“Stretching across the varied landscapes of metropolitan and rural Minnesota, the Luce Line is a preserved strip of countryside alive with many varieties of plants and animals. In the east the influence is woodland, a carry-over from the Big Woods that once occupied the area. Rolling stands of sugar maple and basswood, along with many colorful forest floor ground-cover plants can be found here. From Hutchinson westward, the Big Woods gives way to remnants of the tall-grass prairie, with many prairie plants still visible [. . .] The Luce Line is truly like a jaunt down a quiet country road.” ~Luce Line State Trail, DNR website

The history of the Luce Line State Trail begins with William Luce back in 1908. That year, Luce started the Electric Short Line Railroad Company, with a planned route from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Montevideo. Construction started and stopped many times over the years, as funding came and went. Funds ran out completely in 1927, making the terminus of the line at Gluek, 12 miles shy of the originally planned terminus.

In 1927, the Luce’s renamed the company the Minnesota Western Railroad Co., though shortly after it was sold to the Minnesota Northfield and Southern Railroad. Over the years, the track changed hands a few more times. First, it was absorbed by the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad in 1956, then the Chicago and North Western in 1960. This route was only a passenger route for the first few years, but later a freight route for most of its history. Clients along this railway included granaries, mills, and canning companies. In Carver County, a valuable client was the Minnesota Valley Canning Factory, later Green Giant. Stations along the route included Hazelton and Hollywood stations in Carver County.

By the 1970s, rail transport was being put out of business by other modes of transportation, such as semi-trailer and air-freight. As this happened, former railway tracks were abandoned. The Luce Line railroad track was officially abandoned in 1972. This was around the time that interest was sparked in other uses for the trail, most significantly as a walking/hiking route. In 1973, the Minnesota state Legislature passed legislation authorizing the Luce Line as a state trail. A Luce Line Trail Association was formed in 1973 to raise funds for a feasibility study on converting the trail. The group raised $14,000 and the study was completed the same year. By 1975, interest peaked. That year, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources acquired large portions of the trail through federal and state funding.

The Luce Line State Trail opened in the late 1970s. It was the first trail in the United States converted from rail to a multi-use trail. This meant that rather than just walking, the trail also accomadated jogging, hiking, biking, skiing, horseback riding and snowmobiling. During that time, much work was done by the DNR. A master plan was completed in 1978. Walking and horse trails were graded side by side. The route from Stubbs Bay, lake Minnetonka to Watertown was surfaced in limestone in 1977. From Watertown to Winsted was surfaced in limestone in 1980. The rest of the trails beds were converted to gravel or mown grass.

During this time, the Luce Line Trail was not free of controversy. Landowners along the trail objected, saying that with the railway gone, ownership should revert to landowners not the DNR. Objections culminated in a U.S. supreme Court decision in 1988 which stated “that recreational trail use was a bona fide public transportation use of rail corridors, and the rights-of-way are therefore not subject to reversion to adjoining landowners.” Despite this ruling, objections continued, leading the Legislature to direct the DNR to sell the western 38 miles back to the adjoining landowners, shortening the final trail to 63 miles.

In 1994, a second Luce Line Trail Association was formed, with the mission of repair and improvement along the trail through the lobbying of state funding. The group also worked with the DNR to start an Adopt-a-Trail along the Luce Line. Sponsors were responsible for keeping their section free of litter, keeping an eye on trail conditions, and performing routine light maintenance.

In the twenty-first century, the Luce Line Trail consists of 1,000 acres and 63 miles. It is popular among enthusiasts of all sorts, from walking to biking. In Carver County, the city of Watertown hosts a popular Rails-to-Trails event each year. This annual celebration began in 1993 and remains a popular festival, with the Golden Spikes Treasure Hunt and a 5k run being annual events. It is held at or near the Luce Line Trail walking bridge located in Watertown each year.

 

---

 

Betts, Lynn, as told to Margaret Davis. “History of the Luce Line and the First Start of the Original Luce Line Trail Organization.” Luce Line Express, 4 no. 3 (October 1997). Subject Files, Drawer G1: Luce Line. Carver County Historical Society Research Library.

Centennial Book Committee. “Luce Line.” Winsted Centennial. Winsted Telephone co., 1986.

“Looking Back at the Luce Line History.” Winsted Journal, March 25, 1997.

Luce Line State Trail website. “History of the Trail.” Accessed August 5, 2014. http://luceline.com/history/
http://luceline.com/history/the-trail-itself/
http://luceline.com/history/luce-line-railroad/

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website. “Luce Line State Trail.” Accessed August 5, 2014. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_trails/luce_line/index.html

Peterson, George. “Sentimental Jaunt Along an Abandoned Rail Line.” Minneapolis Tribune, August 13, 1972.

Raconteur, Ivan. “Luce Line- One Trail, Many Uses.” Herald Journal, April 9, 2007. http://www.herald-journal.com/archives/2007/stories/luceline.html

 Rails to Trails event brochure. Subject Files, Drawer G1: Rails to Trails- Watertown celebration. Carver County Historical Society Research Library.

Rails to Trails website. Accessed August 5, 2014. http://www.railstotrails.ws/

Samstad, Lawrence E., et. al. “An Evaluation of the Luce Line Railroad as a Recreational Trail System from Wayzata to Gluek, Minnesota.” Engineering feasibility study. Itasca Engineering, Inc.: May 1, 1973.

Sebora, Jenni. “Enjoy the Luce Line Trail.” Herald Journal, September 25, 2006.

“Watertown Gets First Train in 1915.” Watertown Centennial: 1856 . . .1956. Watertown, MN: Watertown Activities, Inc., 1956.

Constructed in 1938, the Chaska Historical Marker is a small, 1.2-acre wayside rest. The wayside rest sits along the former U.S. Highway 212, and is accompanied by approximately nine acres of landscaping. To this day, it is a sight of local historical significance.

The Chaska Historical Marker was built in 1938 by the Minnesota Department of Highways (MHD), along U.S Highway 212 (now County State Aid Highway 61). Its purpose was to serve travelers on Highway 212 by providing a place to rest and eat, similar to the wayside rests that can be found along interstate highways today. The wayside rest was construction as part of a 2,100 foot-long MHD roadside development project and sits at the southwestern end of the 2,100-foot span. In addition to the wayside rest, the roadside development project cleared and dug up approximately nine acres of the Highway 212 right-of-way, carved out slopes and ditches, and hid a pre-existing 2.5-acre MHD gravel pit located due north of the wayside rest. To hide the gravel pit from the highway and wayside rest, the roadside development project used a series of plantings, which consisted of laurel willow trees, rosy Tartarian honeysuckle shrubs, and Siberian pea shrubs. The developers also created a curving entrance road into the gravel pit, adjacent to the wayside rest.

The wayside rest and the associated Highway 212 landscaping were designed by Arthur Richardson Nichols, a prominent Minnesota landscape architect. Nichols worked in collaboration with highway engineer Harold E. Olson, chief of the MHD’s Roadside Development Division. The MHD built the wayside rest, and stuck closely to the original design plans.

The primary feature of the wayside rest is a historical marker that doubles as a retaining wall, set into the side of a steep, wooded hill. The original plans were to carve out the earth to help the wall blend into the hillside and to create the flat picnic area in front of it. The wall is gently curved, and measures approximately 80 feet long. It was built of striated gray Mifflin limestone laid in a random ashlar pattern. Judging by outcroppings of similar limestone present in the area, the stone used for the wall was probably quarried locally. The masonry work displays a high level of craftsmanship, with the use of local materials being a characteristic of the National Park Service Rustic Style.

