© Mark Ollig
The 1990s saw the web as the new frontier of the internet.
Businesses, news organizations, federal and state governments, educational institutions, and others were busy building websites.
Many local communities were also starting a website.
A website not only serves the purpose of providing services and information, but it also gives people building and using them the satisfaction of keeping up with the technology of the times.
On Nov. 4, 1997, while serving on the Winsted City Council, I submitted the final proposal for a City of Winsted website to the Mayor and members of the City Council.
A council member motioned to establish the website with a two-year contract at $12 to $18 per month.
Another council member seconded, and the motion was unanimously carried.
The city’s website took little time to finish and get online, as personnel had previously worked on much of its design and content.
I had been writing the Bits and Bytes column since January 1996, so I volunteered to write an article for the local town newspaper titled “City of Winsted on the World Wide Web.”
The article appeared on the front page of the Nov. 10, 1997 newspaper. I will be republishing edited parts of it today.
The following was written 25 years ago.
“At last. The city of Winsted is a part of cyberspace.
Winsted is now officially on the internet for the whole world to see.
Bookmark this web address into your Netscape 3.0 or compatible web browser: http://www.winsted.mn.us.
The City of Winsted website welcomes visitors with a recognizable view of the town taken from the east side of Winsted Lake.
Multiple web pages of information and services offered to the city’s citizens are included.
It is also an excellent online resource for others wanting to know more about our area.
The web pages are well-organized and easy to navigate, using hyperlinks for opening referenced sources with just the click of your computer mouse.
The website includes official city notices, meeting agendas and times, and other community information.
City services and policies, along with colorful aerial maps and driving directions, complement this website.
The What’s Happening webpage lists current city projects, such as the new construction of 157 housing units scheduled for Winsted on the Lake.
Local community pictures of interest are on the Photo Gallery webpage.
A picture of Winsted taken from the air presents how the city appears when viewed looking north, which is similar to the shape of the state of Minnesota. Winsted Lake borders the town on the northeast side, comparable to how Lake Superior does with the state.
Another photo shows the historic Winsted City Hall building built in 1895.
The Lake Mary brick used in the construction of the original City Hall still displays its rich history.
Other photos include picturesque sunrise and sunsets over Winsted Lake.
The Parks and Recreation webpage includes information on the five city parks and the Luce Line Trail, along with a map showing their locations.
Meeting schedules, notices, and special announcements are also posted on the Winsted city website.
A Who’s Who webpage lists the names, telephone numbers, and addresses of the federal, state, county, and locally-elected officials.
The Services and Policies webpage provides information about local service utilities, building permit requirements, and additional city guidelines, including dog permits – you will find them all here.
The Community Info webpage links to the Winsted Guidebook and lists local businesses and industries.
Information about the Winsted Airport is accessible at its link from the city website’s home page.
The Maps and Directions webpage provides a user-friendly interactive Minnesota map, including directions for getting to Winsted.
The City of Winsted website is an online informational resource that will continue to grow and expand in its offerings and services through input from its local citizens and city officials.
Establishing a city website on the internet is another first for our hometown, of which we can be proud.
With city residents now having a local internet dial-up telephone number, I encourage folks to install a modem on their computer, get online, and explore Winsted’s city website and the others occupying this new and growing virtual community.
Winsted, welcome to the World Wide Web of the internet.”
And that’s the way it was Nov. 10, 1997.
For better clarity, a bit of “columnist’s prerogative” was used in today’s republication.
I found the following links of interest from the internet’s Wayback Machine.
The Winsted City Council minutes from Nov. 4, 1997, are at https://bit.ly/3T6t1IO.
The Herald-Journal newspaper’s website, as it appeared on Dec. 22, 1997, is at https://bit.ly/3FPSVxI.
The Nov. 10, 1997, “City of Winsted now on the Web” story from the Winsted-Lester Prairie Journal can be seen at https://bit.ly/3t9nd6J.
How will my hometown’s website appear on its 50th anniversary?
It is anybody’s guess.
However, I plan to write about it in the Bits and Bytes column Friday, Nov. 8, 2047.
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| Nov. 10, 1997, “City of Winsted now on the Web” story from the Winsted-Lester Prairie Journal  |
