Welcome to the Carver County Historical Society (CCHS)!

Welcome New 2012 Board Members!

2012 New Board Members:

• K.J. MacDonald, Watertown: K.J. MacDonald is known throughout Carver County and beyond. He is the current Mayor of Watertown, and has been active politically at the state level as well.
• Michael Owen Hill, St. Paul: Michael is the Team Lead of Social Media for Thomson Reuters. His resume includes successful fundraising for a number of non-profits.
• Darlene Fasching, Hamburg: Darlene is the author of The History of Hamburg, Minnesota. Darlene has been an active local historian and genealogist for a while. Her goal is to get younger people interested in the past.
• Lynette Bledsaw, Chanhassen: Lynette is a family practice attorney in Chanhassen. She was appointed to complete Kari Myrold's term as board attorney.

CCHS Is Proud to Announce "Why Treaties Matter", Coming February 2012!

The Carver County Historical Society is proud to announce that we will have a new traveling exhibit on display from February 8-March 7, 2012.

Why Treaties Matter: Self-Government in the Dakota and Ojibwe Nations is a new traveling exhibition exploring the native nations of Minnesota and their treaty making with the U.S. in the place once called Mnisota.

Treaties are agreements between self-governing, or sovereign, nations. The story of Native nations within Minnesota is the story of making treaties - from the time before Europeans came to this land, through treaty making with the United States, to the growth of tribal self-determination in our time.

Why Treaties Matter: Self-Government in the Dakota and Ojibwe Nations is a collaboration of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, the Minnesota Humanities Center, and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. This project is funded in part with money from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund that was created with a vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008 and the Patrick and Aimee Butler Family Foundation.

What is the MN Indian Affairs Council?

The MN Indian Affairs Council (MIAC) was established in 1963. MIAC is a liaison between the State of Minnesota and the 11 Minnesota Tribes, and ensures the well-being of American Indian citizens throughout Minnesota. Its vision is to strive for the social, economic, and political justice for all American Indian people living in Minnesota, while embracing our traditional culture and spiritual values.

What is the MN Humanities Center?

Founded in 1971, the MN Humanities Center is a nonprofit organization. The Humanities Center is a resource of the State of MN and affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities. The MN Humanities Center works to build a thoughtful, literate and engaged society through education, partnerships, and public programs.

What is the National Museum of the American Indian?

The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian is the first national museum dedicated to the preservation, study, and exhibition of the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of Native Americans. Established by an act of Congress in 1989 (amendent in 1996), the museum works in collaboration with the Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere to protect and foster their cultures by reaffirming traditions and beliefs, encouraging contemporary artistic expression, and empowering the Indian voice.

Upcoming Display: The Civil War

This exhibit depicts roughly 100 soldiers from the Watertown area, who participated in the Civil War. Oftentimes, these soldiers left families at home living in very primitive conditions, because Watertown had only been established in 1856, and was on "the frontier". Come learn about the sacrifice the men (and women) of this area made to preserve our country, one nation, indivisible, from sea to shining sea.

Kick-off Saturday for this display will be March 10th, here at CCHS, from 10:30am-2:30pm. At 11am there will be a presentation on August lange and his regiment. Also enjoy Civil War era cookies and refreshments. Co-hosted by the Watertown Area Historical Society.