The wall has a symmetrical tripartite design with a ten-foot, eight-inch-long stepped central shaft flanked by thirty-four-foot, six-inch-long wings. The central shaft has a rectangular niche that houses a bronze plaque surrounded by red brick. The marker reads “Little Rapids Fur Post”, and gives a brief history of Jean-Baptiste Faribault and his history of fur trading in the area. The central shaft is flanked by two low benches. The benches have six foot by sixteen inch poured concrete seats that rest on four squat-mortared bases built over concrete footings. A small, slightly-elevated flagstone plaza sits directly in front of the central shaft, situated upon a poured concrete footing. The plaza visually emphasizes the central shaft, and provides a low platform from which to read the marker’s plaque.

The Chaska Historical Marker has continued to serve as a wayside rest since its construction in 1938 and is still owned by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT), and will eventually be turned over to Carver County. In 2009, Mn/DOT rehabilitated the wayside rest’s property, following the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historical Properties, including the Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes. The rehabilitation process was guided by original construction plans and four historical photos of the property. Parts of the rehabilitation process included repairing and replacing the damaged stone of the marker-retaining wall; correcting the drainage; fixing the damaged benches on either side of the central shaft; renovating the flagstone plaza; and replacing the damaged and vandalized bronze plaque mounted upon the wall’s central shaft.

The historic center of the city of Chaska lies to the east and northeast of the wayside rest, with residential neighborhoods to the west and northwest, and the Chaska portion of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge to the south, across former Highway 212. Of the 2,100 foot-long roadside development project, only this wayside rest retains the distinct design and historical integrity of the original project. The gravel pit’s curving entrance road remains, but most of the plantings along it are gone. The area of the former gravel pit is now occupied by a Carver County public works facility with a modern headquarters building.

 

---

United States Department of the Interior, “Chaska Historical Marker.” National Register of Historic Places Registration form, Chaska, MN, 2002.

“No other game combines the wonder of nature with the discipline of sport in such carefully planned ways. A great golf course both frees and challenges a golfer’s mind.” ~Tom Watson. Designing unique, enjoyable, yet challenging golf courses is almost an art in itself. With a goal to be challenging enough for national championships, yet also good for everyday play, it is not often a golf club can accomplish both. One such course exists right here in Carver County- Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Hazeltine National Golf Club is located in Chaska, MN, and is considered by many the best private golf club in Minnesota. This course was the dream of Totton P. Heffelfinger, a former president of the United States Golf Association (USGA). The mission was to “build and maintain a golf course suitable for the conduct of national championships, [with the support of] a membership that supported this concept – a membership that felt a responsibility to the game of golf and its rules and traditions.” This club was different from other golf clubs in that it was not a country club- no pools, no tennis, only golf.

The course at Hazeltine was designed by well-known architect Robert Trent Jones. Jones became known as the “Open Doctor” for his work upgrading courses to host the U.S. Open. Over the course of his career, Jones redid or created over 600 courses, and was famous for challenging the abilities of golfers. Jones began work on Hazeltine in 1959, with the club and course opening to the public in 1962. In the 21st century, the course consists of 186 acres with an additional 134 acres for future expansion.

The first championship to be hosted at Hazeltine National Golf Club was the 1966 U.S. Women’s Open. Then, the 1970 U.S. Open was hosted there, and Hazeltine’s credibility as a championship course was threatened. The extreme difficulty of the course and the effect of a very windy first days pushed scores higher and higher. Nationally ranked players were extremely annoyed. Among the most vocal critics of the course was Dave Hill, who famously described the course as “eighty acres of corn and a few cows. They mined a good farm when they built this course.”

This criticism spurred many changes to the layout of the course. First made by Robert Trent Jones prior to the 1983 U.S. Senior Open, and again prior to the 1991 U.S. Open by Jones’ son, Rees Jones. From being listed in Golf magazine’s “10 Worst championship Venues”, it is now listed by the same magazine as one of the “Top 100 Courses in the U.S.”

Over the years since its founding, Hazeltine has hosted more championship’s than any other club around 50 years old. Among those championships are:

• 1966 U.S. Women’s Open Championship
• 1970 U.S. Open Championship
• 1977 U.S. Women’s Open Championship
• 1983 U.S. Senior Open Championship
• 1991 U.S. Open Championship
• 1994 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship
• 1999 NCAA Division I Men’s Championship
• 2001 USGA Men’s State Team Championship
• 2002 PGA Championship
• 2006 U.S. Amateur Championship
• 2009 PGA Championship
• 2016 Ryder Cup Matches

According to Hazeltine’s website, by 2016, the Club will be one of only two in the United States to have hosted every championship offered by the USGA and the PGA of America.

Since its founding, the Hazeltine National Golf Club has overcome many challenges to maintain its national reputation. From severe criticism to rave reviews, the Club has maintained its spirit of challenge and innovation, setting new standards for the majors of golf. It is a gem in Carver County, bringing our small area to international attention.

 

---

Brakke, Tom. “Hazeltine National Golf Club.” Professional Golf Association website. Accessed August 1, 2014. http://www.pga.com/pgachampionship/2009/course/

Francisco, Mollee. “Hazeltine Celebrates 50th Anniversary.” Chaska Herald, September 6, 2012. http://www.chaskaherald.com/news/activities/hazeltine-celebrates-th-anniversary/article_1e0cbdf3-9a14-55ce-bb61-a8414b53c66b.html

Golf website. “Worst Major Championship Venues.” Accessed August 4, 2014. http://www.golf.com/photos/worst-golf-courses-host-major-championships/hazeltine-national-golf-club

Hazeltine National Golf Club Website. “Hazeltine History.” Accessed August 1, 2014. http://hazeltinenational.com/golf/golf-at-hazeltine/history/

“Hazeltine National’s Hisotry Enables Club to Host Major Events.” Chanhassen Villager, August 2, 1990.

Guardian Angels Catholic Church, located in Chaska, has a lengthy history, dating as far back as 1842. Over the course of 150 years, the church congregation rebuilt their church several times, in different locations, and has experienced a wide variety of events. To this day, it is one of the most prominent churches and congregations in Carver County.

The history of Guardian Angels Church dates back to 1842, when French fur trader Jean-Baptiste Faribault encouraged Father Augustin Ravoux to construct a permanent log cabin mission in what is now Chaska, to deliver services to the local Dakota people. The mission was known as Little Prairie, and was one of the first Catholic communities to be established in the Minnesota territory. By 1845, the mission was under threat from local Dakota warriors, so it was dismantled by Saint Francis Xavier and moved to Wabasha, Minnesota. There, it was re-built and once again served as a place of Catholic worship.

In the 1850s, the Benedictine Fathers from Pennsylvania came to the Chaska area. Upon arriving, their first duties were to serve the mostly German immigrants of the area within their homes. In 1858, Father Bruno Riss was appointed to serve this area, and established a small congregation with a group of Catholic families. The congregation was initially too small to warrant the construction of a church, so they continued meeting within the homes of its members. The congregation members could not decide upon a name for their church, so they left it up to the 2 year old daughter of one of the families. The daughter (Little Margaret) was shown various saint pictures, and selected a colorful picture of a Guardian Angel.

In 1860, construction was complete on Guardian Angels Church, a simple brick building that stood near where St. John’s Lutheran Church now stands. By 1863, a wave of immigrants from Holland came to the area and joined the church congregation. The congregation was soon so large that the church had to be expanded. Father Magnus became the new pastor in 1865, and made the decision to expand the church in 1868. The congregation acquired land on both sides of 2^nd Street and Cedar. On this site, construction began on the new, larger Guardian Angels Church. This larger one had an area of thirty by sixty feet. A small rectory was also built, which still serves as the core of the Old Friary, making it one of the oldest buildings in Minnesota.

In 1872, the Benedictine Fathers left Guardian Angels Church. That same year, Diocesan Priest Father William Lette was assigned to Guardian Angels, making him the congregation’s first Diocesan Priest. In 1876, the Franciscan Fathers and Brothers were assigned to Guardian Angels Parish, and Father Wendelin Grote, O.F.M., was the first Franciscan priest to serve at Guardian Angels. By 1885, the construction on the current church (which began in 1868) was completed. It featured a 162 foot steeple with a clock and bell tower.

