Winnipeg River River, southeastern Manitoba and southwestern Ontario, Canada. It issues from the Lake of the Woods and flows north¬ west for about 200 mi (320 km) before entering the southeastern part of Lake Winnipeg. It served as a route for early European explorers and fur traders. There are numerous hydroelectric power plants along its course.
Winnipegosis X.wi-na-ps-'go-sasV, Lake Lake, western Manitoba, Canada. Located west of Lake Winnipeg, it is a remnant of glacial Lake Agassiz. Numerous streams feed the 2,075-sq-mi (5,374-sq-km) lake, which drains southeastward into Lake Manitoba. It is more than 150 mi (240 km) long, up to 32 mi (51 km) wide, and has a maximum depth of 833 ft (254 m). It was explored in 1739 by Pierre La Verendrye and later served as part of a fur-trading route. It now is important for commercial fishing.
Winnipesaukee V.wi-ns-po-'so-keV Lake Lake, east-central New Hampshire, U.S. New Hampshire’s largest lake, it covers an area of 71 sq mi (184 sq km) and is 20 mi (32 km) long by 12 mi (19 km) wide. It is dotted with 274 islands. Its outlet, the Winnipesaukee River, flows about 20 mi (32 km) southwest to enter the Merrimack River. It is a popular sum¬ mer recreation area.
Winogradsky \vyin-9-'grat-ske\, Sergey (Nikolayevich) (b.
Sept. 1, 1856, Kiev, Russian Empire—d. Feb. 25, 1953, Brie-Comte- Robert, France) Russian microbiologist. In studying the physiology of sulfur bacteria, he showed that the colourless ones oxidize hydrogen sul¬ fide to sulfur and then to sulfuric acid in the absence of light (1887). He discovered two groups of microbes (1889-90), each involved in one step of nitrification (oxidation of ammonia to nitrites and nitrites to nitrates), and established a new genus for each. He also proposed new ways to study soil microorganisms, particularly those symbiotic with legumes.
Winslow, Edward (b. Oct. 18, 1595, Droitwich, Worcestershire, Eng.—d. May 8, 1655, at sea, near Jamaica, British West Indies) British- American colonist. In 1620 he sailed on the Mayflower to New England, where he was a founder of the Plymouth colony. He served on the gov¬ ernor’s council (1624—47) and was governor of the colony (1633-34, 1636-37, 1644-45). He traded with the Wampanoag Indians and won the friendship of their chief, Massasoit. As a commissioner of the United Colonies of New England, he often went to England to represent the interests of the Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth colonies. In 1646 he returned to England and held minor offices under Oliver Cromwell. He died aboard a ship on an expedition to the West Indies.
Winslow, Josiah (b. c. 1629, Plymouth colony—d. Dec. 18, 1680, Marshfield, Plymouth colony) American colonist. The son of Edward Win¬ slow, he succeeded Myles Standish as commander of Plymouth colony’s military forces in 1656. He was appointed assistant governor of the colony (1657-73) and served as a member of the directorate of the New Eng and Confederation. He was the first native-born colonial governor of Plymouth colony (1673-80) and established its first public school. In King Philip's War he was commander in chief of the confederation’s mili¬ tary forces (1675-76).
Winsor Vwin-zorV, Justin (b. Jan.
2, 1831, Boston, Mass., U.S.—d.
Oct. 22, 1897, Cambridge, Mass.)
U.S. librarian and historian. A freelance writer in his native Boston,
Winsor was appointed a trustee of the Boston Public Library and served as its superintendent (1868-77). He was a founder of the American Library Association (1876) and its first president. From 1877 he was
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2068 I Winston-Salem ► Wister
librarian of Harvard University. He edited the Narrative and Critical His¬ tory of America (1884-89) and wrote several books.
Winston-Salem City (pop., 2000: 185,776), north-central North Caro¬ lina, U.S. With High Point and Greensboro it forms a tri-city industrial area. Salem was laid out by Moravian colonists in 1766. R.J. Reynolds founded his tobacco company there in 1875 (see R.J. Reynolds Tobacco). Winston was founded in 1849 and named for an American Revolution¬ ary War soldier. The two towns were consolidated as Winston-Salem in 1913. Tobacco dominates its diversified industries, which include the manufacture of cigarettes, textiles, beer, rubber, leather, and petroleum.
