Shakopee Snapshots

150 Years Ago: From the June 4, 1874 Shakopee Argus

H. H. Strunk & Son have just received a large stock of White Lime, Cement and Plastering Hair, and now offer it for sale at the lowest price.

125 Years Ago: From the June 1, 1899 Scott County Argus

Owing to the absence of City Recorder Schroeder at the commencement exercises of Gustavus Adolphus college at St. Peter, the publication of the council proceedings is deferred to next week. The most important business transacted was the appropriation of $300 to be used in fixing up the newly purchased park, which work is now being pushed. The fund will probably provide for clearing up the grounds, some grading, rip-rapping a landing for steamboats, a few settees and tables, and a dance floor. All of which will do very well for the first season’s work.

125 Years Ago: From the June 2, 1899 Shakopee Tribune

The storm on Tuesday night blowed down the gable ends in the new residence of Martin Lenzmeier. The roof not having been put on they were not supported sufficiently to resist the strong gale.

100 Years Ago: From the June 6, 1924 Shakopee Argus

When loading lumber Monday at the H. Simons yard Al Rachel had his right leg fractured in two places and sustained serious bruises when he attempted to stop his team from running away. The horses turned toward him, knocking him down, and the wagon passed over his legs below the knees. He was badly hurt and will be laid up at least three months it is reported.

100 Years Ago: From the June 5, 1924 Shakopee Tribune

Fred Ring informs us that he is working out a plan which will when perfected, give Shakopee a delivery service. Fred contemplates making deliveries for all of the grocery stores and stores having grocery departments, also both of the meat markets. He states that he will be ready to start this delivery service about the 15th of this month.

75 Years Ago: From the June 2, 1949 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

Graves Stripped of Plantings at Valley Cemetery

Thievery, always a detestable act, sank to a new depth here the past week with the discovery that more than 20 plants and floral arrangements, set out for Memorial day, had been stolen from graves in Valley cemetery.

The thefts were discovered by Mrs. Laura Geisler, member of the cemetery board, when she was making an inspection of the grounds Thursday morning…

75 Years Ago: From the June 2, 1949 Shakopee Valley News

Weather Balloon Parachute And Instruments Found Six Miles East Of Shakopee Friday

Another weather balloon was found in Scott county last week as Jack Cameron discovered a parachute and box of weather instruments about 11 a. m. last Friday.

He phoned Wold-Chamberlain field and they reported that the balloon had been released at about 9 a. m. that morning. The instruments were found on a side road about six miles east of Shakopee near the Reis brothers farm…

50 Years Ago: From the June 5, 1974 Shakopee Valley News

Building started

It’s been a long time coming but ground was formally broken last week for the new Scott County Court House. The new $2.6 million structure will be built adjacent to the present courthouse in Shakopee. Addressing members of the County Board of Commissioners and other county officials before the ceremony, board chairman Bill Koniarski said he was grateful that years of work and planning for the new facility were finally going to pay off. Construction of the court house was expected to begin this week with completion about a year and half away.

25 Years Ago: From the June 3, 1999 Shakopee Valley News

Local residents will soon get new area code

Shakopee residents who have only known 612 as their area code will probably have to get used to three new numbers now that the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has affirmed an earlier decision to add two more area codes to the metro area next February.

The PUC revisited a decision it made in March and agreed that the west metro area was due two new area codes. According to the PUC, Richfield, Minneapolis and Fort Snelling will retain the 612 area code for the immediate future. The west metro, in a north-south split along Interstate Highway 394, will receive two new area codes.

To the north of I-394, the new area code is likely to be 952. Cities south of the interstate — like Shakopee, Savage, Prior Lake and Jordan – will receive a new area code that has yet to be determined, according to the PUC.

The reason for all the numerical uncertainty is the proliferation of cellular phones, dedicated Internet lines and fax lines. But the ability of customers to take their phone numbers with them when they change providers – “number portability” has supposedly reduced the need for new local phone numbers…

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150 Years Ago: From the May 28, 1874 Shakopee Argus

The shade trees newly set out this spring are now looking in fine condition. During the past week about two hundred young evergreens have been planted in the Valley Cemetery.

