All posts by Wes Reinke

About Wes Reinke

Professionally, I work in IT, with passions in software and system support, app/configuration deployments, administration (especially Microsoft-related), and automation. One is never too old to learn and apply new skills! Outside of my IT world, I have various interests, including local history, genealogy, and spending time “up north.” View all posts by Wes Reinke →

Joe Jenn (1907-1999)

May 20, 2016PeopleWes Reinke

Compiled and written by David R. Schleper, 2021

Joe Jenn was orphaned as a child.

He worked on road construction crews and for Union Carbide before he took charge of maintenance for the K-12 Shakopee school.

He lived in Shakopee for 66 years.

Clifford Thibodeau remembered, “Joe was a great guy! I remember being in 5^th grade, if I remember right. Me and some other boys were asking him about his job. I don’t know if he was supposed to, but he showed us areas of the school that may have normally been off limits to students, like the boiler room, and the pretty big basement the school had. In all the years I went to that school, he was always such a good humored guy!”

Barb Stein also remembered Joe. “He was so cool, he would let us play with his retractable key chain, zing, zing, zing, the patience of a saint.”

“When we talk about Joe I always smile. I remember when we moved to Shakopee my sophomore year, my parents just had me walk to school and register myself. Joe was out cleaning the sidewalk and could tell I was lost. He took the time to walk me to the office,” said Marilyn Rein.

Joe Jenn recalled growing up in Shakopee. “Shakopee was really a community by itself, cut off by the Minnesota River and the river bottoms. Back in the 1930s, the town was a little Las Vegas!”

“We had 33 beer joints at one time and notorious nightclubs like Rock Springs and the Riviera. People, including gangsters, came here for booze, women, and gambling; the mayor, sheriff, and city councilmen went along with it all.

“Then Luther Youngdahl became governor of the state, and told the sheriff to clean up his town.”

Joe said, “A garage was established on Lewis Street. In the rear door of the alley was a receiving depot for boxes of liquor.”

Joe Jenn noted, “There was also a bottling works in town; they delivered bottles of pop to St. Paul and return with bottles of whiskey,” according to an interview in Midwest Highways and Bywaysby Alice M. Vollmar in the Summer of 1999. Rufus Jarman, in the Saturday Evening Post, noted in 1947, “In the Twin Cities region, Governor Youngdahl’s law enforcement is felt most emphatically at Shakopee, a small town about twenty miles away, where residents of Minneapolis and St. Paul used to go for their Sunday cocktails, which they couldn’t buy at home, and to dine at one of several restaurants that featured thick steaks and slot machines.”

Deputy Sheriff J.P. Wermerskirchen was appointed acting sheriff and for a time the slot machines all disappeared. Sheriff Wermerskirchen and W. B. Rip Schroeder had a raid on October 1941

But over time, they found their way back.

By 1951, eighteen years after the end of Prohibition, Shakopee’s reputation as Little Chicago finally came to an end.

Joe Jenn died in 1999.

Bibliography

Vollmar, Alice M. Midwest Highways and Byways, Summer 1999.

Jarman, Rufus. Saturday Evening Post, 1947.

Ruth Gardner (1933 …maybe!)

May 20, 2016PeopleWes Reinke

Compiled and written by David R. Schleper, 2020

Ruth Gardner (1933)

Ruth Gardner. Or Laura Jensen. Or Ruth Redtke, or Ruth Warner.

She escaped from the State Reformatory for Women in Shakopee on February 20, 1933.

Ruth was 22 years old, 5’6 5/8” and 109 pounds. She has light brown hair, hazel eyes, and a sallow complexion.

Ruth was a clever forger. She operated in Ohio, Michigan, and Minnesota.

She always presented her victims with a fraudulent letter from an insurance company. The forged check was usually for about $70.

If you find Ruth, apprehend and deliver her to an officer of the Minnesota State Reformatory for Women in Shakopee. You will get a $25 reward!

Thumbing a Ride (1948)

On August 21, 1948, at 8 p.m., a woman escaped from the reformatory in Shakopee.

She was working in the fields, made her way to the Holmes Street Bridge, and crossed to the north end.

She started to thumb a ride.

John P. Wermerkirschen pulled up, and the woman got into the car. As he drove, Wermerskirchen asked her name.

“None of your business!” she responded. “What is YOUR name?”

The driver answered, short and sweet, “You’ll be surprised. I am the sheriff.”

Her ride ended shortly after … back to the reformatory!

Lucille Keppen Released from Prison at Age 93 (2007)

“Does it hurt?” Lucille said. “I really want it to hurt because you hurt me so deeply, and I was so good to you.”

Lucille Keppen, age 88, shot Stephen Flesche in 2002.

The inmates nicknamed her “Grandma.”

When she got out at age 93, the first thing she wanted to do was go to Perkins!

Lucille was the oldest prisoner of the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Shakopee.

Teen Murderer Flees Jail to See the Smashing Pumpkins (1998)

Seventeen-year-old Pamela D. Keary really wanted to see the Smashing Pumpkins.

She was serving a 12-year sentence for second-degree murder.

She joined 100,000 fans to see the show at the Hennepin Avenue Block Party.

She was arrested at midnight and moved to the segregated unit.

Charles August Manaige

May 20, 2016PeopleWes Reinke

Compiled and written by David R. Schleper, 2024

Charles August Manaige was born December 7, 1847, in Madison, Wisconsin. His father, Pierre Manaige, was a native of France, and his mother, Angelique Decora Manaige, was part-Winnebago, or Ho-Chunk Indian.

Charles and his family came to Minnesota in the early 1840s. His father was an interpreter for the government, sent to avoid bloodshed and disputes in the territory. The Winnebago first settled at what is now Long Prairie in Todd County. Charlie remembered that he never had seen a white man, except his father, until he was about six years old.

According to Charlie, “We had few guns and the bow and arrow was the principal weapon. We were able to shoot any kind of game…buffalo to geese and ducks. The older braves occasionally gave us pointers and we soon equaled many of them as marksmen. Marksmanship was considered a great accomplishment and we used to have target practice and prize matches. We would drive a short stick in the ground, about an inch wide, and shoot at sticks about four feet long, with crooks at one end. Strings were strung across the crook in such a manner as to form a shallow basket. A home-made ball about the size of a baseball was used. The players would line up on two sides of a field, and the object of the game was to send the ball across the goal behind the opposite players,” said Charlie Manaige.

