Month: August 2022

A look back at what happened in Shakopee history. You may also find this column in the Shakopee Valley News.

125 Years Ago: From the Sept. 2, 1897 Scott County Argus

Wm. Willson of the Union School Board, requests us to announce that, owing to a slight delay in the work of the new steam heating plant, the fall term will not begin until Monday, the 13^th. This gives the festive urchin another week of vacation which he will not be loth to accept and enjoy.

100 Years Ago: From the Aug. 31, 1922 Shakopee Tribune

The King Midas Milling Co. have improved their residence property in this city occupied by H. F. Betow by an addition of a new bedroom, a first floor bathroom and a back porch. A new furnace will be installed later this season. The painters are just finishing putting on a new coat of paint on the entire building which will greatly add to the appearance of the residence.

75 Years Ago: From the Aug. 28, 1947 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

Authorities Hunt Escaped Inmate

Authorities are still on the lookout for Mae Johnson, 23, who escaped from the state reformatory for women here at 10:30 last Tuesday morning.

Because her absence was discovered shortly after her departure it was at first thought she would be apprehended in the vicinity of the institution, but search of corn fields and river bottoms had failed to produce results.

The escapee was committed to the reformatory May 12, 1947 from St. Paul on a charge of forgery. At the time of her escape she was on a painting assignment to Shaw cottage and left the premises while her supervisor had returned to the main building for more paint.

50 Years Ago: From the Aug. 30, 1972 Shakopee Valley News

Housing, Shopping Area Development

Development Timetable Depends on Demand…

Shakopee’s City Council is considering a rezoning for a Planned Unit Development proposed by the Shakopee Sand and Gravel Co., for a residential and commercial complex comprising 122 acres.

The development would be located southeast of the Shakopee Senior High School, and north of the corridor established for the rerouting of State Highway 169. County Road 79 would be the westerly boundary of the development.

According to a site plan developed by architects Plagens-McGee, Inc., St. Paul, the site would have single family residences on the most northerly portion of the development. Townhouses would buffer the single family residences from apartment buildings. Between the apartment buildings and a shopping center area would be a park area.

The land is now zoned residential, and the rezoning would be to multiple and commercial. The concept and the rezoning request has been checked by the City Planning Commission and it has recommended approval to the council…

25 Years Ago: From the Aug. 28, 1997 Shakopee Valley News

Concert draws 30,000, traffic snarls

Law enforcement personnel had a traffic headache last week on Wednesday afternoon as an estimated 30,000 people made their way to Canterbury Park for the Lilith Fair.

The traffic buildup began a couple of hours before the 3:30 p.m. start of the concert. Shakopee police, Scott County sheriff’s deputies and state troopers worked to keep traffic flowing and responded to minor property-damage incidents. Traffic was congested on Highways 169 near County Road 83, where traffic exited for Canterbury, as well as Highway 13 and County Road 101.

Lilith Fair, part of a nationwide tour of top female musicians, stopped in Shakopee on the last leg of its U.S. tour before heading to Canada. The Shakopee crowd was the largest for the women’s rock and folk music tour.

A look back at what happened in Shakopee history. You may also find this column in the Shakopee Valley News.

125 Years Ago: From the Aug. 26, 1897 Scott County Argus

The contract for putting in a new steam heating plant at the Union School was awarded to the Moore Heating company of Minneapolis, competing against five other firms. The amount of their bid was $1305. Work is progressing rapidly on the new plant, and there is every reason to believe, from the plans, that the building will at last be comfortably heated. The partition separating the library from the main room upstairs has been removed and the library removed to the spacious room on the southwest. The laboratory and recitation room remains unchanged. Upstairs there are 15 direct radiators and below are three in each room, giving 2,800 feet of radiation. In addition to this there are for ventilation 1,000 feet of indirect radiators. It will make a valuable and long-needed improvement.

