Winona at 100: Third Wave Rising: The Remarkable History of Winona Lake, Indiana

In 1881 the Beyer brothers purchased land for their dairy business and began developing the shores of Winona Lake, Indiana, into a resort. In 1894 Dr. Solomon Dickey, a leader of the Presbyterian Church, purchased the park and formed The Winona Assembly and Summer School Association. Led by a board that included H. J. Heinz, John Studebaker and William Jennings Bryan, it soon saw seasonal visitors increase rapidly. The town incorporated in June, 1913. A young baseball player-turned-evangelist began to call Winona Lake home. Assisted by his songleader, Homer Rodeheaver, Billy Sunday had a dynamic ministry that reached millions. Winona became known worldwide as the home of the world's largest Bible conference-the Second Wave. Youth for Christ was founded, Billy Graham's evangelistic ministry was launched, and Winona was the capital of the gospel music world. The Third Wave-now rising-began with Grace College and Seminary assuming the Assembly's assets and liabilities in 1968 and the subsequent formation of Winona Restoration Partners in the early 1990s. This is a tale of past glories and current restoration.