Charlie remembered the thrilling dances, usually in honor of the various Winnebago gods. “I recall that when I was a small boy, my mother’s youngest brother was kicked by a pony just before a dance, and was unable to take part. His humiliation was so great that he killed himself. One of the chief gods of the Winnebago was the Thunder Bird, who was supposed to control the elements. When storms raged, dances were held to appease the wrath of the Thunder Bird,” noted Charlie Manaige. Thunderbirds are powerful and warlike avian spirits who animate the gray clouds with thunder and lightning. Together with the Waterspirits, they were the first spirits that Earthmaker created. Their name, Wak’âdja, means “Divine Ones.”

On January 25, 1846, wearing high-heeled boots to give him the required height, Charles A. Manaige enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served as a private in Company F, First Regiment, Minnesota Heavy Artillery under the command of Captain Hugh J. Owens.

First Minnesota Regiment of Heavy Artillery units were intended to man large guns used in fortifications. They were organized into regiments of twelve companies (sometimes referred to as batteries) and commonly had up to 1,000 men. Charles was in Company F. Because of their size some of these units were taken from garrison duty and converted into infantry. Most were used as garrison troops, and this was the case with the First Minnesota Heavy Artillery. The regiment was recruited in the summer of 1864 and included re-enlisted veterans from other Minnesota units. As soon as organized, each company was sent to Chattanooga, Tennessee where it formed part of the garrison for this strategic point. The regiment remained there until the fall of 1865 when the last companies were mustered out of service.

Charles was honorably discharged in Nashville, Tennessee eight months later, on September 27, 1865.

After the war, Charlie farmed near St. Clair and later operated a butcher shop. He also spent some time at Mankato. As a young man, he visited the Shakopee vicinity frequently, and on July 30, 1870, Charles A. Manaige married Pelagie Eliza Faribault.

They lived in Shakopee for the rest of their lives.

Charles and Pelagie had four children, two sons and two daughters. Isabelle was born in 1871, and married Harvey Randolph Leach in Des Moines, Iowa. They had nine children. Melvin was born in 1872 and died April 12, 1931. He married and lived in Brooklyn, New York. Eugene Curtis was born 1874 and died of tuberculosis in 1903. Grace was born in 1876 and died at Friendship Manor in November 1966.

A familiar figure, Charlie was endeared to young and old. The old veteran, riding in his horse-drawn carriage, made daily trips from his home at the east part of the city to do the family shopping. No matter what the weather, Charlie still would visit downtown Shakopee. Not so many years back, Charlie could be seen morning, noon, and later afternoon, with his grandchildren seated beside him in the carriage, going and coming from the grade school. The duty was one of his greatest pleasures, and the pleasure was vividly recorded on his beaming face, according to Scott County Argus, January 29, 1903.

Charles, at age 82 years old, became the Paul Revere of Shakopee in December 1929. He was driving in town in his horse and buggy when he heard the opening volley of shots happening at the First National Bank. Hightailing the old mare up the main street in Shakopee, he gave the alarm. Charlie was in grave danger of being hit by the barrage of bullets that swept the main street, but he still continued his heroic dash.

Almost ten years later, Charlie had a severe cold which was developed into pneumonia. For several days he was confined to his bed at home, and as his condition became critical, he was moved to the Veteran’s Hospital in Minneapolis, where he died.

Charles A. Manaige, Shakopee’s 91-year-old Civil War veteran, the sole surviving member of General Shield’s Post of the Grand Army of the Republic, died in January 1938. His funeral was at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, with Father Michael McRaith officiating. Interment was at the Valley Cemetery beside his wife, Pelagie Faribault Manaige. Most businesses were closed during the funeral as Shakopee saluted the old soldier.

Bibliography

Scott County Argus, 19 Jan. 1903.

PDF Brochure

Eleanor Gates (1875-1951)

May 20, 2016PeopleWes Reinke

Compiled and written by David R. Schleper, 2020

Eleanor Gates was born September 26, 1874, in Eagle Creek Township, which is now part of Shakopee. Her father was William Cummings Gates, and her mother was Margaret Ann Archer. Eleanor was an American playwright who created seven plays that were staged on Broadway. Her best-known work was the play The Poor Little Rich Girl.

Eleanor remembered growing up in Eagle Creek, Shakopee, and Dakota Territory, and she later described her early life in her novel The Biography of a Prairie Girl, which she wrote in 1902:

“Up and down the oxen toiled before the plow, licking their tongues, as they went along, for wisps of the sweet, new grass which the old-board was turning under. After them came the biggest brother, striving with all his might to keep the beam level and the handles from dancing as the steel share cut the sod into wide, thick ribbons, damp and black on one side, on the other green and decked with flowers.

“And, following the biggest brother, trotted the little girl, who from time to time left the cool furrow to run ahead and give the steers a lash of the gad she carried, or hopped to one side to keep the stepping with her bare feet upon the fat earthworms that were rolled out into the sunlight, where they were pounced upon by rivaling blackbirds circling in the rear.”

Gates remembered growing up in Shakopee and the Dakota Territory. “I do not exaggerate the somber side of prairie life, nor do I exaggerate the joys,” Gates is quoted as saying in newspaper articles. “I believe that the country child grows old sooner than the city child, because the country child often does manual labor of a heavy kind when he or she is not physically able to do it. The plainswoman is frequently gray and worn at thirty-eight or forty; the plainsman is often bent, impaired in sight by the sun, and old at forty-five. I do not say that this is always so, but it is commonly so.”

When she was a young girl, she moved to the Dakota Territory. From there, Eleanor moved to California for college. Gates married another playwright, Richard Walton Tully, in 1901 after they had both completed their studies at the University of California, in Berkeley.

Gates had worked initially as a writer for a newspaper in San Francisco, as well as writing novels. In 1907, one of her novels was illustrated by Arthur Rackham. Her best-known work was the play The Poor Little Rich Girl, which was produced by her husband in 1913. Tully divorced her in 1914 citing desertion, which Gates admitted.

Before Gates’s divorce had been finalized, she married another divorcé, Frederick Ferdinand Moore, in Paterson, New Jersey, in October 1914. In 1916 they separated when they both realized that they were not legally married.

At the beginning of 1915, Gates founded the Liberty Feature Film Company, which was said by Motion Picture News to be the only film company to be owned and managed by women. The company was led by the wife of an Alaskan businessman, Sadir Lindblom. In the year that it existed the company created several two-reel films.

The first film, produced in 1917, was The Poor Little Rich Girl, which starred Mary Pickford. Shirley Temple starred in the 1936 remake of the same name. The new film had made two million dollars by the end of 1939.