On October 7, 1902, around 3:45 pm, Guardian Angels Church was hit by a devastating fire. Local citizens were able to save most of the church’s fine statues and alter fixings, but by 6 pm, the fire destroyed all of the church’s structures, except for its brick walls. Miraculously, the Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, which had been blessed by Pope Pious IX, survived the fire and was found still hanging on the east wall inside the now ruined church. Reconstruction of the church began immediately. To help with construction, many of the congregation’s families volunteered, even giving up their Christmas gifts for the year to help pay for reconstruction. Exactly one year later, after a reconstruction that had cost $34,000, the restored Guardian Angels Church was rededicated. Five years later, in 1908, the church celebrated its Golden Anniversary in Chaska, and the reconstruction debt on the church was paid in full.

In 1914, a new Guardian Angels School building was dedicated. Seven years later, Reverend Benvenute Mueller was installed as pastor of Guardian Angels, and was a key figure in establishing the Guardian Angels High School. Major tornadoes hit Carver and Chaska in 1925, and badly damaged the Guardian Angels School building. Following this incident, as part of the rebuilding process, four large classrooms and indoor toilets were added to the rear of the school building.

As the 20th century progressed, Guardian Angels continued serving its congregation and its school continued teaching its students. Throughout the following decades, periodic events, changes and renovations came to both organizations. Major additions to the school building were made in 1956, which included a large modern gymnasium, stage, kitchen, and bathroom facilities. In 1958, the church celebrated its 100 years in Chaska, with a huge centennial celebration. In 1963, the Guardian Angels School hit an all-time enrollment record with 565 students. However, in 1976, Guardian Angels High School closed due to financial difficulties and declining enrollment. Between 1978 and 1982, parts of the church were renovated and overhauled. Examples include the pipe organ, which was repaired and installed with electronic controls; and the renovation of the church basement, which was renamed and dedicated “St. Francis Hall”. Another prominent part of the church is the stone wall that surrounds it and the church grounds. The mortar for this wall was composed of Chaska brick, a valued building material in the area.

In 1992, after serving for 115 years, the Sisters of Christian Charity departed from Guardian Angels. The sisters were assigned in 1877 to staff the struggling school. Three years later, due to a shortage of priests, the Franciscan Fathers left Guardian Angels after serving for 119 years. As they left, Father Timothy Rudolphi, a diocesan priest, was named the new pastor. Major interior renovations were made to the church in 2000. These included air-conditioning, lighting, and new paint. In the 21^st century, Guardian Angels Church continues its services, and celebrated its 150th year in 2008.

 

---

 

Guardian Angels Catholic Church. Chaska, MN: Guardian Angels Parish, 2008.

Perkins, Sharon, “Docent notes on the Church and Friary Tour.” Tour notes, Guardian Angels Catholic Church. Chaska, MN, 2008.

http://www.mnbricks.com/guardian-angels-catholic-church

 

 Early schools in Minnesota were one-room schoolhouses. The first school in Carver County, built in 1855, was located near where the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum sits. This school was replaced with the school that was later moved to the grounds of Chaska Elementary, where it remains. The very first school district in Carver County was Minnesota Public School District #1 in Carver, started 1856. This school district retained the same name for over one-hundred years. Schools were small then, and often held in the same building as the church or town meeting hall. Many schools had ties to local churches, and were what we would consider religious schools. Pioneer families with little money often only owned one book, a bible, which was used in school studies. Public schools have come a long way in Carver County since the 1850s, even since the 1950s. No public schools in the twenty-first century allow ties to religion.

In 1857, a year before Minnesota became a state, the five school districts in Carver County were Chaska, Chanhassen, Benton, Groveland, and Carver. The combined budget was seven hundred and eighty-eight dollars or four dollars and twenty-eight cents per child. By the late 1800s and early 1900s, there were dozens of school districts. Records from the 1949-1950 school year list about 50 separate school districts within Carver County. There were more school districts then, as travel and communication between the communities was harder, making it more difficult to have a central administration. Many school districts in the 1800s and 1900s included only one or two schools. From the 1950s to the early 1970s, districts across Carver County and Minnesota began consolidating. For example, a resolution from July 1949 discusses an order of consolidation voted on by county school board members. In the twenty-first century, Carver County is home to four school districts, with a budget in 2000 of sixty million dollars or five thousand three hundred dollars per student. Each school district is a mix of public schools, private schools, and home school groups.

Independent School District #108 is based out of Norwood Young America (NYA). Commonly called the Central School District, it is home to the Central Raiders. District #108 is the smallest school district, with only three public schools. These three schools reach students from the towns of Norwood Young America, Hamburg, and Cologne. These schools are Central Elementary School, Central Middle School, and Central High School. This district has the distinction of having the least number of schools. The district serves approximately one thousand students. As of 2013, over fifty-five percent of all certified staff had a Master’s degree or higher in there chosen field.

Waconia Independent School District #110 is based out of Waconia. It serves the cities of Waconia, New Germany, St. Bonifacius, and Minnetrista. It reaches parts of both Carver and Hennepin Counties. District #110 is home to the Waconia Wildcats. It is home to five public schools or education centers. They are Bayview Elementary School, Southview Elementary School, Clearwater Middle School, Waconia High School, and the Waconia Area Learning Center. The earliest records from this District date to 1891, although the district as it is today formed in the early 1970s. District #110 is known for its focus on agriculture and outdoor education. This incudes Clearwater Middle School’s “Edible Classroom”, and yearly trips to the Boundary Waters, among other things. The district is also known for its HERO Coalition (Helping Empower and Respect Others), dedicated to combating bullying in schools.

Watertown-Mayer Independent School District #111 is based out of Watertown and home to the Royals. The second smallest school district, it is home to four schools: a Primary School, Elementary School, Middle School and High School. Independent School District #111 serves the communities of Watertown and Mayer, and surrounding areas. It serves parts of Carver, Hennepin, and Wright Counties. Watertown’s first teacher was William P. Buck for the 1857-1858 school year. The Watertown and Mayer school districts did not combine to form District #111 until 1971.

The final district is Independent School District #112, Eastern Carver County Schools. It is by far the largest school district in Carver County with sixteen public schools. These schools are Bluff Creek Elementary, Chanhassen Elementary, Victoria Elementary, Jonathan Elementary, East Union Elementary, Clover Ridge Elementary, Chaska Elementary, Chaska Middle School East, Chaska Middle School West, Pioneer Ridge Middle School, Chaska High School, Chanhassen High School, La Academia, Kindergarten Center, Integrated Arts Academy, and the Carver Scott Educational Cooperative. With two high schools, District #112 is home to the Chanhassen Storm and the Chaska Hawks. District #112 as it currently is began July 1, 1971. District #112 is known for its diverse population, with over eleven languages spoken among its students. District schools offer immersion classrooms, daily lessons and classes taught in English and either Chinese or Spanish. This district is also one of the fastest growing in the county, with the largest class sizes and students bodies.

Turning Point: Public education has evolved greatly in the time since Carver County’s first one room school in early 1850s, ending with the solidification of the districts by combining small districts into larger ones in the 1970s.

Chronology:

• 1855: The first schoolhouse in Carver County, taught by Susan Hazeltine.
• 1856: The first School district in Carver County is Minnesota School District #1 in Carver.
• 1857: Carver County has five school districts, which are Chaska, Chanhassen, Benton, Groveland, and Carver.
• 1857: The budget for all five county school districts is seven hundred and eighty-eight dollars or four dollars and twenty-eight cents per student.
• 1891: The earliest records from District 110 date to this year.
• 1906: Chaska High School opens.
• 1950s-1971: School districts across Carver County and Minnesota consolidate into fewer school districts, each covering a larger area.
• Late 1960s-1971: District #110 as it is now is consolidated.
• 1971: Watertown and Mayer schools combine to form District #111, Watertown-Mayer School District.
• July 1, 1971: District #112 is consolidated into its current boundaries.
• 2000: The budget for all four county school districts is sixty million dollars or about five thousand three hundred dollars per student.

