1. On March 3, 1855, the Minnesota Territorial Legislature organized Carver County with a population of 352. The Villages of Chaska, Carver, and San Francisco were founded prior to Carver County.

2. The original county seat was the Village of San Francisco. Voters chose Chaska as the county seat in 1856.

3. The county's first school opened in Chanhassen in 1855. Susan Hazeltine was the teacher.

4. The Village of Watertown was founded in 1856.

5. The Village of Young America was founded in 1856.

6. In the mid-1850s, Lucius Howe recognized that Chaska had excellent clay deposits and established the town's first brickyard. Within 10 years there were four brickyards in town.

7. In 1856, the county's first murder trial was argued. John Schlemline was accused of murdering Nicholas Barton near Chaska over a land claim dispute. Schlemline was acquitted.

8. The county's first newspaper was the Minnesota Tallbot, which was printed in German. The newspaper was printed in Chaska during 1857 before moving to St. Paul. The first English newspaper was the Carver County Democrat, published in Carver from 1858-1861.

9. The Village of Waconia was founded in 1857. Lake Waconia is the largest lake in Carver County and was originally called Clearwater Lake.

10. Church life was very important to many of the pioneers. During this time period, 48 churches were formed. While some of these churches were eventually disbanded, most are still vibrant congregations.

11. Wendelin Grimm settled in Carver County in the 1850s carrying a wooden box full of alfalfa seeds. He gathered the seeds from the alfalfa that survived the first winter and re-planted every year until he had a full crop. Grimm Alfalfa became the most winter-hardy strain of alfalfa available and was an important contributor to the rise of the local dairy industry.

12. Besides Wendelin Grimm, numerous other early pioneers practiced agricultural and horticultural experimentation. Charles Luedloff of Dahlgren Township and Andrew Peterson of Scandia (near Waconia) experimented with apples, plums, and cherries. James Robinson of Dahlgren Township developed the Robinson apple seedling. Louis Suelter of Carver developed several types of grapes including the "Beta."

13. In 1858, the county's population was 3117.

14. On Statehood Day in 1858, the Townships of Chanhassen, Chaska, Carver, San Francisco, Laketown, Benton, and Farmington were organized. Farmington was renamed Florence and then the name was changed again to Young America.

15. In Carver, a group of German immigrants organized the Carver County Deutscher Leseverein Bibliothek, or German Reading Society library, in 1858.

16. Settlement of Victoria began in the 1850s.

17. In 1861, the male singing society called the Pioneer Maennerchor formed. This group began the tradition of Stiftungsfest, or Founder's Day Festival, in Young America.

18. During the Dakota Conflict of 1862, many settlers sought protection on Coney Island in Lake Waconia.

19. The first edition of the Weekly Valley Herald, forerunner of the Chaska Herald, was published in 1862 by Charles Warner.

20. In 1863, St. Ansgar's Academy was opened in East Union with the purpose of preparing students for the Lutheran Seminary. The school was plagued by financial problems and the synod chose to move the school to St. Peter in 1876. The school was then re-named Gustavus Adolphus College.

21. During the Civil War, 588 county residents served in the Union Army.

22. Coney Island Hotel opens on the island in Lake Waconia in 1866.

23. The Carver County Agricultural Society was formed in 1868 and ran the first county fair in October of that year in Chaska.

24. The Minneapolis St. Louis Rail Road came to Carver County in 1871 with stops at Chanhassen, Chaska, and Carver.

25. Norwood was founded in 1872 when the Hastings and Dakota Railroad was built one mile south of Young America.

26. Watertown Bell Factory, the only bell factory in the state at the time, produced 4,000-5,000 bells per year.

27. The county experienced a grasshopper plague in 1870.

28. The Village of Cologne was incorporated in 1881. The Cologne grist mill was built in 1880 for $10,000.

29. The Village of Benton was incorporated in 1881. It had 100 residents at the time of its founding.

30. The county's population had swelled to 14,140 by 1880.

1885-1914
31. The Village of Mayer was organized in 1886. The village was named for the roadmaster of the Great Northern Railway, which passes through Mayer.

