Edwin’s home was his farm in Hamburg, Michigan but when working at the Capitol he lived at the Downey Hotel in Lansing. The site of the Downey Hotel subsequently became the Knapp’s building. Edwin certainly walked those few blocks from the Capitol to the Downey. He probably also walked another few blocks to his nephew, Nathaniel Winans, who owned a dairy on Main Street. That site is currently occupied by the I-496 business loop

Edwin Winans walked 3,000 miles from Michigan to California in 1850. He walked to get to the gold. There are many reasons to walk, and treasure comes in many forms. The E.B. Winans Walking Club is more about stories than walking, but you can walk if you want to.

Edwin Winans was a congressman in the 48th and 49th Congresses. The 10 square miles of Washington, D.C. was not a challenge to the man who walked across the continent. He walked daily from where he lived near the White House to the Capitol. He probably walked to places of interest, such as the Smithsonian, and Edwin was sure to have walked to the Washington Monument. He would have walked to the ceremony honoring its completion, which was held in the House of Representatives. Think of the miles he would have racked up on a Smart Watch.