Shakopee Snapshots

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 Oct. 15, 1896 Scott County Argus

Street overseer Sarasen’s gang of street laborers has been discharged after building five blocks of road on Second and Holmes streets that will outlive the builders. There is little that can be said against their work, and almost everything for it. There are no more mudholes or stretches of yielding sand there.

100 Years Ago: From the Oct. 13, 1921 Shakopee Tribune

New General Store To Be Opened Here

An important business transaction of the past week was the leasing of the first floor store in the Southworth building, which has been occupied by Fred Johnson, to Sam Ferdman of St. Paul.

Mr. Ferdman will open a General Clothing and Dry Goods store about November first.

The lease was made by W. N. Southworth, owner of the building for a term of five years.

75 Years Ago: From the Oct. 10, 1946 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

Shakopee GI Starts German Youth Project

National Magazine Cites Denazification Work in Current Publication

How a Shakopee soldier, Sgt. Patrick J. Moriarty, is aiding in the denazification of German youth is graphically told in the October 7 issue of Time under the title “Democracy at Work.”

“Pat” is stationed at Bremen and it was there that his seeing hungry, backward and scared kids picking up cigarette butts inspired him and nine other GI’s to organize a German youth club which now has nearly 120 members—all boys from 10 to 17 years and selected from nearly 7,000 applicants.

The organization is known as the Bremen Boys club, and is run entirely by its members, the 10 GI’s serving as counselors. Its basic principles are the four freedoms. No racial discrimination is permitted; talk of concentration camps is banned…

50 Years Ago: From the Oct. 13, 1971 Shakopee Valley News

Southwest Eagle Creek Township Residents Petition to Be Annexed to City of Shakopee

Another twist in the often confusing but always interesting process of changing borders in northern Scott County was presented Tuesday evening at the Shakopee Council meeting.

Harry Weinandt, a resident of the part of Eagle Creek Township not ordered consolidated with Shakopee, appeared before the Council to present a petition of almost all the residents of the 4 ½ sections in western part of Eagle Creek Township asking that the area be annexed to Shakopee.

Weinandt said that the petition carried 86 names, and that the only resident of the area requesting annexation to Shakopee who wouldn’t sign was one 82-year-old man who apparently has had his fill of petitions. “He said he wouldn’t sign another damn paper on anything for anybody,” Weinandt related…

25 Years Ago: From the Oct. 10, 1996 Shakopee Valley News

Zoning change for city shopping center gets OK

The effect of the Shakopee Bypass, which is scheduled to open next month, continues in Shakopee as the City Council on Oct. 1 approved a zoning change to allow for a retail center off of Marschall Road.

The council approved a request by Midwest Commercial Development to rezone a 26-acre site on the southwest corner of Vierling Drive and Marshall Road from agricultural preservation to highway business.

Plans show a large center parking area surrounded by retail outlets, including a 30,000-square-foot food market and a 25,000-square-foot home improvement store, and a bank, a number of smaller retail stores, restaurants and fast-food places.

The firm is in the process of seeking a conditional-use permit from the city Board of Adjustment and Appeals…

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 Oct. 8, 1896 Scott County Argus

A gold watch lost by Val Reis Sr. 24 years ago while tapping trees was found by Frank Huber in his woods last week. It is unharmed except that the works are rusted.

100 Years Ago: From the Oct. 6, 1921 Shakopee Tribune

Reformatory Bids Opened

More than twenty firms bid Tuesday for the general contract for the construction of a woman’s cottage and a barn to be built at the State Reformatory for Women at Shakopee. The bids were opened late Tuesday.

The J. B. Nelson Construction company of Mankato was low for the general bid at $29,774. P. J. Gallagher of Faribault, heating, $4,756. M. J. O’Neil of St. Paul, plumbing, $4,839, and P. J. Gallagher for the barn at $414. H. A. Brown & Sons of Waseca were low on electrical work with $2,390.43 for the cottage and $387.70 for the barn.