100 Years Ago: From the Aug. 24, 1922 Shakopee Tribune

John F. Keohen, State Deputy weighmaster, who has been employed as state weigher at the local mill here for the past year and a half, has been transferred to Red Wing and left last Thursday to begin his duties at that place. Mr. Keohen made many friends during his residence in this city who greatly regret his leaving. He is succeeded by T. T. Morken of Minneapolis.

75 Years Ago: From the Aug. 21, 1947 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

Open House at New Home

            Open house, at which interested residents of the community will be afforded the opportunity to visit and examine a two-bedroom prefabricated Gamble house manufactured by the Page and Hill company of Shakopee, is announced in an advertisement in the Argus-Tribune today.

      The house, erected for Robert Ryan at Spencer and Seventh streets in the southeast section of the city, will be open for public inspection from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24.

50 Years Ago: From the Aug. 23, 1972 Shakopee Valley News

Councilmen Ponder Rock Concert Proposal

Discussion of music and dancing occupied much of Shakopee City Councilmen’s time at their meeting Tuesday night, as they heard a proposal for a rock concert in Shakopee followed by complaints of citizens regarding operation of a dance studio in a residential area.

Ed Dressen, youth activities director for the Shakopee Knights of Columbus, told councilmen of a plan for a young people’s concert in Pat Theilen Rodeo Arena sometime in September, and requested council permission for use of the area.

Councilmen deferred the matter to their scheduled August 29 meeting to allow time to confer with Police Chief R. G. Pat Theilen regarding possible law enforcement problems…

25 Years Ago: From the Aug. 21, 1997 Shakopee Valley News

Seven-building complex planned here

First Industrial Realty Trust has begun construction on the first phase of a seven-building business complex on 53 acres in the Valley Green Industrial Park in Shakopee.

The complex, which will be called Park 2000 Southwest, will have a total of 749,000 square feet available for tenant lease.

The first phase will include a 126,000-square-foot office warehouse, which is scheduled for completion in October. The second phase of construction, scheduled to start this fall, will make available approximately 132,000 square feet of space for lease. Arne Cook, regional development director for First Industrial Realty Trust, said that six of the seven buildings are being designed as single-level office/warehouse complexes. One of the buildings will be a two-level structure with 100 percent office finish.

A look back at what happened in Shakopee history. You may also find this column in the Shakopee Valley News.

125 Years Ago: From the Aug. 19, 1897 Scott County Argus

Judge Meyer moved into his remodelled and practically new home last Tuesday. It has been stated before in these columns, and it will bear repeating, that the work of enlarging and remodelling has transformed the neat little cottage, which had been the Meyer home for so many years, into a handsome residence, imposing in appearance ad an ornament to that part of the city.

100 Years Ago: From the Aug. 17, 1922 Shakopee Tribune

J. W. Black and A. H. Neiter of the Marquette Security Co., Minneapolis were business callers in Shakopee last Thursday. They interviewed the local people as to whether they wanted a third bank in Shakopee.

75 Years Ago: From the Aug. 14, 1947 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

Garbage Ordinance Adopted

Effective Sept. 1 Shakopee will have a municipal garbage collection system instituted by an ordinance adopted by unanimous vote of the city council at its meeting Tuesday night.

Following adoption of the ordinance Ralph Weckman was appointed garbage collector and will begin his duties in the date the systems become operative.

Under the plan, according to the ordinance, City-wide collection of garbage, ashes, rubbish and refuse will be performed at least once weekly for dwellings and at least three times weekly for business districts by the City of Shakopee when the wastes are deposited in proper containers not “exceeding 35 gallons capacity, nor weighing more than 100 pounds when filled.”…

50 Years Ago: From the Aug. 16, 1972 Shakopee Valley News

Board Mulls Separate Office Building

Two Citizen’s Committees Formed…

Shifts at the Shakopee Senior High School for both junior and senior high students this fall will result in serious space problems for administration as well as for home economics and industrial arts classes, according to reports given to the Shakopee Board of Education Monday night.

