. Retail price is $19.95, but it is currently available for a pre-release price of $15.99 at two Winona Lake retailers. Through May 31, the book may be ordered at Tree of Life Bookstore, 1104 Kings Highway, and at the Winona Mercantile, 700 Park Ave., at the special price. After June 1, it may be purchased at either retailer. It may also be ordered online at bmhbooks.com.
The book is 340 pages, including a comprehensive index and 16 pages of black and white photos from throughout the years. The ISBN number for the book is 978-0-88469-284-3.
Winona at 100 begins with the first wave in 1881. It skillfully traces the town’s history through Spring Fountain Park and the religious Chautauqua programs that drew thousands in the early 1900s to its second-wave popularity as the home of the world’s largest Bible conference, the founding place of Youth for Christ, the launching pad for Billy Graham’s ministry, the home of baseball evangelist Billy Sunday and his songleader/publisher Homer Rodeheaver, and much more.
Now, in its third-wave rising, Winona is once again a beehive of activity through Grace College and Seminary, MasterWorks cultural festivals, the emergence of the Village at Winona with its many shops, world-class restaurants, and more.
Woven throughout the book are many little-known anecdotes—from two who have lived in, and loved, Winona Lake for many years. This centennial history celebrates the unique town that was incorporated on June 2, 1913, and has had worldwide impact.
Author Terry D. White, Ed. D., entered Grace College as a freshman the fall of 1960 and lived and worked in Winona Lake until 1977. He served in town government, held multiple positions at Grace College and Seminary, was board chair of his local church, and owned a number of local businesses. After being employed in Minneapolis and Washington, D.C., he returned in 2003 to re-vitalize and direct the Brethren Missionary Herald Co. and BMH Books, a position he held until 2010. He is married to the former Sharon Auxt, and they are the parents of two adult children (one deceased).
Collaborator Steve Grill, Ed. D., is dean of The School of Adult and Community Education at Grace College. He is a 1970 graduate (magna cum laude) of Grace College, where he taught for for 17 years, then served as the Director of Ivy Tech State Community College/ Warsaw for 12 years before returning to Grace in 1999. Dr. Grill moderated the Kosciusko Leadership Academy for 25 years. He was a founding member of The Winona Lake Historical Society and he launched The Reneker Museum of Winona History in 2000 serving as its only director. His wife, Susan, is an interior designer and was a long-time Winona Lake shop owner.