The official source of “the Minnesota Pickle” and creators of the State Fair pickle line, Gedney Foods is an iconic Minnesota company, with products distributed throughout the Midwest. Founded in 1880, Gedney continues to grow one of the more successful pickle brands in the United States.

Matthias Anderson Gedney founded the M.A. Gedney Company. He was born in Patterson, New Jersey on October 24, 1822. Gedney spent much of his youth and early adulthood at sea as a merchantman and in the navy. In 1849, he joined the California gold rush, making enough money to start a small trade business and marry Calista Jane Bailey. Gedney first got involved in the pickle business in 1863. That year, Gedney and his family moved to Illinois. He began working for Northwestern Pickle Works near Evanston. While in Illinois, Gedney’s wife Calista passed away in 1874 after having twelve children, three of whom died as infants. Gedney left Northwestern Pickle Works in 1876 to join S.M. Dingee and Co., a pickle company in Chicago. He was related to the Dingee family through his mother-in-law, Eliza Dingee Bailey. In 1877, Gedney was remarried, to Anne Kirk.

In 1879, after years in the pickle business, Gedney decided to found his own company. Moving to Minneapolis, Gedney searched for local Minnesota farmers willing to grow cucumbers, a semi-tropical vine fruit not yet introduced to the state. In 1880, he founded the M.A. Gedney Pickling Co. with two of his five sons, Charles Bailey Gedney and John Parker Gedney. The first factory opened in 1881 on Lowry Avenue in north Minneapolis. By 1888, the company was successful enough that two other sons, Isadore Vallier and Henry Edwin, joined. The company was incorporated on April 23, 1888.

By 1893, the Gedney Pickling Co. was expanding. Factories were already established in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Chaska; Omaha and Kearney, Nebraska; and Mauston, Wisconsin. Expanded railway service ended the need for these local branches by the early 1900s. All Gedney factories outside of Minnesota were closed. In 1958, the Chaska branch was expanded and all pickle processing moved to this location. The company went national in 1999 to better compete with larger corporations.

In 1905, Gedney Pickles celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary. That same year, Matthias Gedney passed away. His youngest son, Isadore Vallier Gedney, succeeded him as head of the company. The company remained under the leadership of Gedney descendents. Isadore Gedney’s son-in-law Harry Augustus Tuttle, II succeeded him in 1945. Harry Tuttle’s son, Gedney Tuttle, took over in 1967, followed by his son, Jeffrey Tuttle in 1997. Other family members work in the factories or hold key positions.

When Gedney Pickles started in 1880, they offered only pickles. After opening a branch in Chaska in 1900, sauerkraut was added to the product line. The company soon added other vinegar-based products, such as mustard, relishes, olives, catsup (now commonly spelled ketchup), Worcestershire sauce, horseradish sauce and tobacco pepper sauce. None of these products are still produced except pickles and relishes. In 1940, bottled salad dressings were added, and in 1994, jams, both of which are still produced. The company began its State Fair Pickle line in 1991 with two varieties. This line grew to five pickle types and four different jams in 1994. In 2002, Gedney began production of all pickles for the Del Monte and Target Archer Farms brands.

Turning Point: In 1863, Matthias Gedney got his first job in the pickle business with Northwestern Pickle Works, beginning a lifelong passion for and business in pickles.

Chronology:

• October 24, 1822: Matthias Anderson Gedney is born in Patterson, New Jersey.
• 1849: M.A. Gedney joins the California gold rush, starting a small trade.
• 1863: Matthias Gedney joins the pickle industry, working for Northwestern Pickle Works near Evanston, Illinois.
• 1876: Gedney joins the S.M. Dingee and Co. pickle business in Chicago, Illinois.
• 1879: Matthias Gedney and family move to Minneapolis, where he encourages local farmers to grow cucumbers.
• 1880: The M.A. Gedney Pickling Co. is founded by Matthias Gedney and two sons, Charles Bailey Gedney and John Parker Gedney.
• 1881: The first Gedney pickle factory opens on Lowry Avenue in Minneapolis.
• April 23, 1888: The M.A. Gedney Pickling Co. is incorporated.
• 1893: The Gedney Co. has expanded into Minneapolis, St. Paul and Chaska; Omaha and Kearney, Nebraska; and Mauston, Wisconsin.
• 1905: The M.A. Gedney Pickling Co. celebrates twenty-five years. That same year, Matthias Gedney passes away. His son, Isadore Vallier Gedney succeeds him as head of the company.
• 1958: The Chaska factory expands; all operations and pickle processing is moved to Chaska.
• 1991: The State Fair product line is introduced by Gedney Foods.
• 1999: The Gedney Food Company expands nationally through increased distribution and purchase of Del Monte pickling plants.
• 2002: Gedney begins production of all Del Monte and Target Archer Farms brand pickles.

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Bibliography:

Burns, Christopher. “In the Hall of Minnesota’s Pickle King: M.A. Gedney Co. Relishes the Pickle Business.” Chanhassen Sailor, June 6, 1990.

Gedney Food Company website. Company History. http://www.gedneyfoods.com/Company/History

“Gedney Pickle Factory Will Locate Here.” Weekly Valley Herald, February 7, 1901.

“M.A. Gedney Co. Announces New Pickle Processing Plant.” Weekly Valley Herald, April 25, 1963.

“The Pickle Factory.” Weekly Valley Herald, June 26, 1902.