75 Years Ago: From the Oct. 3, 1946 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

Storm Disrupts Electric Service

When the Northern States Power company highline was struck by a heavy bolt of lightning during a freak electrical storm at 4:30 last Thursday afternoon, Shakopee’s electric service was disrupted for more than an hour.

A power company transformer in the municipal power station was set afire and a 46-inch fuse on the 96,000 volt transmission line at the huge transformers north of the city as blown when the tremendous overload surged through the line.

What might have been a devastating fire was prevented when R. C. Condon, city electrician went to the power house to determine if the power failure had resulted from damage to the city distribution equipment. He immediately discovered the burning Northern States transformer on a 1,000 volt line in the building. After cutting the line he applied a fire extinguisher and halted the blaze…

50 Years Ago: From the Oct. 6, 1971 Shakopee Valley News

Board Accused of Undermining County Administrator Position

Scott County Commissioner Vernon Lang threw a sharp barb at the board of commissioners during its Thursday session, charging that the position of county administrator is being undermined by board actions which bypass him…

25 Years Ago: From the Oct. 3, 1996 Shakopee Valley News

Financial plan to lure firm gets OK

A financing plan that would invoke the city of Shakopee, Scott County, and the state, and provide a Minneapolis telecommunications firm with up to $1.5 million in financial assistance through property tax rebates to move here with 570 jobs, was approved by the Shakopee City Council Tuesday night.

Under the plan, similar to tax increment financing but different because the county would be a direct financial participant, ADC Telecommunications would move some of its operations from Bloomington to the city.

Scott County commissioners, meeting as a Committee of the Whole Tuesday, appeared favorable to the plan and are expected to formally consider the matter next Tuesday morning…

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 Oct. 1, 1896 Scott County Argus

Shakopee grows and keeps growing. Plans have been drawn and accepted, and the contract will be let at once for a handsome two story residence to be erected this fall for John P. Ring on the two lots he recently purchased in block 56. The site is on Fourth street west of Mrs. Haus’ and across the way from the Jacob Ries Jr. residence. The new structure is designed by Architect Fritz Rohlfs and is as tasty and up-to-date as could be desired. The dimensions are 22×42, the front being two stories high and the rear a story and a half. On the first floor is a spacious hall, four rooms and a bath room, and above are four rooms and an alcove. A large bay window adorns the west side, and the front is especially ornate and attractive. It will make a very desirable improvement in that part of the city.

100 Years Ago: From the Sept. 29, 1921 Shakopee Tribune

About thirty girls of the younger social set have organized a club and rented club rooms on the second floor of the Berens building above the Public Rest rooms. A meeting will be held this evening to complete arrangements.

75 Years Ago: From the Sept. 26, 1946 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

City Council Buys $13,000 Fire Truck

50 Years Ago: From the Sept. 29, 1971 Shakopee Valley News

Building Improvement Tax Incentive Asked

To Help Beautification Work…

The Shakopee City Council was asked Tuesday night to consider giving business property owners some sort of tax incentive if they made improvements.

Virgil Mears, spokesman for the Shakopee Chamber of Commerce Beautification Committee said that during the committee’s study of the beautification and improvement of downtown, it had been told by businessmen that they held back on improvements due to concern over resultant increases in property taxes…

City Administrator Morris Anderson said the city could take two avenues of approach to the problem. It could do as Cloquet is doing … simply establishing a policy of not charging the property owner with tax increase if the change is designated as a maintenance improvement.

Or, he said, the city could request the legislature to pass a bill allowing the city to defer taxes on certain classes and ages of property upon which maintenance improvements are made.

After some discussion of the possibilities of getting a bill introduced during the special session coming up Oct. 12, the issue was referred to the executive committee for study…

25 Years Ago: From the Sept. 26, 1996 Shakopee Valley News

$11 million plan for Justice Center approved by county

Taxes won’t rise to fund it

The Scott County Board Tuesday approved the recommendation of the Justice Center Planning Committee, calling for an $11 million budget for the facility which will not result in increased taxes.