125 Years Ago: From the May 25, 1899 Scott County Argus

Joseph Fischer is busy about town laying cement stone walks, and the improvements are in keeping with the general march of progress of the city. At the residence of Atty. E. Southworth a walk has been laid from the front gate to the main entrance and around to the rear. Jos A. Ring’s residence is also connected with Second street by a long and neatly laid walk of the blocks. At Mrs. Effie Vogel’s house on First street, occupied by Prof. A. L. McBee, there is a walk leading from the gate to the front porch. A sidewalk is now going in in front oi N. Heger’s residence on Second street, the curbing having been put in by the city in accordance with its offer of last year. Theodore Weiland’s residence property is supplied with the walks. And James McHale’s will be improved by a front walk and cement step.

125 Years Ago: From the May 26, 1899 Shakopee Tribune

J. C. Marx has rented that part of the How Block now temporarily occupied by J. McMullen. He will move by July 1st and greatly increase his stock of jewelry.

100 Years Ago: From the May 30, 1924 Shakopee Argus

William Spoerner is remodeling the former grist mill on his property better known as the Durose place in East Shakopee, into a modern house. With the present scarcity of desirable homes to rent Mr. Spoerner’s action will meet with unanimous approval.

100 Years Ago: From the May 29, 1924 Shakopee Tribune

Work on the St. Paul House, which Hubert Nyssen is remodeling for the new proprietors, Schmidt and Lane, is nearing completion. Mr. Schmidt informed us that while the remodeling would not be entirely completed for another week, they expect to be in a position to serve meals next Monday.

75 Years Ago: From the May 26, 1949 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

Installs New Switch Panel

Sometime within the next 60 days, barring unforeseen trouble, the electrical energy that flows into the homes, industrial plants and shops of Shakopee, will be passing through the new $13,000 switchboard equipment in the municipal power station.

Robert Houts, city electrician, who for the past two weeks has been painstakingly assembling the intricate units, said Tuesday that if everything goes well the switchover will be made without a break in service or the consumers being aware of the change…

75 Years Ago: From the May 26, 1949 Shakopee Valley News

Field Trials To Be Held Here This Weekend

Shakopee will be host to the spring trials of the Minnesota Field Trial Association Saturday and Sunday when over 150 retriever dogs throughout the nation will be shown in the field.

Trial grounds will be along Highway 101, three miles east of Shakopee, with local headquarters at the St. Paul House. The object of the trial, which is one of a limited number held annually under license from the American Kennel Club, is to test a dog’s ability to retrieve game birds upon command of his hander under similated hunting conditions…

50 Years Ago: From the May 29, 1974 Shakopee Valley News

Co. Rd. 17 project misses federal aid; some hopes remain

Shakopee’s efforts to get federal assistance on the Co. Rd 17 project appear to have failed for now according to reports given at Tuesday night’s city council Meeting.

City administrator Bill Fahey and city engineer Doug Gorieski told members of the council that Shakopee’s project was not among those designated to receive funds.

They added, however, that Co. Rd. 17 could be on a new list of federally assisted projects to be released late this summer…

25 Years Ago: From the May 27, 1999 Shakopee Valley News

Ventura signs bill allowing card club at Canterbury Park

Horses won’t be the only things to bet on at Canterbury Park.

Gov. Jesse Ventura on Monday signed a bill allowing the creation of a card club at the Shakopee horse racing track. Under a bill approved by the state Legislature, Canterbury is authorized to install up to 50 tables for up to seven persons per table to play poker against one another. The opening ante is limited to $15 with raises capped at $30. The track will collect a percentage of the bets and allocate part of that toward larger purses for live racing…

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150 Years Ago: From the May 21, 1874 Shakopee Argus

A large amount of new material arrived this week for the Shakopee Soap Factory. Prosperous business, and a good article of soap.