Eleanor Gates died March 7, 1951, at Los Angeles County General Hospital. But she is remembered as a writer from Eagle Creek Township in Shakopee!

Bibliography

Gates, Eleanor. The Biography of a Prairie Girl, 1902.

Pelagie Eliza Faribault Manaige (1845-1937)

May 20, 2016PeopleWes Reinke

Compiled and written by David R. Schleper, 2020

Pelagie Eliza Faribault, daughter of Oliver Faribault and Wakan Yaŋke Wiŋ (or Woman Who Sits at the High Place), was born at her parents’ log cabin in East Shakopee, the same log cabin which is now in The Landing in Shakopee. Wakan Yaŋke Wiŋ was pregnant when they built and established the trading post in 1844, and Eliza, as she was called, was born August 27, 1845, the sixth of nine children.

Eliza grew up with her three sisters, Mary Josephine (Jessie), Jane Luce, and Sarah Iréne, in the cabin and adjacent warehouse which was built on the west side of what was later called Faribault Springs, using tamarack logs which were obtained from a swamp nearby. Because Oliver was part Dakota, and Wakan Yaŋke Wiŋ was Dakota, so was Eliza. The French and Métis people called this area Prairie des Français (French Prairie), along the Rivière Saint-Pierre.

Eliza remembered about her early life, including the bark huts, called tipi tanka, and tipi. Her father conducted a trading post in Tínṫa Otuŋwe, in the area now called Shakopee.

She remembered her father conducting a trading post for a few years and building a warehouse in which he stored furs purchased from the Dakota Indians.

She only faintly remembered her father, as he died in the fall of 1850, when Eliza was 4 ½ years old. Eliza remembered the gaudy trinkets that were available to the Dakota Indians.

An Indian trail passed south of the Faribault Trading Post and cabin in Tínṫa Otuŋwe, and Eliza remembered watching the processions of ponies with packs strapped to their backs and long dog trains, each load drawn by four to eight or more dogs. Furs and skins formed the bulk of the freight. Later the ponies and dogs were replaced by six oxen and long trains of two-wheeled Red River carts. Eliza could still remember the ear-piercing squeaks of the poorly lubricated wooden axles that heralded the approach of the trains.

Eliza attended school in a little log schoolhouse near their home. When she was 14 years old, she was taken to Québec City, where she attended a school conducted by the Ursuline nuns at Monastère des Ursulines de Québec. It is the oldest institution of learning for women in North America. Eliza remembered, “We traveled from Faribault to Hastings by stage, and took a steamboat to La Crosse. From La Crosse we traveled by train, and it was the first time I ever rode on a railroad train. I don’t remember the cities we went through, but I clearly recall our arrival in Québec. It all seemed unreal to me as I had never before been away from the frontier …” Eliza attended school at Monastère des Ursulines de Québec for two terms and then returned home.

As they grew into womanhood, the four Faribault young adults, including Eliza, entered the social whirl of the frontier. “We had violin music and sometimes there were accordions,” said Eliza, “and we used to dance square dances, waltzes, and Virginia reel and the fireman’s dance.”

As a young woman, Eliza was often visited by Charles A. Manaige, whose father, Pierre Manaige, was a native of France, and his mother was part-Winnebago, or Ho-Chunk Indian. On July 30, 1870, Charles A. Manaige married Pelagie Eliza Faribault in Mankato. They returned to Shakopee, where they spent their lives.

Pelagie and Charles had four children, two sons and two daughters. Isabelle was born in 1871, married Harvey Randolph Leach in Des Moines, Iowa, and they had nine children. Melvin was born in 1872 and died April 12, 1931. He married and lived in Brooklyn, New York. Eugene Curtis was born 1874 and died of tuberculosis in 1903. Grace was born in 1876 and died at Friendship Manor in Shakopee in November of 1966.

Pelagie Eliza Faribault Manaige died on December 1, 1937. She is buried at the Valley Cemetery in Shakopee, Minnesota.

Charles August Manaige died on January 22, 1938, and is buried next to Eliza.

Pelagie Eliza Faribault Manaige

William Louis “Bill” Quinn (November 4, 1828-March 5, 1906)

May 20, 2016PeopleWes Reinke

By David Schleper

William Louis “Bill” Quinn was born near Coldwater Springs near Fort Snelling, Minnesota on November 4, 1828. His father was Peter Quinn, who was an Irish immigrant who married Ineyahwin, also known as Mary Louisa Finley, who was a mixed-blood Christeneauz (Cree) Indian. Therefore, William was half Cree by blood.

When Bill was 20 years old, he married a half-blood Dakota woman, Angelique Jeffries, of the Mdewakanton band in 1848. By 1856, the couple had three children, all of which were one-quarter Dakota. Bill was fluent in Chippewa, Dakota, English, and perhaps other languages. At various times he was a clerk, a scout for the army, and an interpreter. Bill was employed as a clerk in the Indian trade for many years.

In the spring of 1851, Thomas A. Holmes employed Bill as a guide. They packed for one week, and Bill had already decided on two possible places for a town. They ascended the Minnesota River and cooked a meal in a hollow near the old Dakota Indian village of Tiŋta-otoŋwe. Thomas and Bill looked the place over, and climbed the bluffs north of the settlement, and Thomas was even more impressed. They decided to continue up the river to Le Sueur. But soon Thomas and Bill returned to the first landing, and deemed it the more favorite place to locate. And so Thomas Holmes picked the area near Tiŋta-otoŋwe, and called the area Holmes Landing. It was here that Thomas built a trading post for the Dakota Indians in Tiŋta-otoŋwe (which was close by where today is Sommerville Street, and continued until beyond Memorial Park.)

One interesting story about William Louis Quinn happened a few years later.

In 1862, Bill and his family were at the Yellow Medicine Agency, where he worked in William Forbes’ store. In 1862-1865 he was a scout, guide, and messenger. Bill was chief of scouts at Fort Wadsworth from 1867-1870. For 30 years, starting in 1870, Bill was immersed in learning, documenting, and providing testimony about the genealogy of Dakota mixed-bloods. In an article written in 1901, Knute Steenerson discussed his experience of being a pioneer. He had a saloon in the village of Lac que Parle. “I sold whiskey by the drink, pint, quart, and gallon. Along in the winter came a half-breed from St. Paul. He had driven up by team—there was no railroad at that time—and he was going to Big Stone Lake, he said, to buy scrip from the Indians.” Scrip allowed the holder to appropriate about 480 acres of land not already occupied for people who were half-Dakota.

