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

State and federal census records for Carver County on microfilm

• 1850, 1857, 1860, 1865, 1870, 1875, 1880, 1885, 1895, 1900, 1910, 1920
  [There is no 1890 census. There is an index to the 1860 and 1870 censuses.]

Carver County naturalization records on microfilm

Plat maps on microfilm

• 1916 plat book of the State of Minnesota
• Collection of Minnesota County Atlases Anoka-Cottonwood
• Carver 1898 and 1925

Plat maps

• 1880, 1898, 1916, 1927; 1940s–present

Sanborn Fire Insurance maps of Chaska and Carver

• 1885–1925 on microfilm

Local history books

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

Carver County newspapers on microfilm

• Carver County Democrat 1859 (part)
• Carver Free Press 1884–1897
• Valley Transcript 1862 (part)
• Chanhassen Sailor 1988–1990
• Chanhassen Villager 1988–present
• Chaska Herald 1862–1880; 1882–present
• East Union News 1891–1899
• Norwood Times 1890–present
• Waconia Carver County News 1887–1897
• Waconia Patriot 1903–present
• Watertown Carver County News 1897–1903; 1941–present
• Young America Eagle 1904–1943; 1945–1947

Other newspapers covering Carver County on microfilm

• Lester Prairie Journal 1897–1991
• Lester Prairie News 1901–1980

Newspaper index

• Articles index according to individuals, organizations, businesses, government bodies and subjects.
• The Young America Eagle is fully indexed.
• The Waconia Patriot is indexed to 1994.
• The Chaska Herald is indexed to 1940.

County birth index*

• 1870–1936

County marriage index*

• 1856–1985

County death index*

• 1870–1991

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

Photograph Collection

• Over 10,000 photographs indexed alphabetically by surname and by subject.

Various family histories

• Compiled and donated to the Historical Society by family members.

Personal Papers

• Items of interest are letters, clippings, journals, and scrapbooks.

Oral Histories

• Carver County Veterans of World War II.

Cemetery Records

• Including most of the cemeteries for the townships of Carver County.

Church Records

• Centennial books, histories; Catholic Church records on microfilm.