Month: July 2021

125 Years Ago: From the July 30, 1896 Scott County Argus

Shakopee will have another fine business block forthwith. “All things come to him who waits,” it is said, and the corner site of the ill-fated American House of years ago will again be graced by a good-size structure. This property at the corner of Holmes and First streets was purchased several years ago by John Berens & Co., and while they have for some time contemplated building, it was not until this week that they decided to take the step. On Tuesday Mr. Berens paid $200 on his contract for brick, and yesterday the first load was delivered. The new block will, we understand, have an entrance on both streets, and its dimensions will be 25×100 feet, two stories high. Work will begin at once.

100 Years Ago: From the July 28, 1921 Shakopee Tribune

Work commenced Tuesday on the Minnesota river bridge here which is being replanked and repaired under the supervision of the state highway department. It is a much needed improvement and this bridge has been a rough one to travel over for some time.

75 Years Ago: From the July 25, 1946 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

Two Burglary Attempts Here

Courthouse, Elevator Entered During Night; Small Loss Reported

Attempts to burglarize the Scott county treasurer’s office in the courthouse and the Apple River Mill company office in Shakopee late Saturday or early Sunday were reported by Sheriff J. P. Wermerskirchen Monday.

Entrance to the courthouse is believed to have been made through the basement entry on the north side of the building.

The treasurer’s office door was jimmied and drawers ransacked, but the vault was undamaged.

According to Barbara Meyer, acting treasurer, about $15 in petty cash was stolen.

The Apple River office is also believed to have been entered through a door although several windows there showed signs of having been tampered with. There two drawers were rifled but no loss of cash was reported…

50 Years Ago: From the July 28, 1971 Shakopee Valley News

Scott Signal Contract Okayed

Estimated to Cost $35,000…

One more step in the continuing City Council program to provide control of traffic on First Avenue in Shakopee was taken Tuesday night when Council members formally approved a contract with the State Highway Department to install a signal light at the intersection of First and Scott Street.

The signal had been petitioned for by area residents and businessmen for years and was recently given priority above similar requests for signalization on the eastern portion of First Avenue…

25 Years Ago: From the July 25, 1996 Shakopee Valley News

Hospital moves; farewell open house is set for old St. Francis building

On Wednesday, after 58 years at its Fifth Avenue location, St. Francis Regional Medical Center moved to its new home, patients and all.

The new hospital is on the SouthValley Health Campus, located east of Marschall Road and south of the Shakopee Bypass.

For those feeling melancholy about the old hospital building, St. Francis has planned a farewell open house next Thursday, which the public is invited to attend…

125 Years Ago: From the July 23, 1896 Scott County Argus

Messrs. Henry Vierling and Ed Haack have made arrangements to open a barber shop in the Mergens block on Holmes street. The outfit they propose to put in is of the best, and includes revolving chairs, porcelain bath tubs, and all new furniture. They hope to be ready for business by Tuesday of next week.

100 Years Ago: From the July 21, 1921 Shakopee Tribune

Woman Wins Place on the Shakopee School Board

The annual school election for the Shakopee Independent School District, was held at the high school last Saturday evening and around an unusual amount of interest due to the fact that a woman had filed for membership on the school board. Contrary to the usual experience, a large crowd of voters turned out for the school election this year and a total of 356 ballots were cast.

The terms of Peter Ploumen and Dr. H. W. Reiter, as members of the board, had expired and both were candidates for re-election. In addition to the old members, the women had a candidate in Mrs. H. C. Schroeder who had also filed. The election proved to be a closely contested one and resulted in the election of Mrs. Schroeder to succeed Dr. Reiter and the re-election of Mr. Ploumen. The vote stood, Ploumen 220, Schroeder 199 and Reiter 187.

75 Years Ago: From the July 18, 1946 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

New Hearing on Rail Crossing Closing Is Assured Shakopee

Although no definite date has been set, H. E. Flynn, city attorney, has been assured that another hearing on the proposed closing of slow grade crossings of the Omaha railway here will be held before any further action on the matter is taken, it was learned.

The hearing is to be conducted by the Railroad and Warehouse commission, whose recent order closing the crossings to vehicular traffic evoked a resolution from the city council opposing the closing order.

50 Years Ago: From the July 21, 1971 Shakopee Valley News

Long Wait for Highway Bridge Is Indicated

Hopes for a bridge across the Minnesota River and the construction of an upgraded Highway 169 south of Shakopee within the next five or six years received a considerable jolt at the last Shakopee Council meeting.

The bad news came in the state highway department commissioner’s answer to a resolution passed by the Shakopee City Council June 8 which asked for some answers on the timetable and plans for construction of Corridor D highway plan.

The letter from Commissioner Ray Lappegard did, on the positive side, affirm that the System D concept has been approved, but the rest of his message was not received with much enthusiasm by council members.

The communication indicated that none of the work necessary to development of System D has been scheduled prior to 1976, but that it is anticipated that the major part of these improvements will be scheduled prior to 1980…

25 Years Ago: From the July 18, 1996 Shakopee Valley News

EDA is cautious on Blocks 3-4 decision

Approves negotiation of joint-powers pact with county HRA

With some commissioners openly apprehensive about the step they were taking, the Shakopee Economic Development Authority (EDA) last week unanimously moved to negotiate a joint-powers agreement with the Scott County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) for redevelopment of Blocks 3 and 4 downtown.