Schettler, Joel. “Gedney’s Makes Move- From ‘Minnesota Pickle’ to ‘Minnesota Preserve’.” Chaska Herald, April 28, 1994.

Tuttle, Gedney. The Minnesota Pickle: A History of the M.A. Gedney Company. Edina: Lily Pad Publishing, 2009.

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Related Resources:

[Primary]

“Charley Gedney Was Up From St. Paul.” Weekly Valley Herald, April 24, 1902.

“Gedney Factory Has Fine Record of Production.” Weekly Valley Herald, January 7, 1954.

“Pickle Professor.” Waconia Patriot, May 15, 2008.

“To Get a Pickle Station.” Lester Prairie Herald, December 31, 1908.

[Secondary]

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

Frank, Melvin Lynn. “In North Minneapolis: Sawmill city Boyhood.” Minnesota History, 47 no. 4 (Winter 1980): 141-153. http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/47/v47i04p141-153.pdf

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

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

M.A. Gedney Company. Picklicious : 125 Extraordinary Recipes : A Cookbook for People who are Passionate about Pickles. Chaska: M.A. Gedney Company, 2005.

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

[Web]

Gedney Food Company website. http://www.gedneyfoods.com/

 

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Images/Audio/Video

AV-81-9028.
Photograph Collection, Carver County Historical Society, Waconia
Photographic print
“Gedney Pickle Plant”
Description: Image shows a side view of the exterior of the Chaska pickling factory. The image shows the vats used to brine the pickles.
Rights held by the CCHS.

 

AV-86-9248
Photograph Collection, Carver County Historical Society, Waconia
Photographic print
“Gedney Sign”
Description: Shows a man standing to the left of the Gedney sign, outside the Chaska factory. Circa 1980s.
Rights held by the CCHS.

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“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 parish of St. Hubert’s is one of the oldest in the county. Many years before becoming the City of Chanhassen, the community went by the name St. Hubertus in honor of this parish. The church has played a central role in the community life of that town since it was organized. Named for Saint Hubert, who lived in Belgium in the 600s, converted to Christianity, gave all his money to the poor, and became a missionary bishop, his life has become a guide for the church and its parishioners.

            Father Magnus Maria Mayr, O.S.B., organized the parish of St. Hubert’s Church in 1865. It was his belief that German immigrants should preserve their culture here in America rather than trying to be too “American”. He believed this preservation would happen only by the settlers settling, worshipping, and attending school together. The German Catholic community around St. Hubert’s was his attempt to accomplish this.

The original church was a small log cabin, only 18 x 24 feet, built on land donated by Henry Pauly, Sr. and additional land purchased by the congregation. That structure was used until a new pastor was appointed in 1872. The story goes that Reverend Father William Lette refused to offer mass until the congregation built a new, nicer frame church. Father Aloysius Wewer was appointed in 1877, the first in a long line of Franciscans who served at the church.

Father Wewer was replaced by Father Ambrosius Jannssen, who in 1881 began construction of a 2-story brick structure that would serve as both a school and residence for the Franciscan nuns who worked at the school. That structure burned shortly after, with a new one replacing it. A wing was added on in 1894, consisting of 2 classrooms and a hall. The Sisters of St. Benedict came to teach at St. Hubert’s in 1895.

Around this time, Archbishop John Ireland was encouraging German-Catholic settlement in Minnesota, as a way to grow and expand the Catholic Church here. In 1887, the village around St. Hubert’s was turned over to the diocese, and platted as St. Hubertus. All streets were named after Saints: St. Aloys, St. Claire, St. Francis, St. Joseph, and St. Mary. Main Street was St. Hubert, which it would stay up through the mid-1900s. The village remained as St. Hubertus until it was incorporated as Chanhassen on April 21, 1896. Archbishop Ireland also oversaw dedication of the newly constructed St. Hubert’s church. Construction began on this in 1887, led by Reverend Fulgentius Eich. It was completed in 1888.

St. Hubert’s Church became the center of daily town life in Chanhassen up through at least the 1940s. Life revolved around church, school, work, festivals and holy days. The baby boom after WWII caused need of a larger school, which opened in 1957. In the twenty-first century, that building is home to Chapel Hill Academy. Expansion continued after that, with a new church in 1976 and the old brick school being torn down in 1974, with the latest being the new school and church built in 1997.

The brick 1888 church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. That same year, the structure was leased by the city for $1 per year, and was used by the Colonial Church at Heritage Square as headquarters.

In the twenty-first century, the students and parish of St. Hubert’s remain active in community events and social justice activities. Among the festivals and activities, past and present, are: the ReDiscover Celebration, the German Festival, the Feast of St. Hubert, the Knights of Columbus, Feed My Starving Children, Sharing and Caring Hands, MealTrain, and the Harvest Festival.

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Related Resources

[Primary]

St. Hubert’s website. Historic St. Huberts. Accessed August 15, 2014. www.sthubert.org/historic-st-huberts

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

[Secondary]

“City Attempts to Preserve Old St. Hubert Church.” Chanhassen Villager, March 9, 1995. 

“Fate of Historic Church in Question.” Chanhassen Villager, December 4, 2008.

“Future is Unknown for Old Landmark Church.” Chanhassen Villager, September 6, 1990.

“Golden Jubilee: St. Hubert’s Catholic Parish of Chanhassen 50 Years Old.” Weekly Valley Herald, November 11, 1915.