“His name was Bill Quinn. He had seventeen hundred dollars in cash in his pocket book. He came into my saloon often and treated the crowd, no matter how many there were or how few. He would throw a five-dollar bill on the counter and did not want any change. When I gave him change back, he would throw it on the dirty floor and tramp on it. So I learned after a while to please him and never gave him change, but slipped the bill into the money drawer and set up the drinks. This pleased him entirely.”

“So he proceeded on to Big Stone Lake and in about a week or ten days he was back again. He brought his son and his son’s sweetheart with him. They were pretty good-looking half-breed Indians. He said he had caught them wild on an island in Big Stone Lake and wanted to ‘buckle them up’ and marry them. So he bought ten gallons of whiskey and ten gallons of cherry brandy. I was invited to the wedding, which was held at the house of a French squaw man, who lived down the river a few miles. The next thing was to send for a justice of the peace to ‘buckle them up,’ as he said.” Knute continued, “A New England Yankee was sent for. His name was Mr. Stowell, and he performed the ceremony. But Mr. Quinn was in such a hurry that he sang out between drinks, ‘buckle them up, buckle them up,’ and then again he would jig and laugh. Well, after it was done Quinn said he was so glad that they were ‘buckled up.’”

“We had a good time at the wedding. Some were drinking, some dancing, and others talking. It was a sort of cosmopolitan gathering. There were Dakota Indians talking with the lady of the house around the cook stove. There were the squaw man and old Bushma taking French. There were Fritz and Rosenbaum talking German. There were Ole Olson and John Johnson talking Norwegian. They were all enjoying a trot sling and conversation between themselves, while Bill Quinn was dancing with a glass in his hand, to the music of the violin played by the half-breed, Joe Laframboise. A more pleasant and jolly time I have never enjoyed.”

(From Knute Steenerson’s Recollections The Story of a Pioneer, Minnesota History Magazine, Vol. 4, Issue 3-4, 1921, pg. 130-151.)

Timothy Canty and Margaret O’Keefe (1851)

May 20, 2016PeopleWes Reinke

By David Schleper

Timothy Canty came to Shakopee as an employee of Thomas A. Holmes. Some said that Timothy came on the flat boat Wild Paddy in the fall of 1851, though others think he arrived a short time later. He came to file on a tract of 80 acres granted him by the government because of his involvement in the Mexican-American War, also known as the Invasion of Mexico.

The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) marked the first U.S. armed conflict chiefly fought on foreign soil. It pitted a politically divided and militarily unprepared Mexico against the expansionist-minded administration of U.S. President James K. Polk. Polk believed the United States had a manifest destiny to spread across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. A border skirmish along the Rio Grande started off the fighting. It was followed by a series of U.S. victories. When the dust cleared, Mexico had lost about one-third of its territory, including nearly all of present-day California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico.

Timothy was born in Lower Canada, and came to the eastern part of the United States at an early age. He was in the Mexican-American War, and was in many of the battles, including Cerro Gordo, Buena Vista, and Vera Cruz. After working with Thomas A. Holmes in Shakopee, he worked on the steamboats, including Greek Slave and Pocahontas.

Tim married Margaret O’Keefe in St. Paul in 1851. When the Civil War arrived, he wanted to go, but Tim couldn’t leave his wife. His wife lost her sight, and was blind at that time, so Tim stayed to be near his wife.

Timothy was dressed in keeping with his manner of living, and his ways and his philosophy was simple, direct, unassuming, and not given to boasting. He did reminisce occasionally about his experience in the Mexican American War, and when General William Tecumseh Sherman became prominent in the Civil War, Canty recalled that he had served under Sherman when Sherman was in the American forces in Mexico.

Tim, as he was called, even went so far one day as to assert that he knew Sherman well. “He’s a fine officer and a real man,” he observed to a group of settlers in Guyermann’s store in downtown Shakopee. Tim had been there to purchase his weekly supply of groceries. Many of the settlers felt that Timothy was exaggerated a bit, and that he didn’t know the great Sherman as well as he claimed. They often asked again and again, but Tim made little comment.

One day the news brought up the Minnesota River from St. Paul said that Sherman was making a tour of the west, and would pass through Shakopee. It happened in the late 1860s. When the news of the impending visit was announced, there was great excitement.

“Where’s Canty?” some of the settlers asked. “He ought to be here, since he claims Sherman knows him so well.” When Timothy was told, he didn’t say much. A few of the townspeople hinted that Tim couldn’t make good with his claim.

Finally, the day of the general’s visit arrived. Homesteaders and city residents formed quite a sizable crowd. Along noon a cloud of dust was seen down the trail. “Here they come!” someone shouted.

Presently the stage came into view, drawn by four large horses. The driver swung around the corner at Strunk’s Drug Store and stopped with a flourish. A cheer arose and General William Tecumseh Sherman put his head out of a window to acknowledge the greeting. His eyes roved over the crowd as he spoke. Suddenly, he stopped and the watchers saw his attention was riveted on a man in the rear of the crowd. Timothy Canty was there, having come to Shakopee to get his scythe sharpened. He was still carrying the scythe.

“Hello Tim!” Sherman called. “Don’t you remember me?” Tim came forward and shook hands. For some time their hands were clasped and the embarrassed settlers who had doubted Tim’s claim saw tears welling in the eyes of the two veterans – the general of all the armies and the humble homesteader.

“I want to congratulate you on your success in the later war, General,” Tim faltered.

“Thank you, Tim,” said Sherman. “Say, do you remember that big black horse I had in Mexico? Wasn’t he a dandy?” Then the general grew serious. “How is the world treating you, Tim, my boy?”

“Fine, General, fine,” said Timothy. “I have a good maple homestead and a wife and boy out here a ways.”

“That’s good. Take care of yourself,” Sherman called as he resumed his seat to continue the journey. After short remarks to the crowd, General Sherman’s coach was again on its way.

The crowd melted slowly and silently, and several went to find Tim, who had disappeared. But when Tim arrived back to Shakopee later, the reception was wholly different. The settlers were inclined to look with awe on the man who had been so intimate with Sherman. It was reported that this feeling never did wear off entirely, and persisted even until Timothy’s death in 1885.

(Some information from Timothy Canty Typical Pioneer: Father of Local Man was Personally Acquainted with General Sherman. Shakopee Tribune, 1925. In Recollections of Early Pioneers 1925 compiled by Betty A. Dols, 2000, Shakopee Heritage Society.)