125 Years Ago: From the May 18, 1899 Scott County Argus

A new lawn mower is whirring away on the spacious lawn of the Court House, and as the inventors have not yet gotten lawn mowers into the automobile class it takes muscle to make it whirr, said muscle being furnished by Janitor Gentgen. The plot is large enough to make the race interesting between the mower and the growing grass, the latter getting a good start at one end before the mower has reached the other. But the improvement effected by the mower is worth the effort.

125 Years Ago: From the May 19, 1899 Shakopee Tribune

Alex Schaefer has had his barroom repapered this week. C. L. Wilcox did the work. He also put a new plate glass windows pane in the front.

100 Years Ago: From the May 23, 1924 Shakopee Argus

Shakopee Base Ball Season Opens Memorial Day

The Shakopee Base Ball ass’n will open its 1924 season at Riverside Park on Memorial Day afternoon, on the fastest diamond in the Minnesota Valley before a brand new grandstand with a seating capacity of 800 people, with the fastest lineup of semi-pros in the northwest…

100 Years Ago: From the May 22, 1924 Shakopee Tribune

E. G. Dahl has improved the appearance of his store by taking out the partition which had been a part of the front window. The removal of this frame work brightens the interior of the store considerably and gives a complete view of the interior of the store from the outside.

75 Years Ago: From the May 19, 1949 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

State Objects to New City Signs

Objection to the city’s erecting of signs within the city limits along highways leading into Shakopee has been raised by employees of the state highway department, it was learned.

In a recent action the City Council authorized the making and placing of four massive signs fixing the speed rate through Shakopee, and urging motorists to be considerate of the lives and limbs of Shakopee children.

The signs, eight feet square, are now being completed by Ed Fonnier, and the posts upon which they will be mounted have been set at the east and west city limits on First street, north of the Lewis street bridge and on South Lewis street.

According to Pat Thielen, police chief, who directed the placing of the signs, the state’s principal objection is that the city’s signs will detract from the effectiveness of those placed by the state highway department.

75 Years Ago: From the May 19, 1949 Shakopee Valley News

St. Mary’s Pupil Is World Affairs Leader

An eighth grade pupil at St. Mary’s school, Shakopee, was one of the major winners in the recent World Affairs contest sponsored by a Twin City newspaper.

The winner was Mary Pearson who made the highest score of any pupil in her grade among the 223 schools that entered the competition. She made her score in the qualifying tests on April 22.

She was awarded a set of the Columbia Encyclopedia, the school was given a copy of Webster’s New International Dictionary, and her teacher, Sister Nicolette, was presented with a copy of “Mirror For Man”.

Her high qualifying score permitted Mary to compete in the finals in Minneapolis this week.

50 Years Ago: From the May 22, 1974 Shakopee Valley News

Midland glass has new bottle

Midland Glass Company, Inc. announces the first commercial use of Midland’s plaswrap concept.

Coca-coal USA has commenced bottling a new 64 ounce capacity plastic coated glass container at their New England bottling facility.

The bottle consists of glass with a coating of Dupont’s Clear Surlyn Ionomer resin and is pre-labeled.

25 Years Ago: From the May 20, 1999 Shakopee Valley News

Pool to undergo more testing

Two weeks after the Shakopee City Council voted to close the municipal for the summer due to a consultant’s concerns about health risks, councilors voted Tuesday night to make a last-ditch attempt to open the facility.

The council voted unanimously to begin testing the water in the pool to determine the efficiency of the sand-bottom pool’s circulation and filtration systems. The city plans to fill the pool next week and then test the water quality for a week. Meanwhile, the city will obtain a second cost estimate for a chlorinator. AquaLogic, an Eden Prairie company, proposed a chlorinator system for $24,940 – just below the state-mandated threshold that would require the city to seek a competitive bid. After the first week of testing, the city will install a new chlorinator and test the water for a second week…

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150 Years Ago: From the May 14, 1874 Shakopee Argus

The Court House is receiving new shingles. Tom Holmes laughs.