“Keeping the Past Alive- Parish, City Look to Preserve St. Hubert’s.” Chanhassen Villager, October 21, 1993.

“On The National Register of Historic Places.” Chanhassen Villager, March 15, 2007.

“St. Hubert’s To Build $230,000.00 School Building.” Weekly Valley Herald, April 19, 1956.

“The Historic St. Hubert’s Building Dedicated in 1888 Has Closed.” Chanhassen Villager, August 6, 2009.

“Traditions Kept Alive at St. Hubert’s.” Chanhassen Villager, January 7, 1988.

The United States has always been known as the “melting pot”, with good reason. Minnesota and Carver County are no strangers to this term either. Immigrants made Minnesota and Carver County what they are today. The first peoples who lived in this area were Dakota and Ojibwe American Indian groups, until the treaty period began in earnest. Then, immigrants flooded in, first from Eastern states, and later from Western Europe.

            From 1850 to 1900, Minnesota’s population boomed from fewer than 6,100 people to 1.75 million. Over the years, Minnesota has been a destination of choice for Germans, Norwegians and Swedes, for the similar climates and good farmland. Other groups that came in smaller but still large numbers were the Irish, Czechs, Russians, Ukrainians, Polish, Finnish, and Italians. They were fleeing war, famine, land inheritance practices, and disease, or simply looking for more opportunity and a better future.

            The official election paperwork for 1896 attests to this growing diversity, being printed in nine languages in all: English, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, French, Czech, Italian and Polish. In Carver County, this diversity can be seen in the community places names that linger to this day and the ghost towns of old: Gotha, Swede Lake, Hamburg, Helvetia, Scandia, Cologne, Dahlgren, and Schnappsburg. In the 2000 U.S. Census, 4 million Americans claimed Swedish ancestry, with Minnesota having the most inhabitants of Swedish descent at 9.6% of the 2005 population. Also according to the 2000 census, 44.3% of Carver County citizens claim German heritage (largest percentage in any MN county) and in MN as a whole, 37.9% of citizens claim German heritage (largest of any of the 50 states).

            In the twenty-first century, the countries of emigration have shifted. No longer from Western Europe, most today are from Asian-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and African countries. In 2011, 389,000 Minnesotans were foreign-born, with 179,000 U.S. born children with at least one foreign-born parent. These groups have spread across Minnesota, but nearly 80% still live in the 7-county metro area: Washington, Ramsey, Anoka, Hennepin, Carver, Scott and Dakota. Many of today’s immigrants are fleeing persecution, war, genocide and disease. They hail from Mexico, Laos, India, Somalia, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Korea, Liberia, China, Thailand, Yugoslavia, Tibet, Kenya, the Philippines, Cambodia, Sudan, Bosnia, Eritrea, Brazil and the former Soviet Union. Ethnic and cultural groups include the Hmong, Tibetans, Buddhists, Oromo and Karen.

            As one of the coldest states, with harsh winters, why would many of these immigrants and refugees choose Minnesota and Carver County? Many come to join family, or for our strong economy with companies like Target and 3M. They come for the quality of life and educational opportunities. For some, they seek the high end research and medical positions. For others, it is the chances for unskilled work not requiring English proficiency. Minnesota also has a history and reputation of active volunteerism regarding immigration and refugee resettlement. There is the University of Minnesota’s Immigration History Research Center, the International Institute of Minnesota, the Minnesota Council of Churches: Refugee Services, World Relief Minnesota, and many more.

            In the twenty-first century, between 2000 and 2005, Minnesota’s African population grew by 23.89%, the Asian population by 21.43% and the Latino/Hispanic population between 30-50%. Each year, anywhere from 25-50% of Minnesota immigrants are refugees, compared to 8% for the U.S. as a whole.

            In Minneapolis Public Schools, as of 2012, more than 90 different languages are spoken. That number is rising in Carver County, according to the 2030 Comprehensive Plan. In Carver County’s largest district, Eastern Carver County Schools #112, 41 languages are spoken with 11% of students speaking a language other than English at home. Minnesota and Carver County continue to grow and change as a “melting pot” and remain a destination of choice for many.

 

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Carver County website. Carver County 2030 Comprehensive Plan. Accessed August 13, 2014. http://www.co.carver.mn.us/departments/LWS/docs/01_02_Intro_100427.pdf

The Advocates for Human Rights. “The Facts: Immigration in Minnesota.” Pamphlet. Accessed August 13, 2014.  http://www.energyofanation.org/sites/25e1f498-741c-478a-8a08-aa486d8533a5/uploads/immigration_in_minnesota.pdf

The Minneapolis Foundation. Immigration in Minnesota: Discovering Common Ground. Brochure. October, 2004.

United States Census Bureau website. American Fact Finder: 2000 Census. Accessed August 13, 2014.  http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/community_facts.xhtml

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 Secondary:

Gunderson, Tom. “They Came to Minnesota.” Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), May 3, 1999. http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/199905/03_gundersond_refugees-m/?refid=0

 Minnesota Historical Society website. “Becoming Minnesotan: Stories of Recent Immigrants and Refugees.” Accessed August 13, 2014. http://education.mnhs.org/immigration/

University of Minnesota IHRC website. “Immigration History Research Center and Archives.” Accessed August 13, 2014. http://www.ihrc.umn.edu/

What is a migrant worker? A migrant worker is someone who travels place to place in search of work, often following harvest schedules and weather patterns. Migrant workers often work the jobs not wanted by locals, involving hard labor, long hours, and little pay. One field common to migrant labor is farming, which means outdoor work in all weather, often bent or hunched to tend plants and weeds.