Minnie Josephine Otherday Weldon (1877-1959)

May 19, 2016PeopleWes Reinke

Compiled and written by David R. Schleper, 2020

According to Mary Cavanaugh DuBois, many people in Shakopee knew Minnie Otherday Weldon, who made beautiful, beaded articles. “The purses mother had her make were not leather but made from rubber inner tubes. They had beaded handles and rubber streamers decorated with beads. The price was $1.00 each.”

Minnie Josephine Otherday was born in a tioti on July 24, 1877, on the north side of the Minnesota River in Tínṫa Otuŋwe. Her parents were Oyatekokepa Jacob Otherday, and Hapstiŋna Makaakaŋiwaŋkewiŋ Black Flute Lucy Otherday.

Minnie was a direct descendant of Dakota that once reigned supreme in the Minnesota valley and are still here today. Her grandmother was the sister of Dakota leader Ṡakpe II, for whom the city of Shakopee was named.

Minnie’s relatives purchased 18 acres in 1871, directly across the Minnesota River. On this land, the Mdewakaŋtoŋwaŋ, the Spirit Lake People, lived, not far from which used to be Tínṫa Otuŋwe. They caught fish and turtles with spears and hooks, caught the mink, muskrats, and beavers along the shore, the cranberries grew in profusion in the lowlands, and the wild rice was plentiful on the lakes on the valley floor.

During the 1897 Scott County fair, the Indian Village included the “tum-tum” sound of the beaten drum which vibrated again and again, while the “hi-yah” of male voices mingled occasionally with the shrill sounds of the Dakota woman who echoed throughout the village. Minnie and others cordially allowed the inquisitive white people to see inside the tioti (plural is tipi).

In 1900, the colony consisted of about 15 residents, living in three dwellings. The surnames included Otherday, La Framboise, Ortley, Bluestone, Shoto (or Choteau), Campbell, Cloud, Jackson, Tahkudo, and Baska.

In 1908, Minnie married Charles “Chuck” Weldon, a fisherman, and they grew up on the bottomland of the Minnesota River. They had four sons and a daughter, all born in the east part of Shakopee. Hilary Drees remembers driving his bike … down to the river to Indian Road, where they saw the hogs that lived on the north side of the river, and continued past Sever’s farm to look at the tipi of the Indians. Irene McDevitt Reinke Bursey recalled “…they had to drive across the old bridge at Shakopee onto the Indian Road, where they would see Indian Minnie sewing under a shade tree and the young Indian boys running and hiding behind trees, aiming and shooting their Fourth of July guns.”

Minnie is also the grandmother of Charlie Vig, who was the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community chairman for eight years. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is the most influential Native American tribe in Minnesota.

As a young woman, Minnie used to make the rounds of Shakopee homes with her almost-blind mother, Lucy. The two of them would gather food from the tiŋta, or prairie, including different kinds of berries. They waded in the wetlands to harvest psiŋca, a nourishing bulbous root with their feet and hands.

Minnie and her mother dug mdo, a wild potato, and tipsiŋna, prairie turnips, from the tiŋta. They also gathered berries, crabapples, plums, and nuts from the woods. They also harvested watercress which also grew in the springs.

The watercress from Faribault Springs, the wild grapes in season, the moccasins, and the beadwork were sold to people in Shakopee. They would sell watercress from the Faribault Springs area in season, and take orders for tanning skins, making moccasins or selling a variety of beadwork.

Elizabeth Schultz remembered “Minnie and Lucy would come in by my father, and he would buy watercress and little things they made, such as little moccasins, little boats made from birch bark, and also beads. They also came to our house to visit my mother and grandmother….”

Charles Weldon died of heart failure on the Minnesota River in January 1936. He had gone down onto the river ice that morning and was suddenly stricken with a heart attack. His family carried him up the riverbank and he died in a few minutes.

Minnie Otherday Weldon died on June 18, 1959, at a nursing home in Sisseton, South Dakota, at the age of 82. She had been confined to her home for more than a month when her condition grew critical because of a paralytic stroke she suffered in January 1959.

For more information about Minnie Josephine Otherday Weldon and Tínṫa Otuŋwe, visit Hoċokata Ti (ho-cho-kah-tah-tee), the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s (SMSC) cultural center and gathering space. The public exhibit, “Mdewakanton: Dwellers of the Spirit Lake,” enhance the knowledge and understanding of the Mdewakanton Dakota people and their history. Hoċokata Ti is at 2300 Tiwahe Circle, Shakopee, MN 55379. (952) 233-9151.

Dr. Bror Folke Pearson

May 19, 2016PeopleWes Reinke

Compiled and written by David R. Schleper, 2020

Bror Folke Persson (Pearson) was born on a farm in southern Sweden July 30, 1906. Bror Folke, meaning “brother of the people,” was a particularly apt name for a man who devoted his life to his family, parents, and communities. He was kind and had a good sense of humor.

Dr. Pearson immigrated to America in 1919, and became a doctor for 42 years in Shakopee, starting in 1934. Dr. Pearson used to come directly to homes any time of the day or night, whenever called. He delivered more than 2,500 babies in Shakopee.

Gwen Johnson Humphrey remembered when Dr. Pearson “brought [me] into the world, then in the next few years brought four of my six brothers also. He was always at our house it seemed tending to either one or all seven and never left without giving someone a shot, Through measles, German measles, chickenpox, [tonsillectomies], stitches and owies he was always there.”

In 1939, Dr. Pearson, a local priest, and the editor of the local paper visited the convent of Franciscan nursing nuns and asked them to take over the decrepit county poor house and run it as a hospital and a home for the elderly.

By 1952, the little hospital was no longer big enough, and Dr. Pearson led the effort to build a new hospital with 120 beds, an emergency room, and a full services laboratory.

Dr. Pearson married Elizabeth Stephens in 1935, and after 40 years, Beth died in 1976. They had three daughters and a son. Pearson retired from his Shakopee practice in 1976, the same year Beth passed away.

Dr. Pearson received the 18th annual Franciscan International Award. The honor goes to someone whose humanitarian efforts and singular devotion to others live up to the ideals of St. Francis. Other recipients have included Dr. Billy Graham, Dr. Charles Mayo of the Mayo Clinic, and Harry Reasoner, nationally known ABC Television news anchorman. In 1976, it went to a little-known doctor from a small Minnesota town.

In 1980, he wed Dr. Dora Zaeske, and they were together for 22 years, traveling the world and working as humanitarians.

Dr. Pearson worked as a physician in locations in South America, the West Indies, and Taiwan, and a Navajo Reservation in Ganado, Arizona. He also led an effort to sponsor a leprosarium in Zambia, Africa.

In 1970, a new elementary school in Shakopee, B.F. Pearson Elementary School, was named after him. It is located at 917 Dakota Street South.

