Exploring the Ecological History of Winona, Minnesota
Examining ecological change in Winona using a historical PLSS land survey completed in 1855.
Introduction
The Winona County Historical Society (WCHS), Winona State University (WSU) and Geospatial Services (GSS) from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (SMUMN) have formed a partnership to produce shared resources that can be used to educate the Winona community about the local ecological history of the area. A notebook from the late 19th century containing a transcription of the original land surveyor's notes was found in the WCHS archive. The surveyor's field notes provide a record of the Winona area as it appeared during this time period, including landmarks, vegetation and other natural resources.
The goal of this project was to use a Geographic Information System (GIS) to digitally compile and map the landscape observations contained in the historical land survey and develop methods to effectively share this information with the local community. This story map was produced as part of this effort and reviews the process used to create a historical land cover map of the Winona area using the land survey field notes. Scroll through the story map to learn more and explore the ecological history of Winona!
Early Winona History
On February 23, 1854 Fillmore County was divided by a special act of the Minnesota Territorial Legislature, and Winona County was formed with Winona designated the county seat. The newly elected county commissioners fixed the boundaries of the Precinct of Winona in April 1854, and this would later become Winona Township. The population of the county at this time was generously estimated at 800 settlers, but 1855 would be a pivotal year for the area when a government land office was established, and more people and increased trade followed. By December of 1856, the county population had increased to 3,000 settlers.
Painting of Winona's riverfront as seen from Wisconsin. What was referred to as "Wapasha's Cap" by the settlers is visible in the background (WCHS, 2014.410.0003).
This painting was finished in 1869 and shows the view from the area of Gilmore Heights looking east towards Winona (WCHS, 2014.410.0006).
Oil painting showing the 1867 view of Winona from Clark's Lane (WCHS, 2015.037.0001).
Lithograph titled "Birds eye view of the city of Winona, Minnesota 1867."
For additional information about these works, contact the Winona County Historical Society (WCHS).
Historical photos and a hand drawn plat map of Winona from the 1860s
PLSS Survey Background
Origins of the Public Land Survey System (PLSS)
The survey of lands using the PLSS resulted from the enactment of the Land Ordinance Act of 1785 and the British ceding land to the United States following the American Revolutionary War. This survey system utilized a rectangular grid for subdividing public lands to facilitate the sale and settlement of land as the nation expanded westward.
The office of U.S. Surveyor General was created in 1796 to conduct the survey of lands and was later placed under the jurisdiction of the General Land Office (GLO) in 1836. The GLO was abolished in 1946 and surveying responsibility was transferred to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Today, the BLM is still in control of the survey and sale of new land in the United States.
PLSS Survey Design
The PLSS has been used to survey all U.S. states except the original 13 states and the state of Texas. The surveys of the original 13 states were conducted prior to implementation of the PLSS and utilized the British metes and bounds survey system. Texas used Spanish land grant boundaries for the survey of land. PLSS surveys are based on a surveyed prime meridian running north-south and a baseline running east-west. Across the U.S. there are 37 principal meridians, each associated with its own baseline.
This map shows the PLSS principal meridians and base lines for the colored states in the United States.
The state of Minnesota west of the Mississippi River uses the intersection of the 5th Principal Meridian and the baseline running through the state of Arkansas as the initialization point for the PLSS surveys.
Historical Winona Land Survey
1855 Land Survey of Winona Township
The Winona Historical Society (WCHS) discovered a land survey notebook for Winona Township in its archives. Upon further investigation it was revealed that this notebook was a transcription of the original survey notes, copied by Charles F. Schroth of Winona in a visit to the Surveyor General's Office in Dubuque, Iowa, during 1862. Schroth was born in Germany in 1833 and came to Winona in 1856. He worked as a manufacturer and served as an alderman in 1959-1960 and in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1879-1881. Schroth passed away in 1916 and is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery. The notebook was donated by his sons, Julian and Alfred, in 1936.
The original land survey transcribed by Schroth was completed by Daniel Corbin in 1855 and was discovered in the GLO Historic Plat Map Retrieval System managed by the Minnesota Geospatial Commons Information Office . Comparison of the transcribed and original Corbin survey revealed that the transcribed survey omitted much of the detail contained in the original survey. Consequently, the original Corbin land survey was used as the source for this historical land cover mapping project.
Survey Location
Winona township is located along the Mississippi River in southern MN, east of Rochester.
The PLSS survey design uses established east-west baselines and north-south principal meridians to establish the initialization point of the survey. From this initialization point, the land is subdivided into survey townships that are 36 square miles or 6 miles on each side. Townships are further divided into 36 square mile sections. Sections are divided into 4 quarter sections of .25 square miles each.
Survey townships are identified by their township number north or south of the baseline and range west or east of the principal meridan used for the survey.
Using PLSS notation, Winona township is located at 107N 7W. The survey design divides the township into 36 square mile sections. In Winona township some of these sections are missing or reduced in size due to adjacency with the Mississippi River.