            While many migrant workers in Minnesota are Hispanic, especially in Carver County, they are by no means the only migrant workers in Minnesota or elsewhere in the U.S. For the purpose of this article, however, they will provide the focus as there is more data available. The 1900 and 1910 census data for Minnesota lists no Hispanic residents. 1920 lists one, then 1930 jumps to 54 (though these numbers may not be accurate as migrant workers were often classified under “white”). The reason for this initial growth in migrant labor was two-fold.

            A violent revolution in Mexico in the early 1900s caused many Mexicans to lose their livelihood and journey to Texas either legally or illegally. In Texas, they were discriminated against and confined to certain areas, forcing them to seek elsewhere for work. There were also major economic changes, and many Mexicans in Texas lost land or jobs. In Chaska, the Carver County Sugar Company, (later the Minnesota Sugar Company and then Crystal Sugar), opened its doors in 1906. A higher demand for sugar led to larger fields and more need for labor. During the “Campaign” from November to January (the planting, cultivating, and harvesting period), sugar beets required almost 24-hour a day labor. This led the sugar company to create housing along Stoughton Avenue and pay for travel expenses to be more attractive to migrants. The Immigration Act of 1924 limited immigrants from Europe, Asia and Africa, not Mexico. Many sugar factories sent recruiters south to Texas to find workers from Texas and Mexico.

            During the 1930’s, the numbers of migrant workers dropped. As people struggled by, prejudice against migrants taking work increased, and many migrant workers were deported to Mexico and their jobs given to a white man. The 1940’s saw a return of migrant workers with WWII taking many men away and the growth of the local canning industry with the Mayer Canning Company (later Green Giant) and the M.A. Gedney Pickling Company in Chaska. Jobs were found not only in the fields that supplied these companies, but in the factories themselves.

            The 1940’s also saw the start of the Bracero Program. Bracero is a term for laborer derived from the Spanish word brazo which means arm, as in “one who works with his arms”. On August 4, 1942 the United States concluded a temporary agreement for the use of Mexican agricultural labor (officially referred to as the Mexican Farm Labor Program), and the influx of legal temporary Mexican workers began. The program continued with the U.S. entry into the Korean War and continuing labor shortage. It was formalized by Congress with Public law 78 in 1951. Between 1942-1964, 4.6 million contracts were signed, with many returning year after year, making it the largest U.S. contract labor program. However, it could take months to recruit workers after getting through all the paperwork and red tape.

In the 21st century, more Hispanic people are choosing to make Carver County their permanent home, rather than passing through for work. Thousands of migrant workers still come to Minnesota each year, though many go to the Red River Valley and Willmar/Granite Falls/Montevideo areas instead. We may have fewer migrant workers in Carver County, but their history endures.

 

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Related Resources:

[Primary]

Bracero History Archive website. “About”. Accessed August 13, 2014. http://braceroarchive.org/about

The Invisible Hands That Feed Us. Traveling exhibit. Carver County Historical Society, 2013.

Machtemes, Elsie. “Harvesting Hopes.” Waconia Patriot, September 13, 1984.

 Olson, Mark W. “Fields of Memory.” Chaska Herald, October 23, 2009.

“Robinson Spends Two Months in Quest for Labor.” Weekly Valley Herald, May 27, 1943.

“Sugar Factory Ends Sixty-Three Day Run.” Weekly Valley Herald, December 4, 1952.

[Secondary]

“1915 Banner Year in History of the Minnesota Sugar Company.” Weekly Valley Herald, December 16, 1915.

“New Ruling for Beet Labor Made for 1938.” Weekly Valley Herald, August 18, 1938.

Norris, Jim. North for the Harvest: Mexican Workers, Growers, and the Sugar Beet Industry. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2009.

“Peterson Named Local Farm Help Recruiter.” Weekly Valley Herald, May 20, 1948.

“What Tony Can Teach Us.” Editorial. Chaska Herald, October 23, 2009.

 

Over the years, Carver County has been home to many creameries and dairy operations, but only two with any national acclaim or attention. Many are already familiar with Bongards Creameries, but Oak Grove Dairy once called Carver County home as well. In operation for over 70 years, Oak Grove Dairy left an indelible mark on the history of Carver County and Minnesota.

            Oak Grove Dairy’s long history began back in 1933. The operation started on a 24,000-acre farm located between Shakopee and Savage, started by George Benz. The operation grew quickly, and by 1936, it had outgrown its land and structures. The operation was relocated to the Norwood Creamery, and it became the permanent home of Oak Grove Dairy. The original plant had eleven staff and distributed only within Carver County. At the height of operation, it employed 266 staff and sold product to over 90% of Minnesota through over 2000 retailers.

In the earliest days of the creamery, patrons shipped cream to the dairy, later it was whole milk. There were two ways that the dairy got its supply: either delivered in milk cans by the farmers, or picked up by milk haulers. All milk cans were emptied, washed, and steam sterilized to be returned to farmers for the next batch. With increased mechanization, milk now goes from refrigerated bulk tanks on farms, into stainless steel tank trunks, to the plant. At its peak of operation, Oak Grove Dairy received milk from farmers in a seven county radius.