In 1995, Central became the fifth- and sixth-grade building, with Sweeney and Pearson elementaries serving grades kindergarten through fourth. As the number of students grew, the five other elementary schools in Shakopee continued, while in 2011, the school was converted to Shakopee’s Pearson Sixth Grade Center, which opened in 2012.

Pearson Sixth Grade Center served all public school sixth graders in Shakopee which included about 650 students. About 43% of the students were people of color.

In 2018, the school was closed for budget reasons. The sixth graders were moved to the two middle schools with other seventh and eighth graders.

In 2020, Pearson Sixth Grade Center became the Pearson Early Learning Center.

After a brief illness, Dr. Bror Folke Pearson passed away Aug. 24, 2004, at Sunrise of Mercer Island, Washington, at age 98.

PDF Brochure

Remember When: 1991

January 31, 2016Remember WhenWes Reinke

From the Shakopee Valley News

Jan. 3, 1991

First ‘Jazzuary Screamer’ set

The Shakopee High School Music Department will present its first annual “Jazzuary Screamer” concert Monday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The concert will feature the jazz band and “Shakophones.” There is no admission charge…

Said Jeffrey Doebler, director of bands: “We are very excited about the addition of the Jazzuary Screamer to our slate of concerts at Shakopee High School. For the past two years we’ve had Shakophones and jazz band perform informally upstairs in the band room, ‘Jazz Upstairs,’ immediately after the holiday and spring concerts. Both groups, however, have progressed to the point where their two concerts are warranted…

SCR wins citation for Shakopee Showcase event

Shakopee Community Recreation (SCR) has received the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association’s 1990 Citation Award for its production of Shakopee Showcase. SCR received one of nine awards presented this year…

Jan. 10, 1991

‘Shop locally’ promotion a success. The Shakopee Chamber of Commerce reported that its “Shop Shakopee Sweepstakes,” a holiday shopping promotion, was a success. Local merchants validated more than 1,200 shoppers’ sweepstakes cards between Nov. 1 and Christmas, making the shoppers eligible for a grand prize. Dan Hier of Shakopee, an employee of the Shakopee K mart store, was the winner of an entertainment center and color television, provided by the Chamber Retail Committee.

Jan. 17, 1991

Man bowls perfect game in Shakopee. John Snook last Thursday became the first person to bowl a perfect game at Shakopee Bowl…

Chamber plans Las Vegas night

The Shakopee Chamber of Commerce will sponsor its “Viva Las Vegas” night Saturday, March 2 from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. on the third floor at Canterbury Downs.

A $25 donation includes entertainment, hors d’oeuvres and poker chips to be used for various Vegas-style games for over $6,000 in drawings and prizes. Everyone in attendance will be eligible for the auction with the top item being a deluxe Toro lawnmower with a self-bagger. Drawings will include a trip for two to Las Vegas, donated by Firstworld Travel and the Chamber.

The event is open to the public and tickets are available at the Chamber office, Bill’s Toggery and the Treat Factory.

Lions donation opened free skating

The Shakopee/Prior Lake Knights Hockey League expressed appreciation to the Shakopee Lions Club, which donated $500 to the Ice Arena for open skating time.

During the months of October, November and December, any person of any age could skate on Sundays without charge. The time allowed smaller children to skate with their parents…

Jan. 24, 1991

Rotary names exchange students

The Shakopee Rotary Club has announced that four students, all seniors at Shakopee High School, have been selected to be Rotary exchange students during the 1991-92 school year.

Carrie Dauenhauer, daughter of Sheila and Patrick Dauenhauer, will spend her year in South Africa. Tari Wolter, daughter of Mary and Dale Wolter, will go to Poland. Denise Prescott, daughter of Leonard Prescott, will spend her year in Sweden. And Lisa Smith, daughter of Anna and Alvin Smith, will be in Denmark…

Festival of Trees a success

The fourth annual St. Francis Festival of Trees was termed a success by organizers, with net proceeds expected to exceed $35,000.

Proceeds will be used for a new cardiac monitoring machine at St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee. The Festival, co-sponsored by the St. Francis Auxiliary and Foundation, was held Nov.16 and 17 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska. Gloria Vierling of Shakopee and Connie Kraus of Chaska were chairs for the event…

Jan. 31, 1991

City agrees to $885,000 price for bank building

The Shakopee City Council Tuesday night authorized the purchase of the Marquette Bank building downtown for $885,000. The building will be used for a city hall.

City Administrator Dennis Kraft said the purchase agreement is contingent on the bank obtaining approval for a new facility and permission for the move from the federal banking commissioner. The contingency period is 60 days, said Kraft.

After several meetings last year, the council chose the bank building at 129 S. Holmes St. for a city hall over several other options.

Chaska’s Ostlund named school superintendent

It may not be a long way from Chaska to Shakopee – but the move is a step up for Robert Ostlund.

Ostlund, 48, director of administrative services with the Chaska School District, has been named superintendent of Shakopee public schools. Ostlund is scheduled to start July 1 in Shakopee, although he says the two districts are still negotiating on that date. His contract with Chaska runs through June, he said…

Feb. 7, 1991

A pile of pillows. Betty Monnens, Shakopee, department hospital chair for the Minnesota Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary, issued a challenge to the state’s 291 auxiliaries to make pillows and lap robes for the national salute to “Hospital Veterans Week.” She received about 150 items…

Feb. 14, 1991

City, bank work out agreement on lease. The City of Shakopee will purchase the Marquette Bank building and then lease it back to the bank for up to 18 months under a proposal being considered by the city…

Rehabilitation program for downtown renewed. The Shakopee Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) voted Feb. 5 to continue its downtown rehabilitation grant program in 1991 with an allocation of $34,000…

Shakopee students may soon find themselves on television

Shakopee High School students may someday find themselves on TV – and behind a camera, as well – as part of a proposed media technology course.

A report on the proposal was presented by Jim Murphy, high school principal, to the School Board Monday.

The course is being planned for the 1991-92 school year, said Murphy. “This course is designed to help our students develop a better understanding of the video media and become a critical viewer.”…

Hennepin vote jeopardizes Ferry Bridge project

The Hennepin County Board may have stalled the Bloomington Ferry Bridge replacement project by voting last week against spending $400,000 in county property taxes to buy land for the bridge.

The preliminary 5-2 vote was cast last Thursday to send a political message to state legislators and those who live in the suburbs that social services will not be the only victims of impending state aid cuts, according to Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin.

