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Glatzel Papers

EDWARD GLATZEL

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Edward Glatzel (1898 - 1982) was a noted Chaska historian and proprietor of the Glatzel Shoe Shop for 60 years. He was born in Chanhassen Township, one of eight children and a descendent of Wendelin Grimm, the man who developed a strain of alfalfa strong enough to survive the Minnesota winters.

 

As a young man he spent winters working in his Uncle's harness shop. In 1922 a town shoe repairman quit business and customers asked his Uncle if he would provide the service. He worked from his Uncle's harness shop until 1930 when he moved to the West 2nd street location where he survived poor business during the 1930's to become a Chaska downtown fixture. His shop retained basically the same atmosphere it had from the beginning; most of the shoe repair equipment had been in his shop as long as himself. Through the years he gained a reputation as the town historian keeping shop bound notebooks which contained information about early township and city actions and residents plus obituaries.

The Chaska History Center has one of his shoe repair machines, donated by his family, in its permanent collection.

THE GLATZEL COLLECTION

Edward Glatzel was a lifelong Chaska resident known as the first historian of Chaska.  He compiled and indexed a collection of obituaries from local resources which are greatly helpful when doing genealogical research.  He wrote additional documents useful for local researchers which are available at the History Center.  

 

  • History of Grimm Alfalfa 

 

Part 1 (pdf)  by Frank Kelzer, grandson of Wendolin Grimm

Part 2 (pdf) Reprinted with permission From March 1938 issue of Minnesota History published by the Minnesota Historical Center

 

  • Excerpts from Pioneers of the Minnesota Valley

      List of people with a short history of each 

Index (pdf)
Pages 1 - 10 (pdf)
Pages 11 - 20 (pdf)
Pages 21 - 30 (pdf)

  • Short history of Chaska in 1858 as compiled by Edward Glatzel in 1970

Pages 1 - 10 (pdf)
Pages 11 - 20 (pdf)
Pages 21 - 30 (pdf)
Pages 31 - 40 (pdf)
Pages 41 - 55 (pdf)
Maps (pdf) Town of Chaska 1858

  • Birth and Death Records - complied from Chaska Herald pages by Edward Glatzel 1864 - 1960.  Stop in during our open hours to review this large set of records.

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