In an effort to solve the administration area space problem, Board building chairman Russell Nolting proposed a modular type of pre-fabricated building which would house the Superintendent and the Business offices of the school system.

The proposal was taken under advisement by the board, and the building committee instructed to obtain more details for a presentation before a special meeting next Monday night…

Nolting said the building would cost approximately $39,000, and would probably have to be placed on the southwest corner of Sweeney because of sewer and water availability there.

Representatives of junior and senior high home economics programs told the board they have a critical shortage of storage space, as did a faculty representative for industrial arts.

The board instructed administrators to see what measures could be taken to provide additional space somewhere in the building.

25 Years Ago: From the Aug. 14, 1997 Shakopee Valley News

Cub Foods to open Shakopee store in spring

Do you yearn to power shop at one of those humongous grocery stores? Well, your wait is almost over because Cub Foods is coming to Shakopee next spring.

Scott L. Erickson, president of Midwest Commercial Development Inc., said a contract has been signed with Cub Foods to be the main anchor in the 25-acre crossroads Center retail development at Vierling Drive and Marschall Road. In addition to Cub Foods, the center will include a 70,000 square-foot commercial strip of retail outlets, including a Subway Sandwich Shop, and six free-standing outlets, such as a SuperAmerica, Norwest Bank, and a Wendy’s Hamburger restaurant…

A look back at what happened in Shakopee history. You may also find this column in the Shakopee Valley News.

125 Years Ago: From the Aug. 12, 1897 Scott County Argus

Street overseer Sarasen has carried out the instructions of the city council and erected sign-boards on all principal divisions of the roads leading out of town. They will prove to the traveling public a convenience far greater than will ever be known.

100 Years Ago: From the Aug. 10, 1922 Shakopee Tribune

John Vierling, while bathing with some friends, left his goggles lying on the beach. Later, when he wished to see some scenery on the opposite shore, he went to seek them, but they were not to be found. When he finally did locate them, the scenery was gone.

75 Years Ago: From the Aug. 7, 1947 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

Full Time Navy Recruiting Post Opened in City

Shakopee now has a full time navy recruiting station in operation in the city hall and the recruiting officer in charge disclosed this week that the navy is now issuing millions of medals to ex-navy men who gallantly earned them.

The local recruiting station will begin distribution of the World War II Victory Medal, and the American Defense Medal to those ex-navy men and who can present honorable discharge certificates, it was learned.

50 Years Ago: From the Aug. 9, 1972 Shakopee Valley News

County Board Considers Bids on Two Road Projects in Shakopee

Scott County Commissioners received bids from three construction firms for two proposed road projects in Shakopee Tuesday, but tabled awarding of the contract for the projects, pending the determination of placements of rights of way on the roads.

The projects involve the application of aggregate base and bituminous surfacing to a 1.45 mile stretch of County Road 83 running north and south, located west of Midland Glass Company, between County Road 16 and the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad tracks.

The other project involves the grading and application of aggregate and bituminous surfacing on a 1.90 mile stretch of County Road 89 between County Road 18 and the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific tracks, located to the west of the Stagecoach Inn…

25 Years Ago: From the Aug. 7, 1997 Shakopee Valley News

County Board votes to fill three offices by appointment

The Scott County Board on Tuesday voted to fil the offices of county auditor, recorder and treasurer by appointment, as allowed under a new state granting the board the authority.

The three elected office holders – Treasurer Tom Muelken, Auditor Tom Hennen and Recorder Pat Boeckman – will finish out their terms, which end Dec. 31, 1998.

The law states that the resolution must be published once each week for two consecutive weeks in the official publication of the county, which this year is the Savage Pacer. A provision of the law allows county residents an opportunity to submit a petition, within 21 days after the second public notice, to request a referendum. The petition must be signed by at least 10 percent of the county’s registered voters in the last election.

The board also voted unanimously to fill the office of county surveyor by appointment. The office has been an elected position…