Month: June 2023

125 Years Ago: From the June 30, 1898 Scott County Argus

The firm of Ries & Hartmann, which has been in the butcher business in Shakopee for the past four years or more, was last Tuesday dissolved by mutual consent, Joseph G. Ries taking sole charge and continuing the business. Chas. Hartmann, the retiring member, has not yet fully decided upon his future line of business, but all who have come to know him in a business or social way hope that he will conclude to remain in Shakopee. Mr. Ries enters upon his career as sole proprietor of a flourishing market business with every prospect for success, and this is what his friends all wish for him.

100 Years Ago: From the June 28, 1923 Shakopee Tribune

Question of Purchase to Be Determined by July 16 Vote

At a meeting of the City Council held last Tuesday evening, the question of the city of Shakopee purchasing the Scott County Agricultural Society’s buildings arose.

The Council decided that the question be put to the vote of the citizens of Shakopee on July 16, as there will be a special election on that day.

75 Years Ago: From the June 24, 1948 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

Son Born by Candlelight

By the feeble light of candles and matches, pressed into service when the electric power failed, an 8-pound son was born to Mrs. George Rutherford (Marguerite Huth) in St. Francis hospital at 3:40 Wednesday morning.

There were some tense moments for the mother, Dr. B. F. Pearson, attending physician, and hospital attendants when the lights went out at 2:55. It was the first experience of the kind the hospital has faced…

50 Years Ago: From the June 27, 1973 Shakopee Valley News

County, School District Discuss Land Purchase

Representatives of School District 720, appeared before the Scott County Board of Commissioners Tuesday to request that the Board propose placing a 30-acre site in southern Shakopee up for bid, to make way the school district would be able to purchase the property for future school construction.

Superintendent of schools Dr. Robert Mayer read a statement which expressed the school district’s interest in the property, located to the east of County Road 17, as a possible future location for a junior high school…

25 Years Ago: From the June 25, 1998 Shakopee Valley News

Justice Center is taking shape

$12 million facility is on schedule for grand opening in October

To passers-by on Atwood Street, or Fourth or Fifth avenues in Shakopee, the daily progress on the Scott County Justice Center may seem matter of fact. But if it’s been a while since you’ve seen the building, work on the facility is progressing on or near schedule.

Project Manager Gregg Davies said the majority of the interior and exterior work on the $12 million building is nearly completed. Construction of the building, which started last fall, is scheduled to be completed and ready for a grand opening in October.

To the visitor, the rooms within the 75,000-square-foot Justice Center have taken shape and workers inside the building have turned their attention to detail and finish work, Davies said. The first floor is the closest to being completed. The second floor is just behind the first and the third floor is the furthest from completion. Inside, workers are also working on the secured building areas and elevators just off the courtrooms…

125 Years Ago: From the June 23, 1898 Scott County Argus

H. Spencer, superintendent of the Western division of the C., St. P., M. & O. Ry. Company has been in the city on several occasions this week negotiating with James Sullivan for the purchase of 40 acres of the Gifford farm west of town on which is to be located a gravel pit. The company intends to put a steam shovel in there, and this will furnish employment for quite a number of men each summer.

100 Years Ago: From the June 21, 1923 Shakopee Tribune

Historic Trail Party to Join at Shakopee

In last week’s issue of the Tribune we published the route of the party making the Tour of the Sioux Historic Trail. Since the publication of that issue, we learned that the party will be actually made up at Shakopee at 9 a.m. today.

Some of the members of the party will start at Fort Snelling near the Round Tower at 8:00 a.m., while other members of the party will start at Minneapolis from Automobile Club, Town House, LaSalle at 18^th Street at the same time. All are to join in Shakopee and will leave this city at 9:00 a.m. They will reach Jordan at 9:30 a.m. and pass through Belle Plaine at 9:50 a.m. The party will arrive at Redwood Falls and will register at the Armory, the convention headquarters at 7:50 p.m…

75 Years Ago: From the June 17, 1948 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

Named Acting Postmaster Here

Mrs. M. L. Regan, who for some time has been employed as a postal clerk here, was installed as acting postmaster of the Shakopee postoffice Wednesday…

50 Years Ago: From the June 20, 1973 Shakopee Valley News

New Industry

Groundbreaking Ceremonies were held Friday, June 15, in Shakopee for Kaufman and Broad Custom Homes, Inc., one of the largest home builders in the United States. The manufacturer of pre-cut homes recently acquired 17.2 acres for their new plant site, located just east of downtown Shakopee, from Rauenhurst Corporation. According to Phil E. Champell, Vice President of Kaufman and Broad Homes, the plant will be the first of its type in the area and should be in operation in September. The firm which is one the international level, with offices in Canada, Paris, Marseille and West Germany, has its area office located in the Northwestern Financial Center, 7900 Xerxes Ave., in Bloomington…

25 Years Ago: From the June 18, 1998 Shakopee Valley News

City hires firm to help establish architectural look for downtown area

Hoping to make downtown Shakopee a place people want to shop and eat, the city has hired a consultant to recommend guidelines for architectural changes to businesses that would remind customers of an era before impersonal shopping centers and suburban strip malls.