Construction is scheduled to begin next year, and take about a year for completion. After the opening of the Justice Center, which will be built next to the existing courthouse, remodeling of vacated space in the courthouse will take place…

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. 24, 1896 Scott County Argus

At the rear of the coalsheds on the three lots in block 31, recently purchased of O. S. Brown, Frank Buch is putting in a new “Victor” Fairbanks scales to facilitate the handling of his coal business. John Poetz is in charge of the work. Besides making use of the coal sheds located on his newly bought property Mr. Buch will house considerable lumber int eh big lumber shed adjoining, formerly the property of Wm. J. Kauth.

100 Years Ago: From the Sept. 22, 1921 Shakopee Tribune

Public Library Moved To Rest Rooms

The public library has been moved from the high school to the public rest rooms, which is centrally located and it will be more convenient for patrons to get and exchange books. Full arrangements have not been completed. It is presumed that the library will be open for distribution of books one day each week. Full particulars will be announced later.

75 Years Ago: From the Sept. 19, 1946 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

School Enrollment Tops Previous High

833 Pupils Registered in Shakopee’s Three Schools on Opening Days. Grades List 567, High School 266. Classes Held During Lunch Hour at High School.

Eclipsing all previous enrollment records and amplifying the responsibility which the community faces, 833 children were registered in Shakopee’s three schools when classes were resumed Monday, detailed reports revealed.

Opening day registration last year totalled 77 which was all-time high to that date. Largest increase or the current year was recorded at the public school where high school classes total 266 as compared to 250 last year, and the grade enrollment is 196 as compared with 170 a year ago. These figures are expected to increase, Superintendent Al N. Wurst said, when some delayed registrations are completed.

St. Mary’s parochial school reported a total of 137 registrants for the eight grades this year. The previous total was 149.

Registration records at St. Mark’s school showed 234 pupils listed in the eight grades, as compared to 227 last year.

High school enrollment figures list 72 freshmen, 73 sophomores, 64 juniors and 51 seniors…

To cope with the marked increase and resulting lack of ample classroom facilities, classes in high school continue uninterruptedly through the noon hour…

50 Years Ago: From the Sept. 22, 1971 Shakopee Valley News

Civil Defense To Begin Test Alerts

Shakopee will sound their sirens for a Civil Defense test on the first Wednesday of each month, Shakopee Mayor Ray Foslid announced this week. The first test will be held Oct. 6 with others continuing throughout the year. Officials remind residents that these are only tests.

25 Years Ago: From the Sept. 19, 1996 Shakopee Valley News

Commissioners favor county staffing plan

A plan that calls for Scott County staffing levels to grow by no more than 60 percent of the rate of growth in population in the county was met favorably by county commissioners last week in a Committee of the Whole session.

Discussion of the plan was led by Brian Nasi, associate administrator of employee relations. The plan is designed to keep within the county fiscal plan calling for growth to match county residential growth.

Under the plan, department requests for staff increases must be reviewed by the county administrator and turned over to the Organizational Development and Employee Relations staff and evaluated by an analysis of need.

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. 17, 1896 Scott County Argus

The new business block for John Berens & Co. at the corner of Holmes and First streets is going up rapidly of late. The walls of the first story are up and the second floor is being laid today. The building is to be a handsome one, and will be doubly valued as an addition to the town owing to the favorable site. It changes the whole appearance of that part of town.

100 Years Ago: From the Sept. 15, 1921 Shakopee Tribune

Last week’s issue of the Catholic Bulletin contained quite a writeup of Shakopee giving the history of the Catholic parishes and school here and a writeup of several local business firms. Pictures of St. Mark’s church and school accompanied the writeup.

75 Years Ago: From the Sept. 12, 1946 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

Chicago Firm Leases Old Mill Building

Tool Manufacturer Picks Shakopee Site After Viewing Several Others

After looking over sites in several states and other communities, H. V. Detman, president and owner of the Riverside Machinery company of Chicago, has selected Shakopee as the future home for his thriving business and will move his plant here Oct. 1, it was authoritatively disclosed this week.