---

 

---

Bibliography:

“Carver County, Minnesota, School Officers: 1949-1950”. Carver County Historical Society Research Library subject files: Public School folder.

“Carver County School Districts, 1949-1950”. Carver County Historical Society Research Library subject files: Carver County Public Schools folder. Chaska, 1950.

Hartley, Lucie. “History of School District 112”. District 112 archives. Chaska, 1975.

Hoffman, Colleen. District #111 office. E-mail message to author, February 25, 2013.

Independent School District #108, Central School District website. Accessed February 24, 2013. http://raiders.central.k12.mn.us/isd108/

Independent School District #110, Waconia School District website. Accessed February 24, 2013. http://www.waconia.new.rschooltoday.com/

Independent School District #111, Watertown-Mayer Schools website. Accessed February 24, 2013. http://www.wm.k12.mn.us/se3bin/clientschool.cgi?schoolname=school274

Independent School District #112, Eastern Carver County Schools website. Accessed February 24, 2013. http://www.chaska.k12.mn.us/welcome.html

Johnson, Brett. District #112 office, Director of Communications and Community Relations. E-mail message to author, February 25, 2013 and February 26, 2013.

Killian, Jessica. District #110 office. E-mail message to author, February 26, 2013.

“One-Room school house”. Educational program. Carver County Historical Society.

“Order of Consolidation”. Chaska: July, 1949. Carver County Public Schools folder, Carver County Historical Society Research Library. [Description]: files showing the schools districts that once existed and what districts they were combined into.

---

Related Resources:

[Primary]

“Life in Carver County.” Carver County Citizen. 7 no. 2 (December 2006).

Smetana, Mary. “Recalling one-room schools”. Carver County News, December 10, 1987.

[Secondary]

Barac, Lavonne. Chaska:A Minnesota River City, Volume 1 and 2. St. Paul, MN: Carver County Public Library, 1989.

Carver County: Today and Yesterday. Compiled by the Carver County Statehood Centennial Committee, 1958.

Centennial Book Committee. MayerCenntennial, 1886-1986. Mayer, MN: 1986.

Centennial Committee. New Germany Centennial Book, 1887-1987. New Germany, MN: 1987.

Erickson, Lynne Martin and Kathryn Leide. “Bi-Folkal Kit: Remembering School Days, Lessons”. Hennepin County Library. Madison, WI: Bi-Folkal Productions, Inc.

Fisher, Leonard Everett. Schools: 19th Century America Schools (Nineteenth Century America Series). New York: Holiday House, 1983.

Fuller, Wayne Edison. One-Room Schools of the Middle West: An Illustrated History. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 1994.

Hoisington, Daniel John. Chanhassen: A Centennial History. Chanhassen, MN: The Press, Banta Corporation, July 1996.

Holcombe, Maj. R.I., editor. Compendium of History and Biography of Carver and Hennepin Counties, Minnesota. Henry Taylor and Company: Chicago, 1915.

Johnson, Charlotte Mary Speikers Christensen. The History of the Watertown, Minnesota Area 1856 to 2006: 150 Years of Community Life. Watertown, MN: 2006.

Loeper, John J. Going to School in 1876. New York: Atheneum, 1984.

Mayer Booster Club. History of Helvetia-Mayer and Community. Lester Prairie, MN: Lester Prairie News, 1936.

Norwood Book Committee. Norwood Centennial, 1872-1972. Glencoe, MN: Kopy Kat Printing, 1972.

Olson, Steve. Cologne: The First 100 years. Cologne, MN: 1981.

Theen, Olive Ireland. Country School Days: The Vanished One Room School. St. Cloud, MN: Sentinel Print, Co., 1992.

Theobald, Paul. Call School: Rural Education in the Midwest to 1918. Carbondale, Ill.: Southern Illinois University Press, 1995.

Tremblay, Ruth and Lois Schulstad. Images of America: Carver County. Arcadia Publishing: Charleston, South Carolina, 2011.

Warner, George E. and Charles M. Foote. History of the Minnesota Valley: Carver County. Minneapolis: North Star Publishing Company, 1882. Republished 1986.

Watertown Centennial: 1856 . . .1956. Watertown, MN: Watertown Activities, Inc., 1956.

[Web]

---

Images/Audio/Video

AV-81-6311. Photograph Collection, Carver County Historical Society, Waconia. Photographic print “First Schoolhouse in Carver Co.” Description: First Schoolhouse in Carver Co.,1855 Chanhassen Twsp. Miss Susan Hazeltine, Teacher. Rights held by the CCHS.

---

“This article used with the permission of MNopedia, operated by the Minnesota Historical Society, under a Creative Commons License. No changes have been made to the article’s content.”

Early schools in Minnesota were a curious mix of public and private. Schools were small then, and often held in the same building as the church or town meeting hall. Many schools had ties to local churches, and were what we would consider religious schools. Pioneer families with little money often only owned one book, a bible, which was used in school studies. The schools were public in being open to all, and having the support of the state for money, supplies, and testing, to name a few things. In the twenty-first century, schools are not allowed ties to a specific religion unless they are a private institution.

In the twenty-first century, private schools continue to provide religiously based education, though some private schools have no ties to a church or religion. Carver County is home to four school districts. There are many private schools that fall within the boundaries of these four school districts, each with its own goals, strengths, and educational approach. Overall, private education has remained much the same as it was in one-room schoolhouse days, focusing not only on basic lessons like reading, but also religious and moral lessons. They only major change, besides changing punishments and lessons, has been the size of these schools, though they remain small relative to public schools.

Independent School District #108 is based out of Norwood Young America (NYA). The boundaries of this school district hold the Emanuel Lutheran School of Hamburg (1857), St. John’s Lutheran School of Norwood Young America , and Zion Lutheran School and St. Bernard’s Catholic School (1856) of Cologne. St. Bernard’s is one of the very few Catholic schools in this county. Each of these schools covers elementary grades, from preschool to sixth or eighth grade. Each of these schools is also small enough that the grades are combined in classes, like grades one and two together or grades three and four.

Waconia Independent School District #110 is based out of Waconia. This district’s boundaries hold St. Joseph’s Catholic School (1860) and Trinity Lutheran School, both of Waconia and St. Marks Lutheran School of New Germany (1914). Each of these schools covers elementary grades, from preschool to sixth or eighth grade. St. Joseph’s has the claim of being the first school in what was then the village of Waconia.

Watertown-Mayer Independent School District #111 is based out of Watertown. Within its boundaries are Zion Lutheran School (1905) and the Lutheran High School (1961) of Mayer, and Christ Community Lutheran School of Watertown, which has ties to both St. Paul’s and St. Peter’s Churches. All serve pre-school to eighth grade save for Mayer Lutheran High School. Mayer Lutheran High serves student from every corner of the county and beyond. It is one of only three private highschools in the county. Christ Community Lutheran School was formerly known as the St. Peter’s St. Paul’s school.

The final district is Independent School District #112, Eastern Carver County Schools. Covering Chaska, Chanhassen, East Union, New Germany and Victoria, the boundaries of this district are broad. Private schools within this district include Chapel Hill Academy (1970) and St. Hubert’s Catholic School (1865) of Chanhassen; SW Christian High School (1996), Guardian Angels Catholic School (1858), St. John’s Lutheran School (1886), Jonathan Montessori (1972) and the World Learners School (1990), Step by Step Montessori, and the Minnesota Valley Baptist School of Chaska; and Holy Family Catholic (2000) of Victoria. All of these school serve preschool to grade eight. The exceptions are Jonathan Montessori which is preschool only, Step by Step Montessori which is kindergarten and younger, Minnesota Valley Baptist which is kindergarten through grade eleven, and the two highschools- Holy Family Catholic and SW Christian. Jonathan Montessori and the World Learners School fall under their own district, ISD #4016, even though located within District #112 boundaries. The Minnesota Valley Baptist School serves the smallest student body, with ten students. This district serves much larger students bodies than in the private schools of any other district, and also boasts the newest private schools from around the county. A new private school was designate on the grounds of the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in 2013 as well.