At its June 2 meeting, the Shakopee City Council, acting as the Economic Development Authority, unanimously approved spending $7,650 to hire Thomas R. Zahn & Associates to create design guidelines for downtown businesses. The guidelines, though non-binding, will guide business owners interested in redoing the front of their buildings to an early-20^th century appearance said Paul Snook, Shakopee’s economic development director. The EDA has been seeking support from local financial institutions to provide revitalization loans at favorable interest rates to business owners, Snook said…

125 Years Ago: From the June 16, 1898 Scott County Argus

Dr. H. P. Fischer’s residence is undergoing extensive improvements chiefly at the hands of the painter. The west wing has been removed, and the building is being painted a deep red, in imitation of Philadelphia pressed brick. The cornices and gables will be of a lighter color, the sash will be painted black, and the effect of the whole will be very pleasing.

100 Years Ago: From the June 14, 1923 Shakopee Tribune

Excavation for the new home for Mr. and Mrs. Jos. Schaefer is about completed and work will be begun at once at the construction of a five room stucco bungalow. The home will be built directly south of their former home recently purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Ed Thiede.

75 Years Ago: From the June 10, 1948 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

First Night Ball Game Scheduled for June 16

Inauguration of Shakopee’s new baseball area has been set for 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 16, when the Shakopee Indians and Bloomington will make history by playing the first night baseball game in Shakopee, it was announced Tuesday…

50 Years Ago: From the June 13, 1973 Shakopee Valley News

Vote Set Sept. 11 on Proposed $1.9 Million County Court House

A bond issue vote for a proposed new court house will go to the residents of Scott County on Sept. 11.

The price tag for the new County Court House was set at $1,901,910 by the board of commissioners this week…

While the full $1.9 million will appear on the bond issue ballot, the county expects revenue sharing funds to cover over half of the amount of the project. Use of federal revenue sharing money will reduce the tax burden of the new county facility.

The county commissioners also anticipate other funds will help pay for a successful bond issue to keep taxes at a minimum, but those figures had not been firmly established at the time of this week’s meeting.

The proposed new Scott County Court House would be built on the site of the present courthouse and would be attached to it.

In detailing plans for the structure, the architect designed a building which would serve the growing needs of the county through 1985. It is planned as a three-story building with flexible modular design which would easily adapt to growing and changing needs of county and judicial needs according to the architects…

25 Years Ago: From the June 11, 1998 Shakopee Valley News

St. Francis expansion is planned

Growth in population, medical services offered creates need

Growth in patient load and an increase in medical services offered has necessitated expansion of Shakopee’s St. Francis Regional Medical Center, which opened at its current site just two years ago.

The hospital will add a third story, expand the existing structure to the west and north, and redesign the layout of some departments. The 39-bed capacity hospital will increase to 56 beds, with space for another seven rooms included in the redesign. The expansion will add 31,000 square feet to the facility. Remodeling will involve about 9,000 square feet.

Work on the $12 million expansion is scheduled to begin in mid-August, with completion expected in November 1999. The hospital was built for $16 million…

125 Years Ago: From the June 9, 1898 Scott County Argus

The county bastille is a lonesome place at this writing. Sheriff Hilgers informs us that he has not had a steady boarder for the past two weeks.

100 Years Ago: From the June 7, 1923 Shakopee Tribune

Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Kamp and son, William who have been residents of Shakopee for nearly nine years, expect to leave about the middle of the month to take up their permanent residence in Portland, Ore. The change will be made in hopes that the change of climate will benefit Mrs. Kamp’s health. Mr. Kamp has been an employee of the Minnesota Stove Co. During their residence here they have made many friends, whose best wishes will accompany them to their new home.

75 Years Ago: From the June 3, 1948 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

City Council Acts to Halt Closing of Rail Crossings

Seeking to enjoin the Omaha railroad from closing nine streets here in conformity with a Railroad and Warehouse commission order eliminating grade crossings on Second street the City of Shakopee, acting through its attorney J. A. Coller, has petitioned the district court for a restraining order.

The city’s position, presented to Judge J. J. Moriarty Wednesday, asks that the railway company “be perpetually enjoined from closing any street crossings within the City of Shakopee or from removing therefrom any plankings or crossing and that the defendants (rail company) be enjoined from erecting any barricades from said crossings…”

Acting to halt the closing of streets which serve the Omaha line was launched by the council scarcely two days after a railway signal installation crew began preliminary work in preparation for the placing of automatic signal systems at the Lewis, Holmes and Fuller street crossings of the rail line.

50 Years Ago: From the June 6, 1973 Shakopee Valley News

City Council Reaffirms Sale of Town Hall

The ordinance authorizing the sale of the Eagle Creek Town Hall to the county was reaffirmed Tuesday night by the Shakopee City Council.

The measure now goes before the people on a referendum ballot, but no date for the vote has been set.

The full council met on a call of the mayor to consider the matter after a petition had asked the question be raised again…

Though the referendum is not expected for some months, the council directed the city administrator to prepare a rental agreement so the library system could use the building in the interim…

25 Years Ago: From the June 4, 1998 Shakopee Valley News

Winds take Shakopee by storm

Hundreds of trees down, 339 homes damaged, part of city still without power
Miraculously, no one hurt; massive cleanup effort to take months

It only lasted a few minutes, but when the straight-line winds that slammed into the Shakopee area at up to 80 mph late Saturday died down, it left in its wake hundreds of downed trees and power lines, and damaged homes and buildings throughout the city. But almost miraculously, there were no storm related injuries.

As of Monday, a total of twos home were destroyed, 75 houses sustained serious damage, and an estimated 262 homes had minor damages, according to Tim O’Loughlin, Scott County emergency management coordinator. The dollar-loss figure had not been determined yet. The majority of the damage in Shakopee was in the old portion of the city where mature trees fell on houses, in yards and across streets, snapping power lines…