Winter War See Russo- Finnish War
wintergreen Any of several evergreen plants in the heath order (Eri- cales). They grow as woodland wild- flowers and are cultivated as garden ground cover. They are also grown as a source of oil of wintergreen, a vola¬ tile, pungent oil used to flavour can¬ dies and chewing gum and to soothe muscular aches. Wintergreen is an alternative common name for several woodland herbs: those of the genus Pyrola (shinleaf), comprising about 12 species of creeping perennials, and Gaultheria procumbens (also called teaberry and checkerberry; see also snowberry), with white flowers and spicy red berries.
Winthrop, John (b. Jan. 22, 1588, Edwardstone, Suffolk, Eng.—d. April 5, 1649, Boston, Massachu¬ setts Bay Colony) American colonial political leader, first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1629 he joined the Massachusetts Bay Co., and he was elected governor of the colony that was to be established by the company in New England. An ardent Puritan, he envisioned a colony based on his religious beliefs.
He guided the colonists on his arrival in North America in 1630 and was elected governor 12 times during the period from 1631 to 1648. Though widely respected, he was criticized for opposing the formation of a rep¬ resentative assembly (1634), and the colony’s limitations on religious freedom were decried by Roger Wil¬ liams and Anne Hutchinson. His son,
John Winthrop (1606-76), was an influential governor of Connecticut
(1659-76).
wire drawing Making of wire, generally from a rod or bar. The wire¬ drawing process consists of pointing the rod, threading the pointed end through a die, and attaching the end to a drawing block. The block, made to revolve by an electric motor, pulls the lubricated rod through the die, reducing it in diameter and increasing its length. Fine wire is made by a multiple-block machine, because the reduction cannot be performed in a single draft.
wire service See news agency
wireless communications System using radio-frequency, infrared, microwave, or other types of electromagnetic or acoustic waves in place of wires, cables, or fibre optics to transmit signals or data. Wireless devices include cell phones, two-way radios, remote garage-door openers, television remote controls, and GPS receivers (see Global Positioning Sys¬ tem). Wireless modems, microwave transmitters, and satellites make it possible to access the Internet from anywhere in the world. A Wireless Markup Language (WML) based on XML is intended for use in such naiTOw-band devices as cellular phones and pagers for the transfer and display of text.
Wisconsin State (pop., 2000: 5,363,675), northern Midwest, U.S. It cov¬ ers an area of 56,153 sq mi (145,436 sq km), including part of Lake Michi-
John Winthrop, detail of an oil paint¬ ing, school of Sir Anthony Van Dyck, c. 1625-49; in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Mass.
COURTESY OF THE AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY, WORCESTER, MASS.
Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens )
ROGER AND JOY SPURR-BRUCE COLEMAN INC./EB INC.
GAN; its capital is Madison. Wisconsin is bordered by the western portion of Lake Superior and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to the north; Lake Michigan to the east; Illinois to the south; and Minnesota and Iowa to the west and southwest, with the upper Mississippi River acting as border between these states and Wisconsin. With many unique landforms, including the Door Peninsula between Lake Michigan and Green Bay, its northern area has one of the greatest concentrations of lakes in the world. The Wisconsin River crosses the state. Forests cover about 45% of it. Originally inhabited by the Adena, or Mound Builders, the region was home to several different Indian tribes, including the Ojibwa, Menominee, and Winnebago, when Europeans arrived. The French explorer Jean Nicolet visited Wisconsin in 1634; the first permanent European settlement was established in 1717. The area remained under French control until 1763, when France ceded it to Great Britain after the French and Indian War. After the American Revo¬ lution the region was ceded to the U.S. The American settlers dispossessed the Indians of their land (see Black Hawk) and settled the region. It became the Wisconsin Territory in 1836. It was admitted to the Union as the 30th state in 1848. The Progressive movement (see Progressive Party) began in Wisconsin c. 1900, resulting in the passage of legislation that made the state a leader in social reform. It is a major milk, butter, and cheese pro¬ ducer in the U.S. Tourism and recreation also are economically important. Wisconsin ports handle much of the Great Lakes domestic freight shipping.