Digital Mapping Methods
Generating a historic land cover map for Winona Township relied mainly on extraction and interpretation of information contained in the original land survey. Land features form the original Plat Map produced from the survey were digitized and extracted. Bearing trees from the survey were identified and mapped to help digitize land cover boundaries. Variables such as elevation, aspect and soil type were also used to guide the decision-making process for extrapolating and drawing these habitat class boundaries.
Extracting Plat Map Features
The original plat map created by Daniel Corbin from his 1855 survey shows the surveyed subdivisions and landscape features of Winona township.
1855 Survey Plat Map from the Corbin survey
For development of the historical land cover map, a GIS was used to digitize and extract features from the plat map such as water bodies, roads, fields, the Winona town boundary, and wetlands.
Mapping Survey Reference Points
Corbin's survey established permanent, legally binding ground monuments that marked the exact location of survey reference points and lines used to determine property boundaries. During the late 19th century, survey monuments were marked with rock piles or wooden posts. These survey reference points were referred to as corner, quarter and meander posts.
Using Corbin's survey notes, the locations of corner points that marked intersections of surveyed section lines and quarter points marking the intersection of quarter divisions with section lines were mapped and entered in the GIS database. Meander points marking intersections of survey lines with waterbodies were also mapped.
Mapping Survey Bearing Trees
Direction and distance of bearing trees from corner, quarter and meander posts were recorded in the survey. Bearing trees were identified in case the monuments used to mark these locations were lost or destroyed, allowing them to be relocated.
Distances to bearing trees were recorded in chains and links. A chain covered a distance of 66 ft and consisted of 100 links. Each link was 7.92 inches in length.
As seen in this map, bearing and distance of two maples, from a meander point were mapped using the survey notes. The location of the maple trees are indicated by the diamond symbols.
Excerpt from Corbin's survey notes that records the bearing and distance to two maple trees from a meander post.
Bearing trees were notched or blazed for identification and marked with the township, range and section numbers. In addition to distance and bearing, the species and diameter of the tree were recorded in the survey.
Examples of bearing tree marking
All of the bearing trees recorded in Corbin's survey were mapped in the GIS using distance and bearing from the survey reference points.
Note the absence of bearing trees in the central area of the township. According to the survey notes, this area was covered with prairie habitat.
Drawing Land Cover Class Boundaries
Potential habitats that would most likely have occurred in the region during the time period of the survey were researched. Location of bearing tree species and their associations with these potential habitat types was used to help digitize habitat boundaries in the GIS. Additional GIS variables such as elevation, aspect and soil type were also used to guide the decision-making process for drawing these habitat class boundaries.
Differentiating the oak communities (savanna, woodland-brushland, and forest) was most challenging. Savanna was mapped primarily where the survey points identified the vegetation as “scattering oak, scattering timber” or “oak openings”. Oak woodland was mapped on the drier south- and west-facing slopes where it more commonly occurs, while dry-mesic oak forest was mapped on north- and east-facing bluffs. The remainder of the bluffs were categorized as oak woodland-brushland. Soils in the oak woodland-brushland community are often excessively or somewhat excessively drained, and likely do not hold enough moisture to support oak forest.
Historical Survey Land Cover Map
Using these methods, habitat boundaries were extrapolated and drawn, producing a historical land cover map based on the survey notes.
Historical Vegetation Types
There has been a great amount of land cover change in Winona since the original PLSS survey was conducted in 1855. Urban development has altered the landscape and removed much of the historical vegetation types that once existed during the time of the land survey. As we move to various landmarks across Winona you can see the historical vegetation types that once existed prior to development.
Floodplain Forests
Low-lying areas of Prairie Island were covered with floodplain forests. Although some of these areas have become fragmented, many are still in floodplain forest today.
Floodplain forests occur on level ground (active river floodplains) that are frequently (often annually) flooded. Common canopy trees are silver maple (Acer saccharinum), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), cottonwood (Populus deltoides), American elm (Ulmus americana). Scattered river birch (Betula nigra), black willow (Salix nigra), swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), and vine species may also occur. Due to the regular flooding, the understory and ground cover are usually sparse.
Dry Prairie
Downtown Winona, as seen here at the location of the Winona County History Center building, was once covered in Dry Prairie habitat. This prairie extended from the current eastern edge of Winona all the way to Goodview.
Dry Prairie occurs on level to highly sloped sites with well-drained to excessively drained soils, and are maintained by frequent fire, which prevents invasion by shrubs and trees. They are grass-dominated, mostly with mid- to short grasses and sedges, but also some tallgrasses. Common grasses include big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), and Junegrass (Koeleria macrantha). Forbs (i.e., wildflowers) include prairie clovers (Dalea spp.), goldenrods, asters (Symphyotrichum spp.), and blazing stars (Liatris spp.).
Wet Prairie
The area along Shives Road and Gilmore Creek was once covered by a Wet Prairie habitat, which has mostly been filled and developed.
