Carver County Historical Society

10/20/2026

It’s time to honor the predecessor of the belt today on . This fashionable accessory has had its ups and downs, but there’s no denying it has its appeal. Today is a great day to rock some suspenders, or like us, admire some through photographs. Here are some suspender-clad Carver County men of days gone by.

10/17/2026

15 minutes to Jan's presentation at the CCHS! Join us at 11am!

10/16/2026

Join us tomorrow, Saturday, October 17th at 11am to hear a presentation from Jan Hermelin, the president of the Swedish Andrew Peterson Society. Come learn what the society does and about Jan's new book set to debut in English soon on Apple books! If you enjoy learning about how groups use historical figures to connect to their history or are big fans of Vilhelm Moberg's Emigrant book series, then you won't want to miss this!

10/14/2026

Don't forget to join us this Saturday, October 17th for a special presentation! Jan Hermelin will be joining us to talk about the Swedish Andrew Peterson Society and his new book delving into all the ways Vilhelm Moberg used Andrew Peterson's diaries to inspire his novel series the Emigrants! This free presentation will start at 11am!

10/14/2026

As we’ve been sharing our new local author books, we’ve had some more authors join us. This week we have an author with a number of titles for you to choose from!
Featuring humor and the outdoors, we are lucky to be carrying the books by Mike Lein, who in his own words is a “semi-famous, award winning Minnesota author.” His award-winning books focus on the everyday life he’s experienced at his simple cabin Northen Minnesota. He calls them “mostly true” stories of life Up North. There are six books to choose from on our shelves, so stop by and take a look!

10/08/2026

Check out the program running after Chaska History Center's annual meeting next month!

LIFE OF A FARM WIFE: Museum in a Box

What did it really take to run a farm household more than a century ago? Come discover the hard work, creativity, and resourcefulness that shaped the everyday lives of Minnesota farm women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Presented by CHS volunteer Jayne Barden-Oddan

📅 Saturday, November 7, 2026
🕙 10:00 a.m.
📍 Chaska American Legion—Rose Room

The program follows the 9:00 a.m. Chaska Historical Society Annual Meeting.

Join us at 10:00 for the program!

10/07/2026

We will be at the Farm again Thursday, October 8th, for our final day of giving away pumpkins! Come out to the Peterson Farm between 10 am and 2 pm and pick out a pumpkin (or three) for you and the family!

We still have pumpkins and we're back out at the farm today, October 6th until 2pm. The pumpkins are free to anyone who'd like to come get a few! Feel free to knock on the farmhouse door to let us know you're here! If there are still some left over after today, we'll run again on Thursday this week, so check back later to find that announcement!

10/06/2026

We still have pumpkins and we're back out at the farm today, October 6th until 2pm. The pumpkins are free to anyone who'd like to come get a few! Feel free to knock on the farmhouse door to let us know you're here! If there are still some left over after today, we'll run again on Thursday this week, so check back later to find that announcement!

10/04/2026

Did you know that today is ? This fairly new holiday is dedicated to truckers and all they do to transport goods around the country. Trucking is not an easy job, requiring a lot of time on the road. As you can imagine, more time on the road means more chances for accidents to happen. Truck drivers work hard to be safe drivers, but some have truly incredible records. Take for example this Carver County man who was inducted into the Million Mile Club of the National Safety Council for driving a million miles without a preventable accident.

Carver County Herald, December 7, 1977

"East Union trucker named to safety club

A truck driver, who lives with his family on a small farm in the East Union area, has been admitted to lifetime membership in the exclusive Million Mile Club of the National Safety Council for driving more than one million miles without a preventable accident.

He is Dean J. McDonald, employed by Air Products and Chemicals Inc., Shakopee.
Membership to the international honor society is limited to professional drivers of any type of truck who have demonstrated their expertness and safety consciousness over many years.

McDonald received an engraved plaque as a gift. In addition, his name and organization have been entered on a permanent Roll of Honor at the National Safety Council headquarters in Chicago.

It takes a driver 10 to 12 years to accumulate one million miles of safe driving without a preventable accident."