Creating Fiction from History: Finnie Winkler

Mr. Hyram P. Winkler, Finnie to those who knew and loved him, was a young lad of 16 years when he left his family's wheat fields in Dorchester to labor full-time at the relatively new Waukon Iron Company, which had opened an open-pit mine and ore-washing plant in neighboring Waukon, a mere 17 miles away. The photo pictured here was taken in 1892, several years after Finnie had begun work at the Iron Company.

After a bit over a year of dirty work in the pit, Mr. Winkler, through much blood, sweat and tears, earned a supervisory position in the ore-washing plant. Impressively, young Finnie, now a man of 18, made such an impact on the proficiency of the Company, until finally he rose to the position of Vice-President of Operations.

Finnie's youthful determination and vigor, despite his slight build, can be seen in his demeanor. As a mere farmboy from the wheatfields of northeast Iowa, he rose to prominence as one of the most important assets of the Waukon Iron Company. Credit for this outstanding photograph goes to Laton Huffman, lately of Montana, who had just become a partner in his father's business. The photograph is #17 in the series, 'Northeastern Iowa Views'.

Interested in writing a fiction piece from an unknown photo from the Jefferson Valley Museum's collection? Stop by the Ledger office and choose a photo that you'd like to create a story for!