Mr. Detmann has negotiated a long-term lease of the old four-story mill building on the south bank of the Minnesota river between Lewis and Sommerville streets, and a crew of workmen have already begun renovating and repairing the large brick structure which has been vacant for many years…

The Argus-Tribune’s informant described the new industry as a manufacturer of a metal forming tool used in sheet metal work. The firm enjoys not only a thriving nation-wide trade, but is also in the foreign market filling orders for overseas delivery…

Remodelling of the mill building includes laying of a concrete floor in the lower story, a new roof over the main building, lowering of ceilings, removal of the old grain bins and the general reconditioning of the entire structure. A two-story addition to the west side of the building is being razed.

50 Years Ago: From the Sept. 15, 1971 Shakopee Valley News

Downtown Revitalization Project to Be Proposed

A proposal for the beautification and revitalization of the Shakopee Downtown area will be held Thursday evening, September 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the Shakopee Senior High School Auditorium.

The meeting, sponsored by the Shakopee Area Chamber of Commerce Beautification Committee, headed by Virgil Mears, will feature a presentation of a plan down by the Wayzata architectural firm of Vosejpka and Associates…

25 Years Ago: From the Sept. 12, 1996 Shakopee Valley News

Council formally sets referendums for Nov. 5

The Shakopee City Council last week formally adopted resolutions setting Nov. 5 referendums on a new fire hall and on an increase in the number of liquor licenses available in the city.

The council on Sept. 2 approved a ballot question asking for voter permission to issue $3.4 million in general obligation bonds for the fire hall, which would be located at the southwest corner of the intersection of County Road 16 and Vierling Drive…

The council last week also adopted a resolution to increase the number of on-sale liquor licenses from 12 – the maximum number allowed by state statutes based on population – to 17. The five additional licenses are proposed to accommodate potential development, including restaurants and hotels, city officials have said.

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. 10, 1896 Scott County Argus

The advantages of acetyline, the new illuminating gas, have been set forth during the week by a representative of the Buffington automatic generator, and two firms, Deutsch & Zettel, druggists, and P. J. Schwartz, general merchandise, have contracted for the lights. Being in the same business block they will need but one generator, and from this, at a cost of ½ cent an hour for each burner, their stores will be as brilliantly lighted as a full fledged electric light plant could do it. The drug store will use six burners, and Schwartz’s store, eight. The light is clear and intense, and almost as penetrating as solar light. It will cast a shadow on an incandescent lamp of ordinary power, and beside it an oil lamp looks like a glow worm. Four burners have been running in the Globe Hotel windows each evening, and the light casts a shadow more than half a block away. Four distinct shadows are thrown from an object in the street in front. Unless there are some deteriorating features not yet made known acetyline gas is a winner in towns where electricity has not made its way. The local firms mentioned received their outfit yesterday, and the piping will be done by Saturday.

100 Years Ago: From the Sept. 8, 1921 Shakopee Tribune

Ralph Warner has purchased a home from Mrs. Mary Doody on Fifth Street and will take immediate possession.

75 Years Ago: From the Sept. 5, 1946 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

Getting New Front

A new front is being placed in the Gamble store here. Work on the project began this week with the removal of the old entries and plate glass. When complete the front will have a single center entry to the store instead of two corner entries. New display windows and stages are included in the improvement plans.

50 Years Ago: From the Sept. 8, 1971 Shakopee Valley News

Depot No Longer Needed…

The fate of Shakopee’s railroad depot owned by Chicago-Northwestern Railroad Company will be decided in the next several months by the Public Service Commission. The railroad company is asking permission from the commission to abandon the Shakopee depot and utilize a consolidated station in the Valley Industrial Park area. A public hearing is slated for 10 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 9, in the Public Service Commission’s office to hear pro’s and con’s on the move.

25 Years Ago: From the Sept. 5, 1996 Shakopee Valley News

Shakopee to be among top-growing school districts

School districts in Shakopee, Chaska and Prior Lake are expected to be among the top 10 in enrollment growth in the next two years, according to the Metropolitan Council.