Over its years of operation, many changes and improvements were made at Oak Grove. In 1980, a blow mold was installed at the plant, allowed workers to make their own plastic bottles, furthering the change from milk cans and glass bottles to conveyor belts and plastic. In 1986, the plant was enlarged and modernized, increasing production to about 65,000 fluid gallons of milk each day. In 1988, Oak Grove Dairy stopped buying milk directly from farmers and producers, who then had to transport milk elsewhere, like Glencoe Butter. After this change, Oak Grove purchased its milk from Bongards Creameries, Glencoe Butter and Produce, the FDA (First District Association) and the NFO.

During this time, Oak Grove Creamery was an active part of its community. The company made donations to community events, aided in flood relief in 1997, served ice cream at events, and more. In March 1999, staffers served 3,200 ice cream cones over the course of two days at the Norwood Young America Farm and Home Show.

The beginning of the end started in 2000, when Oak Grove Dairy was sold from the Benz Family to Marigold Foods, Inc. This brought the company under the umbrella of Kemps’, as the parent organization. Management changed a few times in the next few years, until the decision was made to cease operations and close the plant in 2004. Operations were combined with the Duluth and Minneapolis plants, with some staff moving to work at the Minneapolis branch. All others had to seek new employment.

Many reasons were discussed for why this plant was closed, among them the decreasing number of dairy farms. The U.S. Department of Agriculture notes 650 dairy farms in Carver County in 1979, down to fewer than 150 in 2004. Many smaller operations throughout the state closed around this time, or consolidated with larger companies, just to survive financially. Whatever the reason for its closing, Oak Grove Dairy left its mark on Carver County history. Its name lives on in the Oak Grove City Center that’s stands in Norwood Young America in the twenty-first century.

 

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Related Resources:

[Primary]

Garrison-Sprenger, Nicole. “Big moo-ve: Kemps Closes Oak Grove Dairy in Carver Co.” Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, July 8, 2004. Accessed August 28, 2014.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2004/07/12/story6.html?page=all

Oak Grove Dairy. Oak Grove, Bottled in the Country. 1933-2004. Norwood, 2004.          

“Oak Grove Dairy Joins Marigold Family.” Kemps Limited Edition Article, Summer 2000.

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[Secondary]

“City Receives Grant for Oak Grove Project.” Norwood Young America Times, October 2, 2008.

“Oak Grove Celebrates 50 Years in Area with Open House Sunday.” Norwood Young America Times, April 24, 1986.

“Oak Grove Dairy, Milk For Army, Five Norwood Farmers Supplying Grade A Milk for Uncle Sam’s Soldiers at Fort Snelling.” Weekly Valley Herald, March 13, 1941.

“Oak Grove Project.” Norwood Young America Times, November 29, 2007.

“Oak Grove Will Be closing in NYA.” Norwood Young America Times, October 30, 2003.

“Twins Player Joins Oak Grove.” Norwood Times, October 26, 1967.

 

Carver County was formed in 1855. The first county seat was located in San Francisco Village in San Francisco Township. After just one short year, flooding and distance caused a vote to move the location of the county seat. It was moved to Chaska, where is has been ever since. Over the years, though, there have been very intense battles trying to remove the seat to a more central location. What follows are the details of these battles as gleaned from newspaper accounts of the time.

            Over the years, there was talk and debate in 1870, 1872, 1880 and most intensely in 1920 about removal of the county seat from Chaska to either Benton or Waconia. During the winter of 1870, a select committee of Carver County residents took a resolution to the state Legislature to introduce plans to allow county residents to vote on where the county seat would be located- Chaska, Waconia or Benton. When nothing came of this, Waconia residents teamed with Benton to have the seat moved there in 1872. In responses in the Chaska paper, it was asked if taxpayers could afford the debt of a new building. That attempt, too, was dropped. The 1880 attempt to move the seat to Waconia never got past the discussion stage, and was mentioned in only one issue of one paper.

This brings us to the most elaborate and intense attempts at removal, which occurred between April and June of 1920. In this case, the removal battle was between the cities of Waconia and Chaska. This battle involved many back-and-forth arguments, accusations, ridicule and mudslinging. The Waconia County Seat Removal Committee argued that the county seat should be centrally located, as it was unfair to make people in the northern and western parts of the county travel 20-30 miles to Chaska when other cities only had to travel six miles. A later article presented three arguments: economy, convenience, and cost.

For economy, it was argued the county would pay out less in mileage and fees to those making the trip to be jurors, etc. For convenience, they argued “At present, the people in the north and west end of the county who pay the same rate of county tax, fulfill the same obligations to serve on juries and attend court and have business before the commissioners and in probate court the same as do citizens of the east end of the county, are required to travel 20-30 miles across the county [. . .] It is a matter of justice that all the people of the county should have equal opportunity to share in its facilities and participate in the activities of government.” The third argument was that the cost of new buildings to replace the dilapidated ones in Chaska would be minimal. A petition was signed by 2,471 people, what they said was 83% of people outside Chaska, calling for a public vote.

Chaska’s Civic Committee responded with arguments questioning how the committee got signatures on the petition, touting the small number of signers (2,471 out of 4,000), and saying the proposed building costs were laughable, and telling the “intelligent, thrifty, and progressive” taxpayers not to be fooled. Arguments then turned into accusations back and forth, using sensational language like “ludicrous”, “the fight is on”, “real arguments only will count”, arguments “seem plausible on the surface but underneath are only an empty shell”, ideas were “ludicrous in the extreme”, and “Chaska fires opening gun. . .deadly missile was filled with hot air.”

