For a few years in the late sixties, Jonathan, Minnesota was the city of the future
Jonathan was one of the first “new towns” to be built in the United States.
Heidi Gould has a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of North Dakota and an M.A. in Museum Studies (focus in Museum Education) from Indiana University/Purdue University- Indianapolis (IUPUI). She has worked for the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. She is currently employed at the Carver County Historical Society as Education and Volunteer Coordinator.
Jonathan was one of the first “new towns” to be built in the United States.
The storm damaged much of the town, and five people were killed.
In its heyday, it drew artists and musicians from around the world.
Grimm turned a twenty pound bag of German alfalfa seed into a winter-hardy variety that thrived in Minnesota’s cold climate.
The main tourist attraction for Carver County, the theaters are a gem for musical theater enthusiasts.
Bongards’ Creameries began as a small local creamery, helping farmers to process their milk.
Founded in 1880, Gedney continues to grow one of the more successful pickle brands in the United States.
Carver was among the first white men to explore and map areas of Minnesota, and including what later became Carver County.
The community of Jonathan, located within the existing city of Chaska, attempted to organize design and growth in advance to better deal with urban sprawl.
Stiftungsfest celebrates the music and culture of Carver County’s German immigrants.
Developed as a resort drawing visitors from Minneapolis and St. Paul, Waconia’s Coney Island began to decline as personal mobility increased with the automobile.
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By Heidi Gould
Sept. 17, 2013