 

Turning Point: Private education has remained much the same as it was in one-room schoolhouse days, focusing not only on basic lessons like reading, but also religious and moral lessons, though the size of the schools and classes have grown.

Chronology:

• 1855: The first schoolhouse in Carver County, taught by Susan Hazeltine.
• 1856: The first School district in Carver County is Minnesota School District #1 in Carver.
• 1856: St. Bernard’s Catholic Community in Cologne is founded.
• 1857: Carver County has five school districts, which are Chaska, Chanhassen, Benton, Groveland, and Carver.
• 1857: Emanuel Lutheran School of Hamburg is founded.
• 1858: Guardian Angels Catholic school in Chaska is founded.
• 1860: St. Joseph’s Catholic School of Waconia is founded.
• 1865: St. Hubert’s Catholic Community in Chanhassen is founded.
• 1886: St. John’s Lutheran School of Chaska is founded.
• 1905: Zion Lutheran School of Mayer is founded.
• 1914: St. Mark’s Lutheran School of New Germany is founded.
• 1950s-1971: School districts across Carver County and Minnesota consolidate into fewer school districts, each covering a larger area.
• 1961: Mayer Lutheran High School is founded.
• Late 1960s-1971: District #110 as it is now is consolidated.
• 1970: Chapel Hill Academy in Chanhassen is founded.
• 1971: Watertown and Mayer schools combine to form District #111, Watertown-Mayer School District.
• July 1, 1971: District #112 is consolidated into its current boundaries.
• 1972: Jonathan Montessori in Chaska is founded.
• 1990: World Learners School of Chaska is founded.
• 1996: Southwest Christian High school in Chaska is founded.
• 2000: Holy Family Catholic High school opens its doors.

---

---

Bibliography:

Chapel Hill Academy website. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://www.chapel-hill.org/

Christ Community Lutheran School website. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://www.ccls.net/

Emanuel Lutheran Church and School website. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://www.elchamburg.org/

Guardian Angels Catholic Community website. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://www.gachaska.org/Welcome.html

Hartley, Lucie. “History of School District 112”. District 112 archives. Chaska, 1975.

Hoffman, Colleen. District #111 office. E-mail message to author, February 25, 2013.

Holy Family Catholic High school website. Our History. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://www.hfchs.org/ourhistory.php

Independent School District #108, Central School District website. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://raiders.central.k12.mn.us/isd108/

Independent School District #110, Waconia School District website. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://www.waconia.new.rschooltoday.com/

Independent School District #111, Watertown-Mayer Schools website. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://www.wm.k12.mn.us/se3bin/clientschool.cgi?schoolname=school274

Independent School District #112, Eastern Carver County Schools website. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://www.chaska.k12.mn.us/welcome.html

Johnson, Brett. District #112 office, Director of Communications and Community Relations. E-mail message to author, February 25, 2013 and February 26, 2013.

Jonathan Montessori School website. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://jonathanmontessori.com/

Jonathan Montessori World Learners School website. Jonathan Montessori History. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://jonathanmontessori.com/whyjonathanmontessori/history.html

Killian, Jessica. District #110 office. E-mail message to author, February 26, 2013.

“One-Room school house”. Educational program. Carver County Historical Society.

Private School Review website. Minnesota Valley Baptist School. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/14910

Mayer Lutheran High School website. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://lhsmayer.org/

Southwest Christian High school website. History. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://swchs.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=127&Itemid=223

St. Bernard’s Catholic Community website. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://st-bernard-cologne.org/

St. Hubert’s Catholic School website. School History. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://school.sthubert.org/school/school-history.php

St. John’s Lutheran School website. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://stjohnsnya.weebly.com/index.html

St. John’s Lutheran School website. About Our School. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://www.sjschaska.org/page/about_our_school

St. Joseph’s Catholic School website. Our History. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://www.stjosephwaconia.org/school/index.cfm?load=page&page=152

St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and School FaceBook page. Accessed March 3, 2013. https://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Mark-Lutheran-Church-New-Germany-MN/235493589847302?id=235493589847302&sk=info

Step by Step Montessori website. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://stepbystepmontessori.com/

Trinity Lutheran Church and School website. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://www.trinitywaconia.org/index.html

World Learners School website. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://www.worldlearnerschool.com/

Zion Lutheran Church and School website. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://zioncologne.wix.com/zion-lutheran-church-school#!

Zion Lutheran School website. School History. Accessed March 3, 2013. http://www.zionmayer.org/school/schoolhist.htm

 

---

Related Resources:

[Primary]

[Secondary]

Barac, Lavonne. Chaska:A Minnesota River City, Volume 1 and 2. St. Paul, MN: Carver County Public Library, 1989.

Carver County: Today and Yesterday. Compiled by the Carver County Statehood Centennial Committee, 1958.

Centennial Book Committee. MayerCenntennial, 1886-1986. Mayer, MN: 1986.

Centennial Committee. New Germany Centennial Book, 1887-1987. New Germany, MN: 1987.

Erickson, Lynne Martin and Kathryn Leide. “Bi-Folkal Kit: Remembering School Days, Lessons”. Hennepin County Library. Madison, WI: Bi-Folkal Productions, Inc.

Fisher, Leonard Everett. Schools: 19th Century America Schools (Nineteenth Century America Series). New York: Holiday House, 1983.

Fuller, Wayne Edison. One-Room Schools of the Middle West: An Illustrated History. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 1994.

Hoisington, Daniel John. Chanhassen: A Centennial History. Chanhassen, MN: The Press, Banta Corporation, July 1996.

Holcombe, Maj. R.I., editor. Compendium of History and Biography of Carver and Hennepin Counties, Minnesota. Henry Taylor and Company: Chicago, 1915.

Johnson, Charlotte Mary Speikers Christensen. The History of the Watertown, Minnesota Area 1856 to 2006: 150 Years of Community Life. Watertown, MN: 2006.

“Life in Carver County.” Carver County Citizen. 7 no. 2 (December 2006): 1-4.

Loeper, John J. Going to School in 1876. New York: Atheneum, 1984.

Mayer Booster Club. History of Helvetia-Mayer and Community. Lester Prairie, MN: Lester Prairie News, 1936.

Norwood Book Committee. Norwood Centennial, 1872-1972. Glencoe, MN: Kopy Kat Printing, 1972.

Olson, Steve. Cologne: the first 100 years. Cologne, MN: 1981.

Smetana, Mary. “Recalling one-room schools”. Carver County News, December 10, 1987.

Theen, Olive Ireland. Country School Days: The Vanished One Room School. St. Cloud, MN: Sentinel Print, Co., 1992.

Theobald, Paul. Call School: Rural Education in the Midwest to 1918. Carbondale, Ill.: Southern Illinois University Press, 1995.

Tremblay, Ruth and Lois Schulstad. Images of America: Carver County. Arcadia Publishing: Charleston, South Carolina, 2011.

Warner, George E. and Charles M. Foote. History of the Minnesota Valley: Carver County. Minneapolis: North Star Publishing Company, 1882. Republished 1986.

Watertown Centennial: 1856 . . .1956. Watertown, MN: Watertown Activities, Inc., 1956.

[Web]

---

Images/Audio/Video

AV-81-6311. Photograph Collection, Carver County Historical Society, Waconia. Photographic print “First Schoolhouse in Carver Co.” [Description]: First Schoolhouse in Carver Co. (as seen in) 1855 Chanhassen Twsp. Miss Susan Hazeltine Teacher. Rights held by the CCHS.

---

“This article used with the permission of MNopedia, operated by the Minnesota Historical Society, under a Creative Commons License. No changes have been made to the article’s content.”