In a report released last week, the Met Council said that while some school district in the outer-ring schools and those in Minneapolis and St. Paul will experience significant growth in enrollment, other districts, mostly in the inner-ring of suburbs, will show a decline…

Lakeville, with a 1994-95 enrollment of 6,790, is expected to be the fastest-growing school district, increasing by 1,875 students by the 1997-98 school year, or by about 27.6 percent. Chaska is second on the list, with its current enrollment of 5,436 expected to mushroom by 1,219 students, an increase of 22.4 percent. Shakopee is eighth on the list, with its 1994-95 enrollment of 2,941 expected to grow by 383 students, an increase of 13 percent. Prior Lake-Savage completed the list, with its 3,840 enrollment expected to grow by 352, an increase of 9.2 percent.

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. 3, 1896 Scott County Argus

Second street for a distance of three blocks west from Holmes is undergoing repairs that are of the best kind of road building. The sandy bed has been properly scraped and graded, and upon this finely broken rock from the lime quarries has been deposited, ton after ton, until the top is nearly or quite level with the Omaha track. The road will get better instead of worse with the lapse of time and will be bearing up the traffic of the town fifty years from today. The same plan of work used on Holmes from Second to Third streets would give an excellent road up the hill for all vehicles, from a bicycle to a stone dray. It is to be hoped this can be done with the present appropriation.

100 Years Ago: From the Sept. 1, 1921 Shakopee Tribune

Mrs. Sidney Dierberger and Mrs. C. C. Andrews of this city have been appointed by the State Highway Commission to take a traffic census on the Minnesota highway for one week, beginning last Sunday. The ladies are stationed on the highway, in east Shakopee, near the Mrs. Beggs home, from 6:30 in the morning until midnight every day. The daily traffic is from 700 to 1,000 cars, while last Sunday 1,800 cars passed over the road.

75 Years Ago: From the Aug. 29, 1946 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

Valley Bakery In New Location

After many months of planning and waiting for new equipment Elmer Dahl announced this week that he is moving the Valley Bakery to its new location in the M. J. Berens building on First street.

Mr. Dahl said he expected to have the new plant in operation by Sept. 3. The plant at the present location on Lewis street will close Saturday, Aug. 31.

In the … the newly installed equipment at the new site will be put in position to resume operation, Mr. Dahl said. Announcement of the move is made in the advertisements in the Argus-Tribune today.

50 Years Ago: From the Sept. 1, 1971 Shakopee Valley News

First Ground Broken at Valley Industrial Park

The first groundbreaking at Valley Industrial Park in the area of Eagle Creek just merged with Shakopee was held last week.

Officials of the Conklin Company, along with representatives of the industrial park developers and the contractors for the new building met for the ceremony.

Conklin Co., a Minnesota-based manufacturer and distributor of cleaners, sealers, wetting agents and lubricants, will construct a two-story light industrial building of concrete block faced with brick.

25 Years Ago: From the Aug. 29, 1996 Shakopee Valley News

County justice center is on track for construction in ‘97

Project manager Gregg Davies gave Scott County commissioners an update on the county’s justice center project last week.

The justice center architect, Wold Architects, held meetings in July with representatives of various county departments to discuss space needs. The results were summarized for the Justice Center Planning Committee, the county Space Team (an internal committee composed of the associate administrator of internal services, the maintenance engineer, and the central services manager), and the Executive Team (County Administrator Gary Cunningham, six associate administrators, the court services director and library director).

The Justice Center Planning Committee has received square footage opinions based on the space needs findings, and will make a recommendation later to the County Board.

County officials hope to begin construction next spring, with completion scheduled about a year later. That would be followed by remodeling of the courthouse.

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. 27, 1896 Scott County Argus

The members of the Board of Education of the Union School have been busy this week and the results of their labor will be of far-reaching benefit to the school. The southeast room of the second floor has been fitted up for a recitation room, and Prof. Walter will be given an assistant. This has been deemed necessary as the school is now doing more than two years of High School work and the prospects are favorable for admission to the State board next year. Among the graded schools of the state Shakopee and Burnsville now rank highest. The appropriation of $200 from the state has been received, and with $10 from the library fund has been expended in a valuable microscope, a new set of the International Encyclopaedia, a physical apparatus, and supplementary text books.