125 Years Ago: From the May 11, 1899 Scott County Argus

G. S. Lander has been improving his residence property this week, and the finished work is very pleasing. The grounds have been sodded, evergreens set out, and the whole surrounded by an ornamental fence of galvanized wire surmounted by gas piping.

125 Years Ago: From the May 12, 1899 Shakopee Tribune

The Math Mayer residence will be remodeled, putting in block casing, a double set of front doors, also rear doors. When completed the substantial structure will have a modern appearance. E. B. Schneider has the contract.

100 Years Ago: From the May 16, 1924 Shakopee Argus

New Hotel to Open

Ed Schmidt of this city and his brother-in-law, H. J. Lane of Minneapolis have rented the St. Paul hotel and John Abeln’s soft drink parlor in connection with it and will reopen the hotel for business about June 1st.

The building is being thoroughly renovated and redecorated and all new furniture will be installed, the new proprietors planning on making the hotel as attractive as possible to patrons. Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt are experienced in cafe business, have a very good location in the St. Paul House, as the hotel will continue to be known, and their new venture will undoubtedly meet with success.

100 Years Ago: From the May 15, 1924 Shakopee Tribune

Gem Theater Install New Gold Fibre Screen

Manager Dawson of the Gem Theater has installed one of the famous Gardiner Velvet Gold Fibre Screens which produces unusually clear pictures in graduated color tones, thus eliminating the violent black and white contrasts which are injurious to the eyes.

On the new Gardiner Screen all color tones are contrasted in their true values, for instance, an actor wearing a black felt hat and blue serge suit, does not simply appear to be wearing dark clothing—you can easily see that he has a blue suit and black hat because of the tone contrast made possible by the velvet gold fibre surface of the Gardiner Screen.

In addition to this, the new screen reproduces swiftly moving objects in clear, sharp detail, entirely doing away with the hazy, vague, outlines and jump which is the cause of so much eyestrain.

Manager Dawson invites everyone, especially the kiddies and elderly movie fans of Shakopee to visit the Gem as often as they wish and sit anywhere in the theater. The picture will not hurt their eyes, and they are promised a treat in the form of a motion picture that is seemingly a bit of actual life.

75 Years Ago: From the May 12, 1949 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

To Receive Bids on New School

New bids for the construction of Shakopee’s proposed new public school facilities are to be called for opening June 13, according to an action taken by the School Board Monday night.

Pressing need for more room and improved conditions, and the easing of the financing problem by virtue of new state legislation have encouraged the board to again seek a solution to the school problem.

The 20-man committee of the Shakopee Commercial club which has worked with the school directors in the project will again be called in to consult with the board when the bids are opened.

75 Years Ago: From the May 12, 1949 Shakopee Valley News

County Gets Big Increase In State, U.S. Road Aid Money Allotments

Scott county was assured of getting $21,750 more “outside” funds for county highway improvements during the year ahead than was received in 1948, the Minnesota Department of Highways revealed Tuesday.

From state-collected road-user revenue alone, Scott county will receive a total of $82,350 in regular state allotments. This consists of $12,100 for State Aid roads and $69,750 for County Aid roads, the latter figure compared with a $48,000 County Aid allotment in 1948.

In addition, the county will receive $500 for maintenance cost on the special state aid parkway at the Women’s State Reformatory in Shakopee…

50 Years Ago: From the May 15, 1974 Shakopee Valley News

Shakopee Senior High chosen for USDA project

Shakopee Senior High School was selected by the Minnesota Department of Education to take part in a nationwide project on school lunch participation.

Conducted by the State Department of Education’s school food service office and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the effort includes 300 high schools across the country — all of them exploring and developing methods to increase student participation in the lunch program…

25 Years Ago: From the May 13, 1999 Shakopee Valley News

Voters turn down city parks referendum

Shakopee voters Tuesday rejected a $6 million referendum that would have expanded the Community Center, and improved a dozen city parks and two trails.