KleinBank is the largest family-owned state bank in Minnesota with assets worth over $1.4 billion in 2012. There are nineteen locations throughout Minnesota, including: Buffalo, Chanhassen, Cologne, Coon Rapids, Maple Grove, Norwood Young America, Otsego, St. Bonifacius, and Victoria.

In the mid-1890s, George Klein purchased a Chaska brickyard, and put his sons Charles H. and Christian P. Klein in charge. In 1907, the brickyard was doing well, and so Charles and Christian used proceeds from brick sales to purchase controlling interest in the First National Bank of Chaska. By 1929, the brothers’ success allowed for a new building on what would eventually be known as the Klein Block on the west side of Chestnut Street in Chaska. By 1997, Chaska would have four branches, with the newest branch located on the north side of town.

In the mid-1890s, George Klein purchased a Chaska brickyard, and put his sons Charles H. and Christian P. Klein in charge. In 1907, the brickyard was doing well, and so Charles and Christian used proceeds from brick sales to purchase controlling interest in the First National Bank of Chaska. By 1929, the brothers’ success allowed for a new building on what would eventually be known as the Klein Block on the west side of Chestnut Street in Chaska. By 1997, Chaska would have four branches, with the newest branch located on the north side of town.

The Klein brothers expanded their banking enterprise beyond Chaska in 1911 to nearby Victoria, with a 750-square foot building valued then at $2,900. It would move to a new location in 1979. During the Great Depression, when banks all over Carver County were failing due to money shortages, Victoria State Bank would remain solid and was one of the few banks to remain open.

In 1919, the Kleins helped form the First National Bank of Waconia. It would be the only bank in Waconia that survived the Depression. The Waconia bank opened a new branch in the 1960s. This building has since been expanded, but small sections of Wright’s design are still visible.

The Kleins gained control, in 1926, of The State Bank of Young America and the State Bank of Cologne, further expanding their banking business.

Charles and Christian passed away in 1961 and 1962, respectively. George Klein, Christian’s son, then gained ownership of the controlling interest in the Klein family banks. He became the company’s President. His wife Marcella was a member of the Board of Directors at many of the branches. In 1975, growth of the family business reached new heights. Klein Bancorporation, Inc. (KBI) was formed to manage all Klein family-owned banks. In 1979, George’s son, Dan Klein, became President and Chairman after the death of his father. The bank then expanded to St. Bonifacius in 1977 and Chanhassen in 1993.

KBI became Klein Financial, Inc. in 1997. Three years later, its online banking website,kleinet.com was launched. In 2005 all Klein Financial, Inc. banks combined into one banking entity: KleinBank, the largest family-owned and family-run state bank in Minnesota.

Turning Point: Financial success in the brick industry in 1907 allowed the Klein family to establish a family banking tradition that continues into the twenty-first century.

Chronology:

• Mid-1890s: George Klein purchases one of the Chaska brickyards, putting his sons, Charles H. and Christian P. Klein, in charge.
• 1900: The State Bank of Young America is established.
• 1903: The State Bank of Cologne is established.
• 1907: Charles and Christian Klein buy controlling interest in the First National Bank of Chaska.
• 1911: Charles and Christian Klein expand their banking enterprise into nearby Victoria.
• 1919: Charles and Christian Klein help form the First National Bank of Waconia.
• 1926: Charles and Christian Klein gain controlling interest in the First National Bank of Waconia and take control of the State Bank of Young America and the State Bank of Cologne.
• 1929: A new location is built on what would be known as the Klein Block, on Chestnut Street in Chaska.
• 1960s: A Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Klein bank is erected in Waconia.
• 1962: George Klein, son of Christian Klein, gains controlling interest in all Klein bank branches.
• 1975: Klein Bancorporation, Inc. is formed to manage all Klein family-owned banks.
• 1979: The Victoria branch of Klein Bank moves to a new location along Highway 5.
• 1979: The third Klein generation takes over Klein Bancorporation, Inc. George Klein’s son, Dan Klein, becomes President and Chairman after the death of his father.
• 1977: Klein Bank expands to the city of St. Bonifacius.
• 1993: Klein Bank expands to the city of Chanhassen.
• 1997: A new bank branch is built on the north side of town in Chaska.
• 1997: Klein Bancorporation, Inc. becomes Klein Financial, Inc.
• 2000: Klein Bank introduces its online banking website, kleinet.com.
• 2005: All Klein Financial banks become one banking entity, KleinBank.
• 2012: KleinBank is the largest family-owned state bank in Minnesota with assets worth over $1.4 billion.

---

---

Bibliography:

Barac, LaVonne. “State Bank of Chanhassen May Join Klein Fold”. Chaska Herald, April 29, 1993.

Francisco, Mollee. “Following the Yellow Brick Road: Family Bank Marks 100 Years”. Chaska Herald, January 11, 2007.

“Hon. C.H. Klein and Others To Establish a Bank”. Norwood Times, July 28, 1911.

“John G. Lund of Minneapolis Sold His Stock in the First National Bank to Charles H. and C.P. Klein”. Weekly Valley Herald, January 31, 1907.

KleinBank. KleinBank: 100 Grand Years, 1907-2007. 100th Anniversary calendar, 2007.

“KleinBank”. Norwood Times, January 11, 2007.

About Us. KleinBank. Accessed March 6, 2013. https://www.kleinbank.com/About-Us/

Klein Family Banks. Carver County Historical Society Research Library subject files: Klein Family Banks. Klein Financial, 2000. A brochure.

“Klein National Bank Was Robbed Saturday Morning”. Weekly Valley Herald, February 2, 1933.

Orsen, Sue. “100 Grand Years!”. Victoria Gazette, September 1, 2007.

Uecker, Erwin A. “The Descendents of Johann Jakob Klein and Anna Ottilia Trautmann.” A Klein-

Trautmann family history. Carver County Historical Society Research Library collection. June 2000. Family genealogical record.

---

Related Resources:

[Primary]

[Secondary]

Barac, LaVonne. Chaska:A Minnesota River City.2 vols. St. Paul: Carver County Public Library, 1989.

Carver County: Today and Yesterday. Compiled by the Carver County Statehood Centennial Committee, 1958.

Holcombe, Maj. R.I., ed. Compendium of History and Biography of Carver and Hennepin Counties, Minnesota. Chicago: Henry Taylor and Company, 1915.

Martens, Steve C. “Historic Chaska, Minnesota: Minnesota’s Brick City. Downtown Preservation Design

Manual”. Prepared for: Chaska Heritage Preservation Commission, 2003.

Tremblay, Ruth and Lois Schulstad. Images of America: Carver County. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2011.

[Web]

---

Images/Audio/Video

AV-81-3629. Photograph Collection, Carver County Historical Society, Waconia. Photographic print “Charles Klein” [Description]: Photo of Charles Klein in the late 1950s or early 1960s, not long before his death. Rights held by the CCHS.

IX D 348. Photograph Collection, Chaska Historical Society, Chaska. Photographic print “C.H. Klein” Description: photo of Charles H. Klein. Rights held by the Chaska Historical Society.

IX D 372. Photograph Collection, Chaska Historical Society, Chaska Photographic print “Christian Klein” [Description]: photo of Christian Klein. Rights held by the Chaska Historical Society.

---

“This article used with the permission of MNopedia, operated by the Minnesota Historical Society, under a Creative Commons License. No changes have been made to the article’s content.”

The history of Coney Island as a resort begins when Josephine Hassenstaab sold the 31.85-acre island to Lambert Naegele in March, 1884, for $5,200. While Waconia already had several hotels such as the North Star, Lake House, and the Sherman House Hotels, Coney Island Hotel and resort (not formal) became, by far, the most popular of all of Waconia’s hotels and contributed to Waconia being a favorite summer resort town.

