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 Nov. 25, 1897 Scott County Argus
A. E. Walters has removed from C. A. Stevens’ residence to the house west of the Wm. Hinds residence property.
100 Years Ago: From the Nov. 23, 1922 Shakopee Tribune
Work was begun the past week on the erection of a new three room bungalow for George Demers. Mr. Demers purchased the Galvin property some time ago and the old Galvin home has been razed to make room for the new structure. Wm. Engel is doing the carpenter work.
75 Years Ago: From the Nov. 20, 1947 Shakopee Argus-Tribune
City Now Has NYA Acreage
Shakopee now is owner of the 205-acre tract of land, formerly the NYA center, east of the city. Deed of the property was delivered to Mayr J. J. Cavanaugh by Fred Denfield, custodian of state property, at noon Tuesday.
In return for the deed Mr. Denfield received the city’s check to the State of Minnesota for $7,500 and the transaction was completed.
Sale of the property to the city was authorized by the 1947 legislature, but actual conversion of title was delayed for several months.
For a time it was believed, that portions of the property including the old “Murphy House” and the Indian mounds would be excluded from the description and reserved for the State Historical society. Only exceptions are highway right of way and borrow pit reservations.
City officials, it was learned have no immediate plans for the development of the tract which is occupied by several houses and industrial buildings. The houses are tenanted by families of war veterans under a lease originally negotiated with the state by the Shakopee Post of the American Legion. It is understood the housing facility will be continued and that there was no intention of disturbing the present arrangement.
50 Years Ago: From the Nov. 22, 1972 Shakopee Valley News
Architect Outlines Downtown Renovation
Plans for renovation of a portion of downtown Shakopee, including construction of an enclosed shopping mall on Lewis Street, were met with a generally favorable reaction by downtown businessmen Monday evening.
Richard Vosepka, architect for the proposed project, outlined two tentative plans for remodeling of building exteriors on the north side of First Ave. between Holmes and Lewis Streets.
One of the plans, the estimated cost of which is $196,730, would be involved the attachment of new facades to both the upper and lower portions of buildings, creating a uniformity of appearance for the entire block.
Another plan, apparently meeting with the most favor by businessmen and costing an estimated $110,000, would involve basically the same type of renovation as proposed in the other plan, with less emphasis placed upon remodeling of the upper portions of the buildings…
Also outlined Monday evening were tentative plans for a $3 million two-story enclosed mall on Lewis Street, which would be developed by a private agent. Vosepka said such an addition to the downtown area would be beneficial in that it would provide competition to any shopping center which might locate in Shakopee in the future.
25 Years Ago: From the Nov. 20, 1997 Shakopee Valley News
Unique monitor to be used to track stalkers
County first in U.S. to pinpoint offenders with satellite system
In the war against violence, the Scott County Sheriff’s Department has become the first in the nation to use a … and monitoring system to track stalking and domestic-abuse offenders.