What A History, Winona Lake

by Ray Balogh | photos by villageatwinona.com and visitkosciuskocounty.org

The Winona Lake area sprang to life in the late 1880s when enterprising dairy farmer J.F. Beyer and his Winona Lake What A History, brothers bought a 160-acre parcel on the eastern shore of what was then known as Eagle Lake. The allure was enticed by the utility of several artesian springs they employed as natural refrigeration. In 1887 the brothers, convinced the area had tourism potential, built the Spring Fountain Park resort, which included a hotel, racetrack, and roller coaster. They sold the resort in 1894 to Dr. Solomon Dickey, a Presbyterian church leader who envisioned the area as a religious retreat center. Over the next two decades,

Dickey oversaw the construction of homes, cottages, and the central canal which still runs through the modernday village.

In 1895 the area was renamed Winona Lake, and over the next 10 years experienced its Golden Age with a quarter million tourists visiting during the summer months.

During that decade, noted evangelist Billy Sunday built a family residence nearby and his fiery preaching attracted capacity crowds of 7,500 souls at the newly constructed Billy Sunday Tabernacle. Winona Lake earned its fame as a religious haven for church conferences, conventions, and training schools.

Winona Lake was also one of the nation’s Chautauqua sites, established by Dickey in 1895 with an emphasis on the religion pillar of programs offered by the New York-based organization. Notable speakers at Chautauqua events included President Benjamin Harrison, orator and politician William Jennings Bryan, polar explorer Admiral Richard Byrd, Helen Keller, Will Rogers, James Whitcomb Riley, and social reformer and author Jane Addams.

When Sunday passed on to glory in 1935, attendance at the religious gatherings began to decline, and by the 1960s the area was suffering financially.

In 1968 Grace College and Theological Seminary purchased the bible conference grounds and assumed the existing ponderous debts, but local

Winona Lake Vintage Boathouse buildings and facilities continued to deteriorate and the historic district became known for its dilapidated condition.

Enter the Millers, who contributed generously to projects advancing the renascence of downtown Winona Lake. By 2000, local business leaders also pooled their resources to invest heavily in restoring historic buildings, creating small shops along the canal, and promoting outdoor events and recreation. The resulting tourist-friendly area was officially dubbed The Village at Winona.

Dane Miller, Ph.D., earned his wealth as one of Biomet’s founders. He served as the corporation’s president and CEO from its inception in 1977 until his retirement in March 2006, when Biomet enjoyed more than $2 billion in annual sales.

One of the most recent amenities made possible by the Foundation is an ice rink, currently in construction, and its pavilion, named Miller Sunset Pavilion.

For more information, visit www.villageatwinona.com or www.visitkosciuskocounty.org.

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