Lambert Naegele developed the island and was the one to name it “Coney Island of the West”. Where this name originated is unclear. Some claim it is named after the Coney Island Entertainment center on the East Coast. Others, that it is named for the large numbers of “coneys”, or rabbits, that lived on the island. Finally, one group claims “Coney” is just a shortened version of Waconia. There is not enough evidence to support one of these claims over the others.

As part of his initial development, Lambert Naegele divided the island into lots, parks, and streets. He named the streets for famous German authors, such as Goethe, Uhland, Schiller and Lessing. He sold plots he laid out to private owners. Naegele also built a large hotel and private cabins, for either rent or sale. In 1886, a new hotel, later known as the boarding house or dormitory, several more cottages, and a boathouse were added. Naegele suffered poor health while starting his resort, forcing a move to better climates in Montana. In 1889, Naegele sold the hotel complex to Reinhold Zeglin, whose family had taken possession of it at the end of the summer season in August 1888.

Zeglin, a German immigrant like Naegele, made plans for a third hotel, designed to sleep one to two hundred guests. With this added space, numbers of hotel guests began to rise. Part of the draw was Zeglin’s addition of a bowling alley and Sunday concerts to amuse his guests. He also added a laundry, dining room, kitchen, and pavilion to his new hotel. In 1895, Zeglin rented Coney Island Hotel and resort to Emil Krueger of Stillwater but he returned to run his island resort in 1896.

The resort’s reputation was growing. Guests came to stay for periods of weeks or months, with many remaining all summer. Some, like Emile Amblard, “Duke of Clearwater Lake”, stayed permanently. Amblard, a French winemaker and businessman, came to visit and loved the island and town so well that he remained the rest of his days. Guests came from nearby Minneapolis/St. Paul and elsewhere in Minnesota. Others came from New York, Ohio and Illinois, or as far away as Europe and South Africa. There were even some famous guests. The guest register from June 20, 1896 shows silver-screen movie star Sarah Bernhardt staying at the hotel. Between 1903 and 1905, the University of Minnesota Gohper’s held pre-season practices on the island’s football field.

Zeglin’s sons took over the resort in 1909. However, business was beginning to slow by 1919 due to outside factors. The car allowed people to travel further with more ease than trains. With this new flexibility, vacationers traveled further and longer, spending summers in other states rather than locally. In 1927, the name was changed from Coney to Paradise Island, to encourage more guest visits. The name would not last. The Zeglin family sold the resort in 1939 to Frank Dvorak.

Frank “Shorty” Dvorak bought land on the island in 1939, soon adding a dance hall, a restaurant, and more cabins. The island became a weekend dinner/dancing spot, rather than a resort. Dvorak sold the complex to the Day Camp Company in 1959. The island deteriorated due to lack of proper maintenance, and their contract defaulted back to Dvorak in 1960. He was the last owner who operated the island as a place for entertainment.

Since 1960, the island has had many private owners. Vandalism and time took their toll on the island. In 1975, efforts were started to rehabilitate the island, lead by the Waconia Bicentennial Committee’s Island Committee. In 1977, a study was conducted by Dunwiddie Architects on the island and its possible uses. A year later, Coney Island of the West was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the twenty-first century, there have been many ideas on restoring the island, but so far, high costs have prevented development. The current owner has plans to turn the island into a public park.

Turning Point: Coney Island helps turn the city of Waconia into a summer tourist spot, especially during the peak years between 1890 and 1910.

Chronology:

• March 1884: Josephine Hassenstaab sells the 31.85-acre island to Lambert Naegele for $5,200. He builds a hotel and roads soon after, and divides the rest into plots to sell to private owners.
• 1886: Naegele adds a new hotel building, later known as the boarding house or dormitory, several more cottages, and a boathouse to the island.
• August 1888: the Reinhold Zeglin family moves onto Coney Island to take over the resort.
• 1889: Naegele officially sells the hotel complex to Reinhold Zeglin.
• 1895: Zeglin rents Coney Island Resort to Emil Krueger of Stillwater. The Zeglin family moves to a home on the mainland.
• 1896: Reinhold Zeglin resumes control of Coney Island Resort.
• 1899: The Zeglin moves back into their home on the island, in the original hotel building.
• June 20, 1896: The Coney Island Hotel guest register shows silver-screen movie star Sarah Bernhardt as a guest.
• 1903-1905: The Minnesota Gopher’s football team uses the Island’s football field for pre-season practices.
• 1909: The sons of Reinhold Zeglin take over running the hotel and resort.
• 1927: The Zeglins change the name of the Island to “Paradise Island,” though the name does not stick.
• 1939: The Zeglins sell Coney Island Hotel and resort.
• 1940: Frank “Shorty” Dvorak begins additions on the island, soon adding a dance hall, restaurant, and more cabins. The island becomes a weekend dinner/dancing spot.
• 1959: Frank Dvorak sells the island to the Day Camp Company; they let the island and buildings deteriorate and the contract defaults back to Dvorak in 1960.
• 1975: The Waconia Bicentennial Committee creates the Island Committee in an attempt to revitalize the island.
• 1977: A study is conducted by Dunwiddie Architects on the island and its possible uses.
• 1978: Coney Island of the West is placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

---

BIBLIOGRAPHY

“Began Building Largest Hotel on Coney Island of the West”. Weekly Valley Herald, September 27, 1888.

“Coney Island Nominated for National Registry”. Waconia Patriot, January 29, 1976.

“Coney Island Storm Swept”. Young America Eagle, August 26, 1904.

“Coney Island of the West Has Been Purchased by Reinhold Zeglin”. Weekly Valley Herald, August 16, 1888.

“Coney Island: Waconia is Devastated”. Waconia Patriot, August 26, 1904.

“Coney Island Will be Beautified”. Weekly Valley Herald, February 25, 1886.

“Island Sold. Soon to Be “Coney Island””. Weekly Valley Herald, March 13, 1884.

Lahr, Grace. “A History of Events in the Development of Coney Island and Clearwater Lake”. Waconia Patriot, April 17, 1975.

“Put Up a Bowling Alley on Coney Island”. Weekly Valley Herald, May 16, 1889.

“Record Made at Coney Island Hotel”. Waconia Patriot, September 5, 1918.

“The Island Hotels, Crowded to Capacity”. Weekly Valley Herald, July 21, 1898.

“Waconia Cyclone “. Educational program. Carver County Historical Society.

Waconia Heritage Association. Waconia, Paradise of the Northwest: The Lake and Its Island. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company, 1986.

---

RELATED RESOURCES

Primary:

Miller Dunwiddie Architects, Inc. “Coney Island of the West”. Research and planning study of Coney Island of the West, Waconia Lake, Carver County, Minnesota : for the city of Waconia. Minneapolis, MN: Miller Dunwiddie Architects, Inc., 1979.

Monasch, Isador. “Coney Island of the West in Clearwater Lake”. Cartographic map. Minneapolis, MN:1870.

[Secondary]

Holcombe, Maj. R.I., editor. Compendium of History and Biography of Carver and Hennepin Counties, Minnesota. Henry Taylor and Company: Chicago, 1915.

 Lofstrom, Ted and Lynne VanBrocklin Spaeth. Carver County: A Guide to Its Historic and Prehistoric Places. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1978.

Tremblay, Ruth and Lois Schulstad. Images of America: Carver County. Arcadia Publishing: Charleston, South Carolina, 2011.

[Web]

Explore Our City- History of Waconia. City of Waconia website. Accessed March 15, 2013. http://www.waconia.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={1490747B-B025-4B8F-97F5-553A10427D7C}

---

Images/Audio/Video

AV-80-1488. Photograph Collection, Carver County Historical Society, Waconia. Postcard “Main Building of Coney Island”Northwestern Importing Co. [Description]: This shows the original hotel building, which also sometimes served as a private residence to the hotel and resort owners. Rights held by the CCHS.

AV-80-1490. Photograph Collection, Carver County Historical Society, Waconia. Postcard “Cottages at Coney Island Hotel”Northwestern Importing Co. [Description]: This image shows some of the many cottages built as part of the resort, to be rented out by guests. Rights held by the CCHS.