32. The Village of New Germany was organized in 1887. It developed next to the new Great Northern Rail line that was completed in 1886.

33. The Carver County News was first published in Waconia in 1887. It was moved to Watertown in 1897.

34. Situated closely to the Village of Cologne, the Village of Benton officially repealed its village charter in 1891. Many of its businesses were moved to Cologne.

35. The first edition of the Norwood Times was published in 1890. The weekly newspaper was a mix of local, national, and international news.

36. A crew of horse traders and gypsies encamped in Watertown in 1892.

37. The Village of Chanhassen was founded in 1896. Prior to that date, the community had been called St. Hubertus.

38. The Great Northern Rail line through Coney Island Station, Mayer, and New Germany opened in 1886.

39. Rachel Vogeler of Young America became the first female pharmacist in Carver County during the 1880s.

40. In 1894, the Assumption store and post office, located in southwestern Carver County, burned down.

41. The Carver County News moved from Waconia to Watertown in 1897. The first issue of the Waconia Patriot was published the same year.

42. The first major fire in New Germany occurred in 1899. The village had no fire-fighting equipment to fight the blaze. The New Germany Fire Department was formed in 1901.

43. The Young America Pavilion was built in 1900 and has been the site of the Stiftungsfest festival ever since.

44. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Coney Island became a popular vacation destination for local travelers. The University of Minnesota even held their pre-season football practices on the island in the early 1900s.

45. In 1902 Andrew Tapper, convicted of murdering Rosa Mixa in Carver, was hanged in Chaska. This was Carver County's only hanging.

46. Village of Hamburg acquired telephone service in 1903.

47. A cyclone/severe storm caused extensive damage to Waconia and surrounding areas in 1904. Four area residents were killed in the storm.

48. The first issue of the Young America Eagle was published in 1904.

49. In 1904, Arthur Lyman of Chanhassen begins to market Grimm Alfalfa, which became the most widely used alfalfa in North America until World War II.

50. The ferry between Carver and Merriam Junction opened in 1905.

51. In 1906, the University of Minnesota moved the Excelsior Fruit Farm to Chanhassen Township. The facility would eventually be re-named the Horticultural Research Center.

52. Sugar City became Chaska's nickname during the heyday of the sugar beet processing plant in town. Built in 1906, the Carver County Sugar Company was the only sugar beet factory in the state for many years.

53. Mayer enacts law to bar livestock from running loose on the streets in 1908.

54. In 1908, Bongards Cooperative Creamery was organized.

55. In 1908, William Taft made a whistle stop in Norwood during his presidential campaign. All of the students were dismissed from class to participate in the event.

56. Mudcura Santitarium was built by the Minnesota River in 1909 to treat patients suffering from a number of ailments including arthritis and sciatica. As part of the treatment, a patient was wrapped in mud, bathed in hot sulphur water, and given a massage.

57. The Automobile Age was ushered into Norwood in 1910 when three automobiles were brought from Minneapolis to begin auto sales at Hartelt Bros. The drive from Minneapolis to Norwood took five hours.

58. The county's population actually decreased by 89 people from 1900 to 1910; going from 17,544 residents to 17,455 residents.

59. Two new churches were formed in the county during this time period: Church of Peace in Norwood and Carver Presbyterian.

60. In 1912, the Yellowstone Trail was developed to create the first sound road for automobiles from Plymouth, Massachusetts to Seattle. The Yellowstone Trail passed through Carver County; specifically, Victoria, Waconia, Young America, and Norwood.

From 1915-1944
61. In 1918 there were 19 creameries in the county that produced 2, 905,299 pounds of butter; that's just under 8,000 pounds of butter a day!

62. The war memorial outside of the county courthouse lists 32 Carver County soldiers who died while serving their country during World War I.

63. New Germany temporarily changes its name to Motordale during World War I. It reverts back to the name New Germany in 1920.

64. In 1920, Waconia challenged Chaska for the county seat. In a county-wide election, 1989 voted for the move while 2372 voted against. Chaska remained the county seat.

