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Emmetsburg
3to forest city
Winnebago
Industries 1967 Winnebago
History units. The company struggled in the 1990s but
persevered through revitalization strategies that
The origin of Winnebago Industries, Inc., brought life back to the company. Winnebago In-
headquartered in Forest City, Iowa, dates back dustries celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008,
to 1958 when, during the midst of an economic including the production of its 400,000th unit.
downturn, founder John K. Hanson and a small Today, Winnebago continues to face multiple
group of community leaders convinced a Cali- challenges but remains committed to making
fornia firm to open a travel trailer factory in the some of the highest quality recreational vehicles.
city. The name Winnebago was adopted in late
1960. Within just a few years motor homes be-
gan to roll off the assembly line, and with several
new innovations they could be sold for half the
price of competitors. The company continued
to expand its facilities and make numerous im-
provements in recreational vehicles and travel
trailers throughout the 1970s and 1980s and
was the first RV manufacturer to reach 200,000
Lone Rock Spirit Lake. This gigantic boulder was discovered
by explorers and settlers early in their journeys
Along the Karras Loop, you will pass through across Iowa and was used as a marker along the
Lone Rock, also known as the “Neatest Little way. If you passed by the lone rock you knew
Town in Iowa.” Lone Rock is famous for hosting you were headed in the right direction. It is esti-
a lone boulder, situated on the grassy prairie, for mated that the boulder weighs 175 tons. In the
which the town was named. In pioneer times it late 1800s a settlement sprang up around the
was a landmark on the trail from Ft. Dodge to rock and has been in existence ever since. The
original location of the boulder was over a mile
northeast of the town. In 1970, the boulder was
broken into 4 large pieces and moved to its cur-
rent location. Lone Rock is also the home to the
historic Blakjer church, a depot museum and a
newly refurbished town park.
