Explore Minnesota implores holiday gift shoppers to buy local during this giving season.
In a feature on their website titled, MINNESOTA-MADE GOODS MAKE GREAT GIFTS, Lisa Meyers Mcclintock writes, “Minnesota-made gifts—from buttery leather moccasins and sturdy adventure gear to cozy coats and kitchen wares—draw on a love of the outdoors and a passion for great food and heritage to add taste, warmth, tradition and style to the holidays.”
McClintick gives a nod to Winona’s own JR Watkins Co. in the Home Goods and Kitchen Wares category in the piece, stating, “Winona-based JR Watkins, which started selling liniment and apothecary products in 1868, has sold vanilla extract, ginger, cinnamon and other fragrant holiday spices for generations, along with aromatic natural cleaning products and lotions.”
Indeed, Watkins has been a staple of the Winona Community, and its products a ‘must-have’ for homes all over the USA (and the world). Its towering office building and manufacturing center can be found just east of downtown Winona off 3rd Street.
Watkins Heritage Museum and Gift Shop in Winona is a favorite stop for visitors and locals alike anytime of year and offers a view into the Company’s 150+ year history with displays of old products, advertising, photographs and other memorabilia. The museum offers free admission and is connected to the Watkins Store that sells over 350 different Watkins products including Watkins Vanilla and Watkins Liniment.