65. Camp Manakiki on Lake Waconia was founded by the Pillsbury House of Minneapolis in 1921.

66. Many long-time residents have interesting Prohibition stories from around the county. One incident that made the newspaper was when a bootlegger truck carrying empty egg cases used to disguise barrels of high grade whiskey, overturned on Hwy. 212, west of Chaska, in 1921.

67. The newspaper column entitled New Germany News was first published in the Lester Prairie paper in 1922. The column was later moved to the Waconia Patriot and the Carver County News.

68. Rosa Knotz becomes Cologne's first woman mayor in 1922. Her election was big enough news that her picture appeared in the Minneapolis newspaper.

69. A number of communities establish public libraries during this era. In 1923, the Chaska Public Library is founded and opens in the city hall building. Waconia establishes a public library in 1935 and Watertown opens theirs in 1939.

70. The Camp Fire Girls founded Camp Tanadoona on Lake Minnewashta in 1924.

71. County residents have always loved music and many of the communities had bands. The Victoria Concert Band was organized in 1926. They played 160 concerts before disbanding in 1942.

72. In 1927, O.D. Sell plats the Navaho Heights addition in Mayer with 13 lots.

73. Harold Levander plays basketball at Watertown High School in 1928. He later becomes the Governor of Minnesota.

74. The Crow River Valley Baseball League was organized in 1930 with teams from Mound, Waconia, Delano, Chaska, Norwood, Young America, St. Bonifacius, and Watertown. Mayer replaced Mound in 1935.

75. During the Depression, people needed a place to forget about their worries. In 1933, the Valley Ballroom opens in Chaska and the Paradise Nite Club opens in Waconia to provide people with a diversion from their daily routines.

76. Two churches were formed in the county during this time period:
St. Mark's Lutheran in New Germany (1915)
Watertown Community Church (1927)

77. In 1933, Elmer Sell started the county's first airport in Mayer. Sell had flown in the Air Corps during WWI and bought his first plane in 1931.

78. Ring of chicken thieves working in Carver County was arrested in 1935.

79. The Fair Association buys 16.3 acres of land for the Waconia Fair Grounds in 1938.

80. Louise Butke became Waconia's first woman mayor from 1936-1938. Although she chose not to run for a second term, she almost won anyway with a total of 280 write-in votes; missing victory by 21 votes.

81. New Germany celebrates its golden jubilee in June, 1937. A dance including $100 in prizes was held and the popular musicians Whoopee John and Slim Jim performed.

82. In 1938, the Victoria Creamery expands to include milk dehydrators. The creamery served as one of the main suppliers of dehydrated milk from Minnesota to our troops during World War II.

83. The Excelsior Fruit Farm (later Horticultural Research Center) introduced forty fruit varieties from 1919-1940.
Apples: Beacon, Folwell, Haralson, Minnehaha, Wedge, and Prairie Spy
Cherry-Plums: Nicollet, St. Anthony, Zumbra
Gooseberries: Como
Pears: Bantam, Parker
Plums: Anoka, Elliott, Ember, Goldenrod, Hennepin, La Crescent, Mendota, Monitor, Mound, Radisson, Red Wing, Superior, Tonka, Underwood, Waconia, Winona
Raspberries: Chief, Latham
Strawberries: Chaska, Deephaven, Duluth, Easypicker, Minnehaha, Minnesota, Nokomis
Ornamentals: Flame crabapple, Manitou almond, Newport plum

84. Cologne is the 1940 Champion of Central Minnesota Independent Basketball Circles.

85. O.D. Sell of Mayer founds the Carver County Historical Society in 1940. The museum was located in Mayer until the mid-1940s when it moved to Waconia.

86. The county's population
1920: 16,946
1930: 16,936
1940: 17,606

87. Eugene Lins of Cologne was well known for his experimentation with gladiolas. In 1941, one of his gladiolas won the grand championship at the Minnesota State Fair. He went on to win many other awards for his flowers.