The Hennepin County Board has previously supported the project…

Sale of bank approved

Federal regulators have approved the sale of Minnesota Valley Savings bank to a group of investors from the Mankato area. The sale includes a branch office, 327 Marschall Road, Shakopee.

The bank will be renamed The Family Bank, with offices in Mankato, Waseca and Shakopee…

Feb. 21, 1991

Northstar Auto Auction opens $8 million canopied sales lot. Minneapolis Northstar Auto Auction of Shakopee unveiled its new $8 million canopied lot Feb. 14 at a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by Michael Richardson, president and chief executive officer of Northstar’s parent company, Anglo American Auto Auctions. Anglo American is a subsidiary of ADT, based in Great Britain…

Amateur boxing returns to city Saturday night. The Shakopee Golden Gloves Boxing Team is gearing up for its boxing show Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Shakopee High School gymnasium…It will be the first Golden Gloves card in the city in more than six years.

Local bank becomes part of Norwest. The First Minnesota bank branch office at 738 First Ave. E. has become a Norwest Banks office as part of an acquisition of First Minnesota banks in December…

Band in prestigious concert. On Thursday, Jan. 24, the Shakopee High School Concert Band performed one of the most prestigious concerts in its history. The first annual Dorian Invitational Band Festival was held at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and featured concerts by bands from Austin; Cresco, Iowa; and Shakopee…

Feb. 28, 1991

Carlson pushes budget plan in Shakopee. As part of a statewide tour to garner support for his budget proposals, Gov. Arne Carlson last Friday brought his message to Shakopee. Accentuating the positive, Carlson told an audience of about 100 that the state will give city and county governments more autonomy and power by removing state mandates and levy limits as they are weaned from state-aid monies…

Police offer self-defense classes. The Shakopee Police Department will be sponsoring a free self-defense awareness class for women, meeting three consecutive Mondays from 7 to 9 p.m. in the training room at the police department on March 11, 18 and 25…

Hearing on proposed 2nd Avenue project set

A public hearing on proposed street improvements to Second Avenue between Spencer and Naumkeag streets will be held Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Scott County Courthouse in Rooms 318-320.

In October the City Council ordered a report that evaluates the feasibility of upgrading all gravel streets in the area known as lower east Shakopee, by paving and constructing curbs and gutters and storm sewers, as well improvements to existing sewer and water systems.

In addition to adding pavement and curbs and gutters to north-south gravel streets, the report recommends that Second Avenue, from Sommerville to Naumkeag, should be constructed as two one-way couples on each side of the railroad tracks, with one driving lane and one parking lane on each side of the tracks.

The report rejects a proposal to construct Second Avenue to meet Marschall Road, noting that the intersection would be dangerous due to the traffic volume on Marschall and the location of railroad tracks…

March 7, 1991

Hennepin Board OKs Ferry Bridge Funds. With a push from U.S. Sen. David Durenberger of Minnesota, the Hennepin County Board Tuesday voted to spend $400,000 in county tax money to buy land for the Bloomington Ferry Bridge replacement project. The resolution passed on a 5-0 vote, with commissioners Tad Jude and John Keefe abstaining…

March 14, 1991

Gene and Virginia Hauer, Shakopee, recently were honored at Northrup King’s Most Valuable Partner meeting at Canterbury Inn in Shakopee. Kevin Rollings, district sales manager for Northrup King, presented Gene Hauer with a bronze medallion in recognition of volume sales in 1990.

Shakopee, county cities band to lure development

The city of Shakopee has joined a coalition of municipalities in Scott County whose goal is to promote economic development in the area.

In addition to marketing the county, the Scott County Economic Development Coalition will help prospective developers obtain financing for their projects from the federal Small Business Administration…

March 21, 1991

Group meets to discuss naming of bypass. A group of people met March 9 for the purpose of naming the new Highway 169 bypass after former Mayor Walter Harbeck who was instrumental in initiating the project. The group will meet again this Saturday at 9:30 a.m. in the Community Room of the Citizens State Bank, 1100 E. Fourth Ave., Shakopee…

Survey tells who visited Shakopee area – and why

The Shakopee Convention and Visitors Bureau recently conducted a survey to determine who is visiting Shakopee and why. Of 521 questionnaires mailed in the region, 224 or 43 percent were returned.

The survey found that 89 percent of the respondents visited the Twin Cities area in 1990, and 74 percent of them visited Shakopee…

Asked about their activities in the area, 60 percent said they came to shop; 48 percent visited Valleyfair; 43 percent went to the Renaissance Festival; 36 percent went to the Minnesota Zoo; 21 percent visited Canterbury Downs; 12 percent went to the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre; 11 percent stopped at Murphy’s Landing; 17 percent came to see major sporting events; and 7 percent went to Little Six Bingo and Casino.

The majority of respondents (62 percent) said their visit to Shakopee was prompted by a previous visit to the area. About 46 percent came to attend a special event, while the Shakopee Visitors Guide distributed by the Convention and Visitors Bureau enticed 32 percent of the visitors to come…

March 28, 1991

Parade planned here to honor armed forces

Members of a military support group are planning a parade in Shakopee on May 18 – Armed Forces Day – to honor all current and former members of the armed forces.

Carol Friendshuh and other Shakopee members of BACM (Back America’s Courageous Military) plan to hold a parade on 10th Avenue between Shakopee High School and Lions Park. The City Council last week directed police to help the group plan the event, which would begin at 10 a.m…

Council endorses proposal to name bypass for Harbeck

The Shakopee City Council on March 19 went on record supporting a proposal to name the future Shakopee Bypass after the late Walter Harbeck, a former mayor and council member, considered by many to have been the leader in pushing for the highway to relieve congestion downtown.

The council, on a motion by Jerry Wampach, voted 6-0 to direct staff to prepare a resolution calling for the highway, which will skirt the downtown area to the south, to be named the Walt Harbeck Memorial Highway…

April 4, 1991

Shakopee business park gets new name. Canterbury Business Park, a 2,250-acre commercial/industrial property in Shakopee, has been renamed Valley Green Business Park, it was announced by its owner, North American Life and Casualty Co…

40 attend Jaycees outdoors clinic. More than 40 youths and their parents recently attended a fishing and hunting clinic sponsored by the Shakopee Jaycees.

April 11, 1991

Local Lions member honored. Richard “Ditch” Boys of Shakopee has been designated a Melvin Jones Fellow by Lions Clubs International Foundation, in recognition of his commitment to serving the world community. Named for the founder of Lions Club International, Melvin Jones, the fellowship is the foundation’s highest honor. “Ditch” is a member of the Shakopee Lions Club, District 5-M-2. He recently received a plaque and a lapel pin acknowledging his humanitarian service.

