Carver County Historical Society

Genealogy and Local Research Materials at the Carver County Historical Society Library

State and federal census records for Carver County on microfilm
  • 1850, 1857, 1860, 1865, 1870, 1875, 1880, 1885, 1895, 1900, 1910, 1920
    [There is no 1890 census. There is an index to the 1860 and 1870 censuses.]
Carver County naturalization records on microfilm
Plat maps on microfilm
  • 1916 plat book of the State of Minnesota
  • Collection of Minnesota County Atlases Anoka-Cottonwood
  • Carver 1898 and 1925
Plat maps
  • 1880, 1898, 1916, 1927; 1940s–present
Sanborn Fire Insurance maps of Chaska and Carver
  • 1885–1925 on microfilm
Local history books

[including the Carver County chapter from Edward Neill's 1882 History of the Minnesota Valley]

Carver County newspapers on microfilm
  • Carver County Democrat 1859 (part)
  • Carver Free Press 1884–1897
  • Valley Transcript 1862 (part)
  • Chanhassen Sailor 1988–1990
  • Chanhassen Villager 1988–present
  • Chaska Herald 1862–1880; 1882–present
  • East Union News 1891–1899
  • Norwood Times 1890–present
  • Waconia Carver County News 1887–1897
  • Waconia Patriot 1903–present
  • Watertown Carver County News 1897–1903; 1941–present
  • Young America Eagle 1904–1943; 1945–1947
Other newspapers covering Carver County on microfilm
  • Lester Prairie Journal 1897–1991
  • Lester Prairie News 1901–1980
Newspaper index
  • Articles index according to individuals, organizations, businesses, government bodies and subjects.
  • The Young America Eagle is fully indexed.
  • The Waconia Patriot is indexed to 1994.
  • The Chaska Herald is indexed to 1940.
County birth index*
  • 1870–1936
County marriage index*
  • 1856–1985
County death index*
  • 1870–1991

*County Recorder's Office has original birth, marriage, death and land records

Photograph Collection
  • Over 10,000 photographs indexed alphabetically by surname and by subject.
Various family histories
  • Compiled and donated to the Historical Society by family members.
Personal Papers
  • Items of interest are letters, clippings, journals, and scrapbooks.
Oral Histories
  • Carver County Veterans of World War II.
Cemetery Records
  • Including most of the cemeteries for the townships of Carver County.
Church Records
  • Centennial books, histories; Catholic Church records on microfilm.