100 Years Ago: From the Aug. 25, 1921 Shakopee Tribune

Jos. Ploumen has installed a new dough mixer into his up-to-date bakery.

75 Years Ago: From the Aug. 22, 1946 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

St. John’s Lutheran Parish Plans Construction Project

Plans for improving and enlarging St. John’s Lutheran church and the erection of a parish hall are under consideration by parishioners and their pastor the Rev. Norbert Augst, it was learned.

Members of the parish have voted to launch the project and an architect has been employed to prepare preliminary plans for submission to the parish before a final decision is reached.

A school addition to the north end of the church which will nearly double the present making capacity of 140, and a 32×40 foot parish hall attached to the east side of the church are included in the plans…

50 Years Ago: From the Aug. 25, 1971 Shakopee Valley News

Shakopee and Northern Eagle Creek Consolidated

City Area to Be 24 Square Miles

The City of Shakopee and the 21 northernmost sections of Eagle Creek Township will be consolidated, according to a decision by the Minnesota Municipal Commission announced early Tuesday afternoon.

Shakopee and the affected portion of the township will, following an election of Mayor and Council, comprise a municipality of approximately 24 square miles and 8,500 citizens.

The new borders of Shakopee will be Savage on the East, County Road 79 on the west, the Minnesota River to the north, and a power line running just north of County Road 76 on the south. The southerly border has two small jogs, one around the Prior Lake Indian Reservation, and the other Pike Lake area…

25 Years Ago: From the Aug. 22, 1996 Shakopee Valley News

BHS buys care facility being built on city medical campus

The 51-bed long-term and transitional care facility under construction at the SouthValley Health Campus in Shakopee has been acquired by one of the owners of St. Francis Regional Medical Center.

Benedictine Health System (BHS), Duluth, announced the purchase from Health Dimensions Inc., of Cambridge, last week…

The facility will have 20 transitional-care beds designed for people who require extended recovery or rehabilitation time but not hospitalization. That would include those who have had orthopedic procedures or strokes, as well as some trauma patients. The remaining 31 beds will be for long-term care.

The long-term care portion of the facility will be divided into three small “pods,” with private and separate rooms that have large windows overlooking accessible courtyards. It will also have a private family meeting room and a large dining room…

St. Gertrude’s is scheduled to open in November.

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. 20, 1896 Scott County Argus

M. A. Deutsch and wife will occupy the rectory of St. Peter’s parish on or about Sept. 1^st. The residence they vacate, formerly the home of Dr. J. G. Newell, will, we understand, be occupied by G. L. Nye and family.

100 Years Ago: From the Aug. 18, 1921 Shakopee Tribune

Many Improvements at St. Mark’s Church

Improvements by St. Mark’s parish do not stop. This year the door, transoms and rear stained windows were put in place and make the window part of the church a complete artistic whole, the like of which one will hardly find in Minnesota. Sidewalk, curbing and boulevarding on north side of church block now encloses and puts the final touch in cement improvement around the church block. It is the first block in the city properly curbed and boulevarded.

Last week outside woodwork on the church received new coats of paint and this week all schoolrooms and hallways are being calsomined and thoroughly cleaned for the beginning of the new school year. The interior of the parish meeting hall has been entirely renovated. Graveling of the main road inside St. Mark’s cemetery is now finished and an addition to the cemetery is being surveyed and staked out.

75 Years Ago: From the Aug. 15, 1946 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

City Power System Is Club Topic

Municipal Power System Needs Major Changes, Commercial Club Told

More information on another problem facing the community was presented to the Shakopee Commercial club last Wednesday night when R. C. Condon, superintendent of the city’s electric light department, gave a detailed account of the present condition of the municipal power distributing system…

In his discussion of the city’s power system Condon explained that because of the present tremendous demand for electrical energy vital portions of the distribution equipment have become grossly inadequate.