The HRA is considering senior housing for part of the development…

The HRA’s housing development would be combined with ground-level retail outlets, an estimated 37,000 square feet…

125 Years Ago: From the July 16, 1896 Scott County Argus

Asbestos towels are among the curiosities of the day. Every printing office should have one of these convenient articles; when soiled all that is necessary is to throw them into the fire and after a few minutes draw them out fresh and clean ready for use.

100 Years Ago: From the July 14, 1921 Shakopee Tribune

Hirscher Furniture Shop Was Scene of Fire

The fire alarm aroused the people of Shakopee yesterday morning at five o’clock and called out the fire department to fight fire which was discovered in the workshop of Hirscher’s furniture establishment and which might have proved a disastrous one had conditions not been favorable.

All the fire apparatus was called into use and after a half hour fight the flames were under control but not until the building had been well gutted and the roof burned off. An altar which was under construction and most of the other valuable contents were removed and saved. The extent of the loss on building and tools has not been determined but will not be very heavy.

The fire is believed to have started from spontaneous combustion from oiled rags and fortunately was discovered shortly after it started by Jos. Hirscher who lives close by and the alarm was turned in and a bucket brigade started to subdue the fire. Through good work of the fire department and absence of wind, adjoining buildings did not take fire and the blaze was confined to the work shop. A lot of lumber stored in the second story escaped damage.

75 Years Ago: From the July 11, 1946 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

School Board To Employ Architects

Votes Unanimously to Engage Architects to Draw Preliminary Plans

Another step toward the improvement of the public school facilities in Shakopee was taken Monday night when the board of education of Independent School District No. 1 voted unanimously to employ the architectural firm of Long and Thorshov, Minneapolis, to draw preliminary plans and specifications for the project…

50 Years Ago: From the July 14, 1971 Shakopee Valley News

Major Courthouse Shuffle Asked to Provide Room for Courtrooms

Meeting Set Friday Night…

County Commissioners were presented Monday with a proposal for another major shift of offices in the county courthouse building as a way of providing additional space for judiciary functions.

The proposal, tendered by Chief County Judge F. J. Connolly and Associate County Judge Kermit Lindmeyer, asks that all non-judiciary offices now housed on the first floor of the courthouse be moved temporarily to temporary quarters, in a place to be worked out by County Administrator Joseph Ries.

In addition, the judge’s proposal asks that the first floor is remodeled and redivided to provide for two courtrooms, two judge’s chambers, two jury rooms and other pertinent judiciary offices…

25 Years Ago: From the July 11, 1996 Shakopee Valley News

$60,000 worth of playground equipment is donated by Lions Club

Expressing a hope to turn Shakopee’s Lions Park into the park in town, representatives of the Shakopee Lions Club donated $60,000 worth of park equipment to the city last week.

125 Years Ago: From the July 9, 1896 Scott County Argus

Yesterday J. C. Marx had five wheels in his repair shop at once on account of punctures from tacks. Carelessness on the part of decorators on the Fourth is the crime. Right-minded people will be especially careful in disposing of glass, tacks, and other rubbish now that wheeling has become so popular.

100 Years Ago: From the July 7, 1921 Shakopee Tribune

Fire started in the telephone box at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Stans yesterday forenoon, a blaze shooting out from the box which might have been serious had no one been near to extinguish it. The box was quite badly burned before it could be taken out. However no serious damage was done.

75 Years Ago: From the July 4, 1946 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

Council Acts To Halt Closing of Crossings

Adopts Resolution Asking Railroad, Warehouse Commission to Modify Order Banning Traffic on Nine Street-Rail Intersections Here

A resolution asking the Minnesota Railroad and Warehouse commission “for a further hearing or an amendment or modification” of its June 18 order closing nine grade crossings of the C. St. P. M. & O. railway here was adopted by the City Council at an adjourned regular meeting last Wednesday night.

The council action, coming close on the basis of local expression of opposition to the closing of so many of the 17 grade crossings of the Omaha track on Second street, is expected to be broadly approved by local residents.

Following adoption of the resolution H. E. Flynn, city attorney, presented the document to the Commission at hearings in St. Paul Friday and Saturday with supplementary information, that, as city attorney, he would recommend to the council abandonment of the entire project if action considered favorable to the city was not forthcoming.

50 Years Ago: From the July 7, 1971 Shakopee Valley News

Commissioners Set Date for Public Hearing on Bridge Levy

A date for a public hearing on a proposed major mill levy increase for county residents to fund planning for a bridge across the Minnesota River was set by Scott County Commissioners Tuesday.

The date selected was August 24, 8 p.m., and will most likely be held at the county courthouse unless the crowd is so large another location becomes necessary.

The hearing will be conducted to explain how much the bridge planning will cost. Legislation passed in the regular session of the legislature authorizes the county to levy up to 20 mills for the bridge.

25 Years Ago: From the July 4, 1996 Shakopee Valley News

Marty resigns city attorney’s post

Karen Marty, the city attorney for Shakopee since 1990, has resigned her position effective July 12. The City Council formally accepted her resignation at its Tuesday evening meeting…