The public vote was held June 18, 1920, and resulted in Chaska’s favor. With the largest vote in the history of the county up to that time, Waconia received 1,989 votes to Chaska’s 2,372. A massive victory celebration was held in Chaska.

In 1951, prominent brickyard and bank owner Charles Klein passed away, leaving a bequest of $500,000 for a new courthouse, on the condition that it be built in Chaska. In 1962, a bond for $850,000 was brought to vote in the county, to supplement Klein’s fund. The bond passed and a new courthouse was constructed in Chaska to replace the small, outdated, historic courthouse. One paper claimed, “it’s conceivable [Klein’s] bequest stopped another county seat struggle from materializing.” Klein was active in town in the 1920’s, and was most likely familiar with the feud. Whether or not those were his true reasons for the bequest, or just to support his town, history may never no. There were no more county seat battles after that time, however. The county seat was, and remains, in the city of Chaska.

 

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“Carver County, The Way it Was . . .Removing the County Seat to Chaska.” Waconia Patriot, February 12, 1976.

“Carver County Will have Red-Hot County Seat Fight.” Waconia Patriot, April 15, 1920.

“Chaska Fires Opening Gun. . .Deadly Missile was Filled with Hot Air.” Young America Eagle, April 30, 1920.

“Chaska Victory in County Seat Fight . . .Largest Vote in History of County.” Weekly Valley Herald, June 24, 1920.

“Cost of Removal Will Not Be Burdensome.” Waconia Patriot, April 15, 1920.

“County Commissioners Announce Courthouse Steering Committee.” Weekly Valley Herald, October 4, 1962.

“County Seat of Carver County Should Be Centrally Located.” Waconia Patriot, April 8, 1920.

“County Seat Question.” Weekly Valley Herald, October 17, 1872.

“County Seat Question.” Weekly Valley Herald, March 4, 1880.

“County Seat Removal.” Weekly Valley Herald, October 3, 1872.

“County Seat- Resolution.” Weekly Valley Herald, February 3, 1870.

“Courthouse Site Selected.” Weekly Valley Herald, January 10, 1963.

“Issue Passes in Record Vote.” Weekly Valley Herald, November 8, 1962.

“Petition Filed- The Fight is On. Tell The Truth- Don’t Garble.” Young America Eagle, May 14, 1920.

“Real Arguments Only, Will Count.” Weekly Valley Herald, April 22, 1920.

“Removal of the County Seat.” Weekly Valley Herald, January 25, 1872.

“Waconia Is Readily Accessible from All Parts of Carver County.” Waconia Patriot, May 13, 1920.

“What Others Say About County Seat Question.” Waconia Patriot, June 30, 1920.

“Why the Courthouse Should Be Moved.” Young America Eagle, June 18, 1920.

 

Secondary:

“60 Times $500,000 Equals What–?” Waconia Patriot, May 13, 1920.

“Additional Facts on Building Costs.” Young America Eagle, April 23, 1920.

“An Amusing Proposition.” Young America Eagle, April 30, 1920.

“A Real Hot Time in the Old Town” Weekly Valley Herald, June 24, 1920.

“Beware of Misleading Last Minute Rumors.” Weekly Valley Herald, June 17, 1920.

“Carver County’s Courthouse.” Weekly Valley Herald, June 3, 1920.

“Carver County Seat Removal Petition.” Young America Eagle, May 7, 1920.

“Grand Jury Members Say Chaska Doesn’t Tell The Truth.” Young America Eagle, May 7, 1920.

“That County Seat Question.” Weekly Valley Herald, April 15, 1920.

“The County Seat Question.” Waconia Patriot, April 1, 1920.

“The Victory Celebration.” Weekly Valley Herald, June 24, 1920.

“This is Our Chance!” Young America Eagle, June 11, 1920.

“Waconia Makes Bid for County Seat.” Weekly Valley Herald, April 8, 1920.

 

On May 6, 1965, Carver County was hit by severe tornadoes, as part of a larger tornado outbreak that was occurring across the central United States. The outbreak is considered one of the biggest natural disasters in the county’s recent history.

The tornadoes started in the early evening of May 6. At least six separate tornadoes swept through the townships of Young America, Waconia, Dahlgren and Laketown, destroying a large number of farms. The storms also caused heavy damage upon commercial and residential developments in Chanhassen[1]. The tornadoes, lasting four hours, started near Glencoe in McLeod County, and dissipated after running through the North Suburbs of Minneapolis in Hennepin County. They destroyed approximately 2,500 homes and caused an estimated fifty-two million dollars in property damage. A total of thirteen Minnesota residents died from the tornadoes, including three in Carver County.

The Young America and Waconia townships suffered the worst damage from the tornadoes, with local papers describing the result as “total destruction”. The path of destruction across the two townships was approximately a half to three-quarters of a mile wide and more than eight miles long. Across the two townships, all buildings were completely destroyed on twenty farms. In Young America, nine farms suffered from destruction of one or more of their buildings, as did three farms in Waconia.

Though not hit as badly, considerable damage was done to the townships of Dahlgren and Laketown, and the city of Chanhassen. Five farms in Dahlgren and eleven in Laketown all suffered the loss of one or more buildings. In Chanhassen, the tornadoes destroyed several business buildings and approximately one-third of its rural homes suffered partial damage, with heavier destruction reported on at least one of its farms.

