WINONA — Hundreds of people gathered in Winona this weekend to honor the legacy of former Mayor John Latsch, and to try to break a world record.

Latsch was a grocery wholesaler who donated more than 18,000 acres of land in Minnesota and Wisconsin for public use. He also had a thing for bow ties.

So hundreds of people sporting bow ties gathered on the steps at Levee Park on Saturday for a group photograph.

Mary Farrell of Visit Winona said they didn’t break the record for most bow ties tied simultaneously of 850 people. The official count was 648. But she said they had fun, and it raised awareness of what Latsch did for the area.

Latsch was Winona’s mayor from 1905-07. He died in 1934.