Welcome to the Carver County Historical Society (CCHS)!

The Invisible Hands That Feed Us
Coming soon is a bilingual (Spanish and English) exhibit about the migrant workforce in Carver County. Migrant workers travel great distances from their permanent homes throughout the year in search of temporary work, and Carver County is one such location where migrant workers have been a valuable workforce. Learn why migrant workers come to Carver County, what their work is like, how they live, and what they have done for the County. This exhibit will travel to other historical societies, museums and libraries.

Westermann Spinning and Weaving Shop
Coming this fall the museum will have a new exhibit opening highlighting the Westermann Spinning and Weaving shop. The museum has received the tools, equipment and parts of the building and is currently in the early stages of preparing the gallery. The museum will be closing the "Toolin' Around in Carver County" exhibit May 3 and dismantling the exhibit the week of May 6 to replace the space with the weaving shop. There is a timeline at the entrance of the museum to find out what stage of construction the gallery is at. Visitors are encouraged to visit the museum to watch as the shop develops, learn why it takes so long and what the various stages a gallery goes through before completion. Feel free to give the museum feedback on what you see and what you read as the labels and artifacts start to go on display. Work is currently being done behind the scenes: research on the owner, Gottlieb Westermann; finding the right photograph to turn into a mural; and studying the daily life in Carver County late in the nineteenth century.
Timeline:

• Early May: dismantle "Toolin' Around in Carver County" and put tools in storage. Remove the battens and paint the walls.
• Late May: move woodturning lathe from storage into the gallery and remove the forge and anvil currently on display into storage.
• June: move tools from Spinning and Weaving shop into gallery space and enter data on the tools in database. Install mural of the view from the shop in Mayer.
• June: dismantle window from shop in Mayer and plan how to put it in gallery. Move original interior door from storage and plan for display.
• July and August: write labels and get feedback from the public. Begin installing artifacts.
• Late August and early September: final installation of labels and artifacts.
• Fall opening to the public.

555 West First Street
Waconia, MN 55387
phone: (952) 442-4234
historical@co.carver.mn.us
We now accept credit card purchases