Compiled and written by David R. Schleper, 2021

Theodore (Theo) Weiland was born in Brown County, Wisconsin on January 15, 1849, and was raised on a farm near Fond du Lac.

In 1857, he went to Green Bay and attended school for four years.

Theo’s parents died when he was young, and at age ten he was sent to work with a farmer.

In about 1869, Weiland moved to Jordan, Minnesota from his native Wisconsin where he was employed on a farm and later opened a carriage and wagon shop. On January 25, 1874, he married Louisa Mayer, and they had seven children. Louisa died at age 55 in 1907.

The Shakopee Argus-Tribune described Theo as “a prominent, respected and highly esteemed resident and citizen.” Theo was self-made and worked his way up from comparative poverty to affluence and prominence.

In 1876, he was elected marshal of the village of Jordan, holding this office until 1879 when he was elected sheriff of Scott County. He held the office of sheriff for ten years. Theodore Weiland was involved with horse thieves which almost caused his death.

“The horse thieves who operated in this community were pretty hard characters, usually from the Twin Cities,” Theo recalled.

“In those days, it was easy for them to cover their trail, and if they got out of the neighborhood they usually went clear.”

“It was my duty to see that they didn’t get away,” said Theo, according to Elizabeth Johanneck in the book Hidden History of the Minnesota River Valley.

“One day I received a tip that Hank O’Keefe, a notorious character living near Shakopee, had bought a $200 horse stolen in St. Paul for $10. My information led me to believe O’Keefe was planning to work his way Eastward on the other side of the Minnesota River. I started out after him at night, taking with me a man who knew the horse.”

O’Keefe saw Theo approaching and jumped and ran.

“Drawing my revolver, I followed. It was too dark to shoot effectively and I didn’t want to kill my man anyway. But he emptied his gun at me and several of his bullets missed me only by a fraction of an inch.”

“We found him later in a physician’s office being treated for gunshot wounds, and he was sent to the penitentiary.”

When Sheriff Weiland arrived home from the hunt, Louisa saw Theo’s hat with a bullet hole right in the middle!

Soon after his last term as sheriff, he was elected mayor of Shakopee and held the office for four years. In 1890, Sheriff Weiland bought the “Reis Block” from George Reis, a venerable commercial building that long stood at the center of Shakopee’s downtown district that also housed an opera house. He ran a flour and feed store during his possession of this property as well.

For decades he was president of the strong First National Bank of Shakopee, of a loan association and one or more banks affiliated with the parent institution. Theo Weiland was a keen sportsman, a lover of the outdoors, one of the best marksmen in the section, and he retained his skill and firearms right into his old age. He was a pleasing man to meet, quietly companionable, slightly reserved. He was widely known and highly respected.

Theodore Weiland of Shakopee died at 82 in his home of pneumonia on March 18, 1931, according to the Jordan Independent. He had been ill for about a month.

Of a calm, equable disposition, he conserved his health and strength and lived a long and active life. He was buried at the Shakopee Catholic Cemetery, next to his wife, Louisa.

Bibliography

Johanneck, Elizabeth. Hidden History of the Minnesota River Valley. The History Press, 2010.