Wet prairie occurs in depressions or along drainageways (including river terraces) where the water table remains within the plant rooting zone for several weeks during the growing season, but actual flooding is brief and infrequent. Soils are typically poorly drained with high organic matter content. Vegetation is dominated by graminoids (e.g., grasses, sedges, rushes) but can include diverse forbs. In southern Minnesota, dominant grasses include prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata), Canada bluejoint (Calamagrostis canadensis), and big bluestem.
Savannas
The location of Winona Middle School was once a grassy savanna with scattered trees. The Saint Mary's University campus was also savanna. Historic savanna areas have mostly been developed, although some have transitioned to woodlands.
Savannas are “sparsely treed” communities (25-50% canopy cover) with a grass-dominated ground layer. The most common tree species are bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa), northern pin oak (Q. ellipsoidalis), and black oak (Q. velutina) (especially in southeast Minnesota). Common understory species include Junegrass, porcupine grass (Hesperostipa spartea), goldenrods (Solidago spp.), and puccoons (Lithospermum spp.). While savannas are considered fire-dependent communities, fires are generally less frequent than in prairies, allowing some fire-tolerant tree species to become established.
Dry-mesic Oak Woodland
Portions of the bluffs surrounding Winona, like the Wincrest area and Knopp Valley, were covered by oak-dominated woodlands. Some historic oak woodlands have been cleared and developed but many have transitioned to oak-hickory forests over time.
Dry-mesic oak woodland-brushland is considered intermediate between more open savannas and denser oak forests. Historically, these woodlands were likely one of the most extensive community types in Minnesota. They are common on south- to west-facing slopes but may also occur on outwash terraces of the Mississippi River. In southeast Minnesota, the dominant tree species are white oak (Quercus alba), bur oak, black oak, and northern pin oak. Fires were common historically and maintained the more open nature (woodland vs. forest) of the community.
Cliff Community
The rocky faces overlooking Lake Winona supported unique plant communities, some of which can still be found today.
These specialized plant communities occur on cool, north-facing cliffs that receive limited sunlight. Soil development, and therefore plant growth, is typically limited to ledges and crevices. Mosses, lichens, and liverworts often grow directly on the rock faces.
Dry-mesic Oak Forest
The shadier bluffs in the Winona area, such as those surrounding Woodlawn Cemetery, supported oak forest. Over time, these areas have transitioned to maple-basswood forests.
Dry-mesic oak forest occurs on the crests and upper slopes of bluffs, most commonly on north-facing sites but also on east-facing bluffs. Canopy cover is somewhat open, generally around 70-80%, with at least 30% of tree canopy consisting of oak species. The dominant oak species are white oak, bur oak and black oak, possibly with northern pin oak.
Bluff Prairie
Steep, dry slopes like those above Saint Mary's University and near Garvin Heights Park were covered by these unique prairies. Today, many of these areas have been invaded by shrubs and woody plants.
This subtype of prairie, also called "goat prairie" occurs on very steep south- and west-facing slopes along the Mississippi River and its tributary valleys. They typically occur as small openings surrounded by woodland or forest. Vegetation is often thin and dominated by short and mid-height grasses that can tolerate extremely dry, exposed conditions.
Curious what type of plants grew in the bluff prairie and other vegetation types over a century ago? Check out our Historic Winona Township Plants story map here !
Exploring the Results
The map application below can be used to compare the historical land cover map to current aerial imagery. Notice that the most dominant habitat in the township was the prairie habitat, comprising 25% of total land cover in the township. Today most of this habitat has been lost to urban development. Also, look how much the town of Winona has grown since 1855. Explore the map application on your own to look at land cover change in Winona. You can click the search icon to find specific locations on the map.
Winona Historical Land Cover Infographics
The spy glass web mapping application below compares the original plat map from the survey to current aerial imagery. Notice that the dam located at prairie island has submerged many of the Mississippi River islands that were present in 1855. Also many of the streams have been modified and straightened due to urban development. The most noticeable difference is the large amount of urban growth that has occurred in Winona since the survey was completed. Move the spy glass around on the map to explore or click on the numbered bookmarks in the application to move the map to specific areas which highlight examples of these land changes.
Winona Historical Plat Map Spyglass Application
Conclusion
This historic landscape map of Winona is a snapshot of one point in time. It provides an interactive experience exploring the local ecological history. This map offers the community, students, educators, researchers, scientists, and enthusiasts an opportunity to consider and explore the many ways in which humans have altered this landscape. There are opportunities for a multidisciplinary approach to studying soil, plant communities, land restoration, and human-environmental interactions. The purpose of this story map is to expand the ways in which we study and learn about this landscape.
A report of the process of developing this map application and the accompany data is accessible in the Ecological History collection through the WSU OpenRiver digital repository: https://openriver.winona.edu/ecologicalhistory/ . In addition to the report, digitized images of historic botanical specimen books and other related materials are digitized and available through the OpenRiver Ecological History collection.
This Digitization of Ecologic History in the Driftless Area of Minnesota project was made possible in part by the people of Minnesota through a grant funded by an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