AV-80-1492. Photograph Collection, Carver County Historical Society, Waconia. Postcard “Dormitory at Coney Island Hotel” Northwestern Importing Co. [Description]: This image shows the second hotel building, which later became the boarding house, or dormitory, for hotel staff. Rights held by the CCHS.

 

---

“This article used with the permission of MNopedia, operated by the Minnesota Historical Society, under a Creative Commons License. No changes have been made to the article’s content.”

 

County resident O.D. Sell founded the Carver County Historical Society (CCHS) in 1940. The original task was to collect and preserve the history of Carver County and Minnesota. He had a large personal collection of objects relating to the county’s history that he wanted to share with the public. This forms the core of the CCHS’ collection.

In the beginning, the CCHS had no permanent home. For the first few years, the collection was stored in attics and barns. Sell, a Mayer resident, was then allowed to use space in the city’s school building. A few years later, in the mid-1940s, the CCHS moved to Waconia. The collection was again stored in different buildings. It was made up of mainly pioneer and American Indian objects, as the focus was on collecting historic objects at this time. The Society was not yet collecting contemporary pieces, though donations were beginning to be accepted.

Sell was the first president of the organization, serving through its first twenty years. He created a strong working relationship between the CCHS and the county government. Carver County has helped fund the Society for many years. In 1960, the CCHS and the county worked together to raise money to build a permanent home for the CCHS. That same year, the CCHS lost long-time director O.D. Sell. He died shortly before the new building opened. From Sell’s death in 1960 through the mid-1980s, there was no professional staff. Volunteers ran the CCHS, performing all the jobs of the organization. This included putting together exhibits, allowing public visitation, and helping guests with research in the archives and collections.

Over time, the CCHS building grew too small for the growing number of school groups who came to visit. The collection was outgrowing its storage space as well. After years of planning and fund raising efforts, construction began on an addition in 1996. The newly renovated building opened on January 1, 1997. The new section included staff offices, a research library, a boardroom and three new gallery spaces. This freed up other space for an education classroom and the growing collection. The CCHS also owns a house to store the bigger collection pieces, and a historic log granary on the county fairgrounds.

The CCHS is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. Its mission is to collect, preserve and interpret the history of Carver County. The organization and its staff spend their time on keeping a working collection of county related artifacts and records of past events. Carver County history is taught to the public through exhibits and programming. The CCHS also helps support the exhibits and work of four affiliate organizations in the county. These are the Chaska Historical Society, the Chanhassen Historical Society, the Wilkommen Heritage and Preservation Society of Norwood Young America, and the Watertown Area Historical Society.

The goal of and vision for the CCHS is to be the leading organization for Carver County history and preservation. These goals are achieved daily through grant funded projects and library research. Exhibits in the museum and partner organizations share history with the public. Programming is offered for schools, senior and adult groups, and families. A few of the exhibit, research, and collection pieces of significance include the library of the Deutscher Leseverein Bibliothek, the archives of Benton Township, the Andrew Peterson collection, copies of every county newspaper, the Choosing Carver County gallery on the counties immigrants and early settlers and the Extraordinary Sacrifices military gallery. In the twenty-first century, the CCHS has finished indexing all county newspapers into a searchable online database. The CCHS has moved the 13,000+ photograph collection into better storage, and scanned all photographs for ease of access through computers.

Turning Point: The Carver County Historical Society, founded in 1940 to collect and preserve the history of Carver County, received funding for a permanent home in 1960, allowing the Society to greatly expand it exhibit, research and program offerings to the public..

Chronology:

• 1940: The Carver County Historical Society is founded by O.D. Sell of Mayer. He becomes the first president of the organization.
• 1944-1945: The CCHS moves from Mayer to nearby Waconia.
• 1960: Carver County builds a structure for the CCHS in Waconia.
• 1960: O.D. Sell passes away.
• 1960: The CCHS is run by a volunteer staff, and will be for the next two decades.
• 1980s: The first paid staff is hired at the CCHS.
• 1996: Construction begins on an expansion of the CCHS building.
• January 1, 1997: The newly expanded CCHS opens to the public.

---

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Carver County Historical Society. “2009-2019 Strategic Plan”. Strategic Plan. Carver County Historical Society, 2009.

“Carver County Museum Moved to Waconia”. Carver County News, July 13, 1944.

“County Historical Society in Process of Moving Into New Building”. Waconia Patriot, June 8, 1961.

“County Historical Society President Dies at 84”. Norwood Times, March 10, 1960.

“Historical Society Building Contract is Awarded”. Waconia Patriot, September 1, 1960.

---

RELATED RESOURCES

Primary:

“31-Ton Tank Arrives for Historical Society”. Waconia Patriot, December 14, 1961.

Anderson, Keith. “Of Historical Importance”. Waconia Patriot, November 21, 1996.

Brown, Leanne. “Collecting, Preserving and Interpreting History”. Chaska Herald, December 9, 2004.

“Care is Urged”. Weekly Valley Herald, January 22, 1942.

“Carver County Historical Society Guards Many Treasures of Area”. Carver County News, August 18, 1949.

“Carver County Historical Society Home”. Young America Eagle, May 31, 1940.

Johnson, Dr. Hildegard Binder. “Dr. Hildeg Johnson, Historian, Librarian Praises Co. Museum”. Waconia Patriot, December 3, 1942.

Sell, O.D. “What a Historical Society Means to Carver County”. Waconia Patriot, November 14, 1940.

“State Grant to Fund Introduction of County History Into Schools”. Norwood Times, July 27, 1978.

Transcending Time: Carver County Historical Society. Quarterly Newsletters, Carver County Historical Society, Waconia.

“Waconia Designated as Logical Place. . .Historical and Veteran’s Building to be Erected”. Weekly Valley Herald, May 22, 1947.

White, Elizabeth. “County Historical Society Celebrates 50 Years”. Chanhassen Villager, April 19, 1990.

Secondary:

Carver County: Today and Yesterday. Compiled by the Carver County Statehood Centennial Committee, 1958.

Holcombe, Maj. R.I., ed. Compendium of History and Biography of Carver and Hennepin Counties, Minnesota. Henry Taylor and Company: Chicago, 1915.

“Local Societies at Work: Carver County Historical Society”. Minnesota History, 23 No. 3 (September 1942): 253-303. http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/23/v23i03p253-303.pdf

“Local Societies at Work: Carver County Historical Society”. Minnesota History, 25 No. 4 (December 1944): 368-412. http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/25/v25i04p368-412.pdf

“Local Societies at Work: Carver County Historical Society”. Minnesota History, 28 No. 3 (September 1947): 269-308. http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/28/v28i03p269-308.pdf

“Local Societies at Work: Carver County Historical Society”. Minnesota History, 30 No. 1 (March 1949): 50-95. http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/30/v30i01p050-095.pdf

Lofstrom, Ted and Lynne VanBrocklin Spaeth. Carver County: A Guide to Its Historic and Prehistoric Places. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1978.

Tremblay, Ruth and Lois Schulstad. Images of America: Carver County. Arcadia Publishing: Charleston, South Carolina, 2011.

Warner, George E. and Charles M. Foote. History of the Minnesota Valley: Carver County. Reprint. Carver County Historical Society, 1986. Originally published in George E. Warner and Charles M. Foote, History of the Minnesota Valley, Minneapolis: North Star Publishing Company, 1882.

---

Images/Audio/Video

AV-81-6268 Photographic print “O.D. Sell” [Description]: Carver County Historical Society exhibit 1942 at the Carver County Fair. Waconia, Minnesota. Rights held by the CCHS.

Watercolor image.“Museum_Watercolor” [Description]: a watercolor image image of the front of the Carver County Historical Society building. 2008. Rights held by the CCHS.

---

“This article used with the permission of MNopedia, operated by the Minnesota Historical Society, under a Creative Commons License. No changes have been made to the article’s content.”