In extremely light voting, with just over 16 percent of the eligible voters going to the polls, the question was defeated by 97 votes, 811 to 714, or by a margin of 53 to 47 percent…

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150 Years Ago: From the May 7, 1874 Shakopee Argus

Upon the plaintiff’s application the case of Thomas A. Holmes against Scott County to recover the Court House Block, the place of trial was changed from Scott County to Carver County.

125 Years Ago: From the May 4, 1899 Scott County Argus

The City Brickyard is undergoing improvements and new machinery is being put in place, preparatory to the season’s run. A new tempering mill has been added, its use being to grind the clay to a finer consistency before it goes into the press, thus making the brick harder and better.

125 Years Ago: From the May 5, 1899 Shakopee Tribune

Dr. Fischer has grown tired waiting for a public park and has started his own. He has planted a row of white cedar on the south and west sides of his already well shaded lawn, which will in course of time make a beautiful park. It is centrally located and will in due time have an ostentatious appearance.

100 Years Ago: From the May 9, 1924 Shakopee Argus

New Grandstand Contract Awarded

At a meeting of the Riverside Athletic Ass’n last Saturday evening four separate bids for the construction of a grand-stand at Riverside Park were considered. A. F. Huth’s bid to furnish all necessary material and erect the structure in accordance with the plans and specifications for the sum of $2394 was the lowest and was accepted.

Tuesday a contract was entered into with Mr. Huth and work was begun at once. The contract to build the abutments and concrete foundation was sublet to C. J. Cassellius who is already well along with his part of the work. The contract calls for a completed job on or before May 29, so that it may be ready for occupancy on Memorial Day at which time it is planned by the Shakopee Baseball Club to play the first game of the season.

The grand-stand when fully completed, will cost substantially $2,500.

100 Years Ago: From the May 8, 1924 Shakopee Tribune

Hubert J. Pass purchased a half interest in the shoe repair shop owned and operated by John Czaia. The partnership was formed and became effective on May 1.

75 Years Ago: From the May 5, 1949 Shakopee Argus-Tribune

New Owner of Huss Foundry

To be known as the Shakopee Foundry, the plant formerly operated by Leo Huss east of here, is now under management of Ben Krawiecke of Mora.

The new owner took the place over in April and workmen are now getting organized to handle custom casting work in gray iron and aluminum…

75 Years Ago: From the May 5, 1949 Shakopee Valley News

Board Acts To Replace Jail, Residence With Modern Structure

That Scott county’s antique jail and sheriff’s residence will finally be replaced seemed likely this week as the County Board of Commissioners started preliminary steps toward that action.

In a resolution passed unanimously after long debate at their regular meeting Tuesday, the board voted to hire an architect to present proposals and specifications for a new structure.

The present jail, built about 73 years ago, has been roundly condemned by both the federal and state inspectors of institutions for several years. The last Scott county grand jury, convened about three years ago, condemned the building in very strong language…

50 Years Ago: From the May 8, 1974 Shakopee Valley News

Tahpah Park is winning contest entry

The city’s athletic complex on Co. Rd. 15 near the swimming pool has a new name now, and Marilyn Ries is $30 richer for submitting it.

The land is now called Tahpah Park.

The Shakopee Jaycees sponsored a Name the Park contest which ended last week. There were 600 entries.

Mrs. Ries said she had called the Minneapolis Public Library to find the meaning of Sioux Indian words in coming up with her winning name.

Tahpah means “ball” in Sioux, she was told, and the judges liked that name best…

25 Years Ago: From the May 6, 1999 Shakopee Valley News

Health concerns will close pool for summer

Citing concerns over the ability of pump and filtration systems to safeguard swimmers from possible health risks, the Shakopee City Council ordered the Municipal Pool in Lions Park closed for the 1999 summer season.

On Tuesday night, the council voted unanimously to close the pool and investigate the cost of repairs needed to the 30-year-old sand-bottom pool…

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