Conference on Historical Aspects of Winneshiek County through 1848

WCHPC to host Winneshiek County history conference on Oct. 17

The Winneshiek County Historic Preservation Commission (WCHPC) will host the “Conference on Historical Aspects of Winneshiek County through 1848” at Decorah Lutheran Church on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026.

Presentations will include:

• David Faldet: “The Ho-Chunk Occupancy of the Neutral Ground: An Exercise in Federal Control”

Faldet, professor emeritus at Luther College, is the author of “Oneota Flow: The Upper Iowa River and Its People,” published in 2009 by the University of Iowa Press.

• Cindy Peterson: “Ho-Chunk Interactions in the 1840s Neutral Ground: Insights from Archaeology”

Peterson is research director in the Office of the State Archaeologist at the University of Iowa.

• Colin Betts: “Using Remote Sensing to Identify Unmarked Graves in Winneshiek County Pioneer Cemeteries”

Betts serves Luther College as professor of anthropology and director of its anthropology laboratory.

• Shay Gooder: “A Digital Tour of Historic Sites in Winneshiek County, Iowa”

Gooder, project archaeologist at Bear Creek Archeology in Cresco, has collaborated with the WCHPC on several historical surveys, including “Winneshiek County Schoolhouses” (2012), “Winneshiek County Stone Structures” (2021) and “Winneshiek County Mills” (2023).

• Clair Blong: “Creating Indigenous People Awareness: A Roadway Signage Project”

Blong, retired from national security assignments, has served as head of the St. Lucas Historical Society and director of the German American Museum and Library.

The conference will run from 9 a.m.– 4 p.m. in the conference hall of Decorah Lutheran Church, 309 Winnebago St., Decorah. A break over the noon hour will allow participants to find lunch on their own in downtown Decorah.

The conference packet, including registration information, can be found at tinyurl.com/wchpc-conference. Advance registration is requested. Cost to attend is $15 per person if registration is received by Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.

Contact Steve Johnson, WCHPC chair, with questions at wchpc001@gmail.com