Cleanup operations began on Friday, May 7. Some were able to salvage furniture and personal belongings, but for most it was a complete loss. With ruin and debris spread everywhere, nameplates from mailboxes were frequently the only things identifying one plot of farmland from another. Local organizations helped with the cleanup and recovery efforts, such as volunteer efforts made by students of local schools.

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“Tornado Losses”. Waconia Patriot, May, 13, 1965, 1.

“Tornadoes Hit At Chanhassen, 6:28”. Waconia Patriot, May 13, 1965, 3.

“Tornadoes Hit Carver County – Damage Severe”. Weekly Valley Herald, May, 13, 1965, 1, 12.

“Tornadoes Hit Area”. Lester Prairie News, May 13, 1965, 1, 6-5.

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[1] In 1965, what is now the city of Chanhassen was divided between the Chanhassen Township and the Village of Chanhassen. The township suffered rural damage, while the village suffered business and residential damage. The two communities merged in 1967 into what is now Chanhassen.

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http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/

The Camp Fire group was organized in 1910 by Dr. Luther Halsey Gulick, and his wife, Charlotte Vetter Gulick. It was designed as the female counterpoint to the Boy Scouts, providing opportunities for development of the “whole” girl. The first Camp Fire groups in Minnesota were organized in Minneapolis and St. Paul in 1912. These groups were charted in 1924. At first, these groups camped at a variety of sites, but wanted a permanent home of their own. This home was purchased in 1922.

After years of using sites owned by other groups, for a week at a time, the Minneapolis Camp Fire group leaders began searching for a permanent home. Camp Leader Margaret Fletcher, Mrs. Maude Armatage, and a local Rotary group worked together to locate a suitable property and pay for it, before turning control over to the Camp Fire group. The group found the old summer home of Governor John Lind, on Lake Minnewashta. This 64-acres was named “Camp Tanadoona”, which translates loosely as “living in the out of doors.”

Camp Tanadoona opened for its first season in 1925, with 207 girls in a 7-week season. Those girls camped out in tents, in relatively primitive conditions. Over the years since, many additions and improvements have been made to this camp, and other Camp Fire camps around the state. By 1929, there were 13 cabins, a dining hall, and one lodge. From the 1920’s through the 1950’s, additions included: screened cabins, Corona Lodge, Awanka Lodge, Shangra Lodge, Blue Bird Lodge, Katawa (“Place of Meeting”), and dining hall Tasiago. An area called Tenerra was built to provide a primitive camping experience for older youth. It was renamed Camp Matakaki after a Camp Fire girl’s death in the early 1980’s, and served as a camp within a camp for many years.

Other changes occurred at Camp Tanadoona in response to changes in parent organization Camp Fire Girls. In 1951, the national headquarters put out a call “for greater inclusiveness of all groups within all segments of membership.” Between 1964-1967, a national effort targeting low-income, inner-city girls was launched. And in 1974, Camp Fire expanded to include boys.

In the twenty-first century, Camp Tanadoona is 103 acres of forest and prairie on Lake Minnewashta. Summer camps are designed for youth from 5-17 years of age. These camps include day camps, resident camps, and trips to locations such as the Northwoods. Campers come from all over the metro, many provided scholarships to attend through a “Campership Fund.”  Camp Fire Minnesota only operates two camps in the twenty-first century: Camp Tanadoona in Chanhassen and Camp Bluewater, near Grand Rapids, MN.  As a Camp Fire outdoor program, Camp Tanadoona is grounded in helping youth achieve the following outcomes:

• Greater self-awareness and positive values
• Increased social skills and sense of belonging
• Increased knowledge of and appreciation for the natural environment
• Increased sense of competency and empowerment

It is one of the few remaining camps, operated by any organization, in the western suburbs or 7-county metro area.

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Camp Fire USA, Minnesota website. “Camp Tanadoona”. Accessed August 20, 2014. http://www.campfireusa-mn.org/centennial/camp_tanadoona.html

Camp Fire USA, Minnesota website. “Camp Fire in Minnesota Timeline.” Accessed August 20, 2014. http://www.campfireusa-mn.org/centennial/centennial_history.html

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

Secondary:

“Award Winner Named Director at Camp Tanadoona in Chanhassen.” Chanhassen Villager, April 26, 1990.

“Camp Tanadoona Offers Camp Options.” Carver County Herald, June 22, 1989.

“Camp Tanadoona- Pictures.” Chaska Herald, April 1, 2010.

Camp Manakiki was operated by the Pillsbury House in Minneapolis on the shores of Lake Waconia. The owners and staff wanted to offer a camp and nature experience to go along with the recreation program offered at their Settlement House. According to the camp brochure: “[Camp] presents an opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills which give the child a sense of achievement. It encourages broadmindedness, tolerance and understanding and brings out the value of co-operation both in work and in play. Above all it develops in the child self-direction, resourcefulness, and a creative attitude toward life.”

This camp was located in a few spots before finding a permanent home at Lake Waconia. Originally located on Bush Lake in Bloomington, that land had to be vacated. In Fall 1920, a committee was formed from the Board of Directors to find a new location. Committee member Walter Badger located land on Rock Lake in Eden Prairie. Three acres were purchased and the camp structures and supplies were moved before it was discovered that the lake had a poor bottom and the land nearby would not be available for expansion at any near date. Frustrated, Ed Currie, director of boys’ and mens’ work, went out driving in his 1912 Ford Touring car, vowing not to stop until a good location was found. He eventually reached the shores of Lake Waconia.