88. Over 115 tons of scrap iron are collected in Norwood/Young America's scrap drive in 1942.

89. The war memorial outside of the county courthouse lists 43 soldiers from Carver County who died serving their country during World War II.

90. John Klanke of Hamburg acquires a Harley Davidson dealership and converts his motorcycle to a snowmobile. This is considered the county's first snowmobile.

1946-1975
91. Carver County's importance in the region's dairy industry gives rise to it nickname "The Golden Buckle of the Dairy Belt."

92. Nine new churches were formed in the county during this time period.

93. The Young America Eagle suspended publication from 1943-1946. While publication resumed in 1946, it was disbanded in 1947.

94. In 1948, Vihelm Moberg of Sweden researches the diaries of Andrew Peterson (1818-1898). Peterson, a farmer in Scandia (near Waconia), kept a diary from 1855-1898. These diaries became part of the foundation f or Moberg's book The Emigrants.

95. In 1948, Young America was chosen by the U.S. Postal Department to postmark the first-day issuing of a 3-cent stamp called "Saluting Young America."

96. The Chaska Athletic Club opened in 1950.

97. Sandy Acres, one of Chaska's first developments outside of "Old Chaska" opened in the 1950s. Chaska Herald headline read "Building Boom in City Residential Area: 10 New Homes Under Construction."

98. The Watertown Baseball Team were Class 'A' Champions in 1951.

99. Chaska celebrates its centennial "Shaska Wa Wa" in 1951. The three-day event included parades, games, rides, and the historical pageant "Chaska Cavalcade."

100. The Mudcura Sanitarium property along the Minnesota River became the Assumption Seminary and College from 1951 until 1970.

101. After a flood in the early 1950s, a dike was built to protect Chaska. The dike offered only limited protection during the record-breaking 1965 flood. The dike was raised and strengthened in the late 1960s.

102. Carver County celebrated its centennial at the 1955 Carver County Fair. According to the Waconia Patriot, 20,000 people watched the centennial parade.

103. In 1960, the Carver County Historical Society welcomed visitors to its new museum in Waconia.

104. The war memorial outside of the county courthouse lists four soldiers from Carver County who died serving their country during the Korean War.

105. Waconia Ridgeview Hospital opened its doors in 1963. Originally it was a 45-bed hospital. Prior to Ridgeview, the Nagel Hospital served Waconia.

106. Hazeltine National Golf Club opened in 1962. It hosted the 1966 Women's Open; Sandra Spuzich winning the tournament. When it hosted the 1970 U.S. Open, Tony Jacklin won.

107. The current Carver County Courthouse opened in 1965, ten days before being surrounded by floodwaters. The earlier courthouse was torn down in 1966.

108. May, 1965 flooding forces evacuations in Chaska and Carver on the Minnesota River and in Watertown on the Crow River.

109. On May 6, 1965, tornados caused severe damage throughout metro area. Norwood, Young America, Chanhassen, and numerous townships suffered damage from the storms. Ray Perbix of Hamburg was killed in the storm.

110. Jonathan New Town plans are unveiled in 1967. The concept of Jonathan was a new design for communities. The original plans projected 50,000 residents within 20 years.

111. In 1967, the Village and Township of Chanhassen merge to form the City of Chanhassen. With the merger, Chanhassen became the largest city in Carver County at the time.

112. In 1968, Herb and Carol Bloomberg opened the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre.

113. The county's population grows from 18,155 residents in 1950 to 28,331 residents in 1970.

114. The Bongards' Cow found a home in front of the Creamery in the late 1960's or early 1970's.

115. Chaska Cubs baseball team clinched the state title in 1971 by beating Delano 10-5.

116. The first Renaissance Festival in the state was held in Jonathan in 1971.

117. The Paradise Nite Club in Waconia burned down in 1971.

118. The beginnings of suburbanization were being felt. Newspapers noted the "urban-rural split" over numerous issues including libraries, parks, and schools.

119. Funds were approved for Baylor Park in 1973.

120. The war memorial outside of the county courthouse lists seven soldiers from Carver County who died serving their country during the Vietnam War.