He referred chiefly to the switchboard panel installed in the power house in 1901. Because of its inadequacy the entire distribution system is threatened with failure and rendered inefficient, he pointed out. Low capacity of circuit breakers which protect the system from over-load during electrical and wind storms also impose a very real danger of fire in the power house, he explained…

50 Years Ago: From the Aug. 18, 1971 Shakopee Valley News

Vote on County Building Alternatives Set for November

“Let the People Decide”…Building Committee Recommendation

Scott County voters will be asked to make the decision on what the county should do about its space crisis during the November election.

County Commissioners voted 4-1 to place the question of a new county building and revisions to the present courthouse on the ballot, including three alternative plans.

The commissioners decision Tuesday morning followed a meeting of the Scott County Citizens Building Committee Monday night at which the three alternative building proposals were developed and the recommendation made that the question be placed on the November ballot.

25 Years Ago: From the Aug. 15, 1996 Shakopee Valley News

City to acquire Scott County roads

Shakopee is likely to receive jurisdiction over several portions of county roads by the end of this year.

The county intends to turn over the following to the city:

* County 16, from Highway 300 to County Road 17.

* County Road 18, from the new County Road 18 to Highway 101.

* County Road 72, from County Road 79 to County Road 17.

* County Road 77, from the Shakopee Bypass to Sixth Avenue…

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. 13, 1896 Scott County Argus

C. F. Cook has sold the Globe Hotel to Chas. Wicke of St. Peter. Mr. Wicke and family took possession last night.

100 Years Ago: From the Aug. 11, 1921 Shakopee Tribune

Public Playground Will Open Today

The playground committee announces that the public playground in Holmes Park will be formally opened today. Beginning next Monday Misses Marjorie Marx and Antoinette Fischer will give instruction in directed play at the playground on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Miss Marx took a course in playground work and the children will have the benefit of her direction on those days. On other days the playgrounds will be supervised by members of the Home Economics Club.

75 Years Ago: From the Aug. 8, 1946 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

4-H Fair Cancelled Because of Polio

Scott County Agricultural Society Halts Plans for Annual Shakopee Event After Consultation With Public Health Authorities

Cancellation of the annual Scott County 4-H fair at Shakopee because of the prevalence of infantile paralysis has been announced by the officers of the Scott County Agricultural society following discussions with health authorities.

In announcing the decision of the officers E. T. Schumacher, secretary-manager of the Agricultural society, … the following bulletin:

“Owing to the prevalence of ‘polio’ in this section of the state and realizing that our exhibitors, etc., come mostly from among children and in line with the prevailing idea of not congregating in large numbers, it has been decided by the Scott County Agricultural society, to postpone indefinitely the Scott County fair which was to be held at Shakopee August 19-20-21, 1946. It is with deep regret that we must disappoint such great numbers of our 4-H clubs throughout the county, as well as those children who have prepared exhibits for the school section of the fair but it is felt that this precaution is necessary to prevent spread of this dread disease.”

50 Years Ago: From the Aug. 11, 1971 Shakopee Valley News

County Space Problem Unanswered, Three Alternatives Under Study

Which way the county will move to solve their space dilemma was still very much undecided following a meeting of the County Citizens Building Committee, the County Board of Commissioners, county officials and architects Tuesday night.

Three alternative plans were discussed at length, but no agreement as to which was the best solution was reached…

The alternatives discussed were:

1. To construct an office building on the 20 acres site to the south of Shakopee, renovating the first floor of the court house for county courts facilities. This plan would entail moving the offices of county assessor, auditor, register of deeds and treasurer into temporary quarters.

2. Construct a county office building on the present courthouse square site, renovating the first floor of the court house for county courts facilities.

3. Construct an addition to the present public safety building for county courts facilities, locating the county offices currently dispersed around the county in the vacated judicial facilities on the first floor of the courthouse, and plan for future county office building on the new 20 acre site. This plan, as opposed to the first two, would return the county welfare department to the courthouse facility…

25 Years Ago: From the Aug. 8, 1996 Shakopee Valley News

Bilotta resigns from city position

Community Development Director V. Paul Bilotta has resigned his position with the city of Shakopee. The City Council accepted his resignation on Tuesday. His last day with the city will be Aug. 16.