After finding the perfect location, Pillsbury House negotiated with landowner Frank Wagener to purchase four acres of his lakefront property, at $600.00 per acre, with the option of two additional acres as needed. The purchase was completed on June 21, 1921. The first building went up on the property in summer 1921, shortly after the land was purchased. That building was used for storing groceries and supplies. A main lodge was built later that winter- a 15 x 30 foot room with a stone fireplace, large dining porch, a kitchen/pantry, and a bedroom for the head worker. That first summer, 242 campers stayed twelve days at a time in primitive conditions- in tents with no floors or screens, on straw-filled mattresses, with drinking water over a half-mile away.

During the following seasons, many additions and improvements were added to the camp. The additional two acres were purchased first, a well was dug, and a newer, larger kitchen replaced the kitchen tent. Many sleeping cabins or bunkhouses were added, including one for nursery campers and their mothers. A station wagon, named the “Golden Chariot”, replaced the old 1912 Touring car to haul campers and supplies. By the 1930’s, the camp had indoor plumbing, a hospital, and a guest house. With the Indian mounds in the northwest corner of camp, campers and camp director Currie thought the camp needed an Indian name. The name “Camp Manakiki” was chosen, based on the Indian word for “maple grove” due to the large number of maple trees on the property.

Camp was open to anyone who would benefit from it: those needing physical build-up, those with built-up hostilities and emotional upsets, or just those wanting to experience outdoor living. By 1943, there were 27 buildings with modern equipment and a swimming pool. 900 children camped throughout the year. Soon after, a dance hall was added, and lessons became available for local residents not attending camp in swimming and Junior Life Saving.

Longtime director Ed Currie retired in 1963, with the position going to Yoshiro Tanji. The camp remained open throughout the late twentieth century, before being closed due to waning interest and decreased attendance.

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Camp Manakiki brochure. Pillsbury House, St. Paul, undated.

“Red Cross Swimming Lessons Offered.” Waconia Patriot, May 20, 1971.

“Swimming Lessons Available This Year at Camp.” Waconia Patriot, June 9, 1966.

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

Secondary:

“$15,000 Swimming Pool to be Built at Pillsbury Camp.” Waconia Patriot, October 14, 1937.

“302 Youngsters Have Enjoyed Pillsbury Camp Manakiki Facilities.” Waconia Patriot, July 24, 1947.

“775 Waconians Swim at Pillsbury, Camp Manakiki.” Waconia Patriot, July 18, 1957.

“Local Camp, lake to be Featured in Minneapolis Paper.” Waconia Patriot, July 5, 1945.

“Pillsbury Camp Celebrates 40th Birthday.” Waconia Patriot, July 7, 1960.

“Pillsbury Pool Opens to Youths.” Waconia Patriot, July 8, 1948.

“Waconia Men Cooperate in Improvement at Camp Manakiki.” Waconia Patriot, June 4, 1959.

Chaska has been the county seat since 1856 but that honor has not come without a fight. During the past 143 years there have been three battles for the Carver County seat.

Chaska, in fact, was not the first county seat. When Minnesota’s Territorial Legislature organized this county in 1855, they established the county seat at San Francisco Township. Like Chaska and Carver, San Francisco was founded on the Minnesota River and was seeing growth due to the settlers entering Carver County from the river. The Legislature, however, allowed the county’s voters to determine a permanent site for the county seat. San Francisco, Carver and Chaska all wanted the honor. The county seat would help secure continued prosperity for that community since many farmers bought their supplies when they paid their taxes at the county courthouse. There would also be a need for accommodations for those visiting on county business. In 1856, Chaska received 303 of the 525 votes and was awarded the county seat.

By the early 1870s, the issue of the county seat’s location was raised. Carver County’s population was now more spread out and citizens living in the central and western parts of the county felt that the county seat should be centrally located. They suggested that the county seat be moved to Benton or Waconia and signed a petition asking the state legislature to call a special election to address the location issue. The legislature never called the election and the issue died for another fifty years.

In 1920, a group of citizens formed the Carver County Seat Removal Committee whose goal was to move the county seat to Waconia. As in the 1870s, their issue was location. The committee said that the county buildings were in poor condition and since new buildings were needed anyway, the county seat should be moved to a central location. The Waconia Village Council even gave their permission to allow their village hall to be used as the county courthouse until a new county building could be built. The Waconia Patriot and the Young America Eagle ran numerous articles supporting the move to Waconia and worked feverishly to convince area residents to vote in favor of the move.

In Chaska, the Weekly Valley Herald was printing articles to convince their readers to vote against the move. County officials gave testimony that the county buildings were in fine shape and new buildings were unnecessary. Local citizens also formed their own committee called the Civic Association of Chaska to rally residents.

The battle raged for months in the local newspapers, each accusing the other of misrepresenting the truth. The election was held on June 18 and when the votes were counted, 1989 voted in favor of the move while 2372 voted against. Chaska remained the county seat.

To help prevent future county seat battles, C.H. Klein of Chaska left $500,000 to Carver County in his will for a new courthouse building. But there was a catch. The new courthouse building must be built in Chaska.

Today, automobiles and good roads have made the trip to the county courthouse manageable from anywhere in Carver County. And while county seat battles are a thing of the past, they do make for a lively chapter in Carver County’s history.