During the years 1975-2005
121. In 1975, the Carver County Commissioners allocated funds for a new county library system. The Young America branch opened in 1975 and the Chanhassen branch opened in 1979.

122. To help commemorate the nation's bicentennial in 1976, the Waconia Bicentennial Commission was organized. The Commission organized local events, surveyed historic properties throughout the area, and secured National Register of Historic Places status for Coney Island of the West.

123. Tracy Swanson was elected as Chaska's first female mayor in 1978. In 1986, she went on to become Carver County's first female county commissioner.

124. The Watertown Community Hospital closed in 1979. Through the years, Watertown was home to numerous hospitals and medical clinics.

125. Chaska High school golfers capture their first State title in 1979.

126. The Carver Mill was demolished in 1980.

127. In 1980, Chaska River City Days drew 1500 visitors. They ate 620 steaks, 165 pound of wieners, 42 gallons of beans, and 32 watermelons.

128. In 1981, a milking contest was held between Jack Budahn of Bongards' Creameries and Al Grunst of Oak Grove Dairy. Budahn was the winner.

129. In 1981, the University of Minnesota Press published the letters of Chanhassen pioneers, Theodore and Sophie Bost, in a book entitled A Frontier Family in Minnesota. The letters paint a detailed portrait of pioneering in the area.

130. In 1984, the Carver County Commissioners were ready to "get tough" with Hamburg and New Germany who were past due for their share of the new civil defense siren costs.

131. Jim Hansel of Chaska won two awards at the Sister Kenny Institute Art Show in 1984.

132. District 112 teachers go on strike in 1984.

133. In 1988, Jack Budahn celebrated his 50th anniversary as the general manager of Bongards' Creamery.

134. Prince opens his Chanhassen recording studio, Paisley Park, in 1987.

135. Assumption Church closed its doors in 1988. The congregation joined St. John's Catholic Church in Green Isle.

136. In 1990, a lone gunman robbed the First American Bank in Watertown of $3,150. He was captured moments later.

137. The former Mudcura building sat empty from 1970 until it burned down in 1997. The building had fallen into disrepair and become a hangout for many area teenagers.

138. The communities of Norwood and Young America merged in 1997.

139. Although technology became a part of our daily lives, the infrastructure for it sometimes caused disputes. During the late 1990's, some residents of Hollywood Township were angry about the installation of cellular phone towers in their community.

140. A number of local historical societies and preservation commissions are formed during this era to promote and preserve local history. These organizations include the Chaska Historical Society, Waconia Heritage Association, Watertown Area Historical Society, Chaska Heritage Preservation Commission, and Carver Heritage Preservation Commission.

141. In 2000, Ridgeview Medical Center changes operation from a city-owned to an independent, non-profit hospital.

142. Each year the Library of Congress names 25 "culturally, historically, or aesthetically" significant motion pictures to the National Film Registry. "Cologne: From the Diary of Ray and Esther" was added to this list in 2001. It was one of only 325 films on the Registry. The film by Dr. Ray and Esther Dowidat was filmed in 1939 and portrays life in Cologne, and small town America. The film can be viewed at the Carver County Historical Society museum in Waconia.

143. Carver County locales became the backdrop for numerous movies including
The Stranger Within (1990)
A Simple Plan (1998)
Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)
Herman USA (2001)

144. Hazeltine hosts more national golf tournaments
1977 U.S. Women's Open; won by Hollis Stacy
1991 U.S. Open; won by Payne Stewart
2002 P.G.A. Championship; won by Rees Jones

145. Carol Molnau elected as Lt. Governor in 2002. She had been a Carver County resident for many years.

146. Eighteen churches are formed. This is the largest number of new churches formed since the early years after the county was founded.

147. President Bush made a campaign stop in Chanhassen for the 2004 presidential election.

148. Oak Grove Dairy closed in Norwood in 2004.

149. Due to county growth, all of the library branches grew between 1995 and 2005. By 2004, visitation to the library system exceeded 500,000 people annually.

150. The county's population skyrocketed during this period
1980: 37,046
1990: 47,915
2000: 70,205
2004: 81,618