Met Council may block direct access to bridge from County Road 18. A committee of the Metropolitan Council Tuesday accepted a staff recommendation that would prevent direct access to the proposed Bloomington Ferry Bridge from County Road 18. The full council is expected to endorse the recommendation today, with an agreement to review the decision in two years…

HRA may acquire property for development from city. …The Shakopee Housing and Redevelopment Authority, whose members include the City Council minus the mayor, voted to authorize the HRA to negotiate with the city to acquire the Gelhaye/railroad property, located north of the proposed Fifth Avenue road project, which the city obtained by eminent domain proceedings…

Officers past and present. Past and present officers of the Senior Citizens Center at 200 Levee Drive gathered last Thursday to celebrate the center’s 10th anniversary.

April 18, 1991

Senate panel OKs bill that would allow off-track betting

Canterbury Downs jumped a major hurdle to establish off-track betting lounges at sites miles from Shakopee after the state Senate Gaming Regulation Committee approved the bill on a voice vote April 10.

The bill allows two off-track betting parlors (OTBs) to be built by the end of the year, with up to six more next year…

April 25, 1991

Council gives approval to buy bank building for city hall. The Shakopee City Council on April 16 authorized the city to enter into a purchase agreement to buy the Marquette Bank building downtown for a city hall at a price of $885,000.

Brooks visits. Scott Brooks of the Minnesota Timberwolves signed autographs at Juba’s Super Valu Monday during the “Shoot to Shop” celebrity event.

Panel to study sports complex

What began as a concern by the Shakopee School District about future land needs for possible expansion of the high school and the need for improved school athletic facilities has blossomed into interest among several local organizations to create a city athletic complex near the school, possibly including a community center.

The Shakopee City Council on April 18 approved a request to authorize Mayor Gary Laurent to appoint a committee to look into whether such plans are feasible…

KCs contribute to hospital

The Shakopee Knights of Columbus selected St. Francis’ Medical Center’s Lifeline as one of the programs they would support this year. Lifeline is a personal emergency response system which enables seniors and disabled persons to continue to live independently in their homes.

Lifeline started at St. Francis about 18 months ago and continues to grow. All but a few of the Lifeline units operated by St. Francis are in use in the hospital’s service area and so there is a need to obtain additional machines. The Knights of Columbus pledged between $2,500 and $3,000 toward the purchase of additional machines…

May 2, 1991

Grand opening of our new addition coming soon. Watch for Details! Dirks Furniture. 1038 E. 1st Ave., Shakopee.

City police cars sport new look. When Shakopee police officers discussed making their squad cars more identifiable to the community, they decided to do it by design – specifically, with blue and white striped lines on the side and back, and the word “Shakopee” printed on the outside of the front doors…

County officials stress need for funding for Ferry Bridge

Scott County officials say the proposed Bloomington Ferry Bridge project could be indefinitely delayed or scrapped completely unless lawmakers come up with additional state bonding for it this legislative session.

More than $9 million from a federal bridge-building fund has been allocated for the $115 million bridge project, but that money would be jeopardized unless local officials can match that amount by June 30. The state previously backed $6.5 million in bonds for the bridge…

May 9, 1991

Boy Scouts honor leader. More than 100 Boy Scouts and their families paid tribute to Scoutmaster Wally Kopisca for his 40 years of continuous service to Boy Scout Troop 218 of Shakopee…

Marquette buys land off Marschall Rd. for bank. Marquette Bank Shakopee, which is selling its downtown building to the city for use as a city hall, announced Monday that it has purchased one acre of vacant land on Fourth Avenue and Marschall Road for a new bank…

Grand opening. FMG Tsumura’s $28 million state-of-the-art manufacturing plant that will employ 350 was dedicated during elaborate ceremonies in Shakopee last Thursday, and hailed by local officials as a boost for Shakopee’s economy and by others as another step in Japanese-American economic cooperation…

Area native to head St. Francis

St. Francis Regional medical Center in Shakopee has appointed Donald J. Leivermann as its new president and chief executive officer.

A Minnesota native, Leivermann, 50, most recently was vice president of Lakewood Hospital Management Services in Madison, Wis. He is expected to begin his duties in Shakopee July 1…

May 16, 1991

Panel on athletic complex appointed. Mayor Gary Laurent has appointed members of a committee that will look into the feasibility of establishing community athletic facilities near the high school…

City to seek railroad crossing at Market St. The city of Shakopee will ask a state agency to place a new railroad crossing at Second Avenue and Market Street, in exchange for closing a crossing at Naumkeag…

After-school activities program for junior high students approved. Students at Shakopee Junior High school will have the opportunity to participate in a new after-school activity program next year following the approval of the Shakopee School Board Monday…

May 23, 1991

Off-track bill passes. …The Minnesota Legislature Monday gave final approval to an off-track betting (OTB) bill that would permit Canterbury Downs to open two off-track facilities this year and two more next year. The Senate vote was 53-11; the House vote was 107-25. Gov. Arne Carlson was expected to sign the bill…

Number of county households up 43% in decade

The number of households in Scott County increased by 43.4 percent between 1980 and 1990, according to the State Planning Agency.

The number of households rose from 13,501 in 1980 to 19,367 in 1990, an increase of 5,866…

May 30, 1991

City attempts to form joint attorney proposal

A plan in which the city of Shakopee and five other Scott County cities would share in the costs of hiring an attorney and legal secretary to handle prosecutions for minor criminal court mattes suffered a setback last week when the Savage City Council decided to look at alternatives…

City Administrator Dennis Kraft said that attorneys representing cities throughout the county waste great amounts of time at the Shakopee courthouse waiting for criminal cases to be heard or for judicial decisions.

Kraft said he will negotiate with Savage city officials in an attempt to work on an agreement.

June 6, 1991

Tires produced at Bauer Built Inc.’s Shakopee retread plant were awarded “Best of the Show” honors in the pre-cure highway and traction tread categories during the 34th annual American Retreaders Conference and Trade Show recently in Louisville, Ky.

Hospital to staff U.S. Open. St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee will provide emergency medical services during the U.S. Open that starts Monday and runs for seven days at the Hazeltine National Golf Course in Chaska.

Johnson to coach metro all-star team

Shakopee’s Neil Johnson has been chosen to coach in the Minnesota All-Star Girls Softball Series.

Johnson will coach the Metro team along with Tamra Kielty of Chaska and Kim Niederluecke of Richfield. The Metro team will go against the Outstate All-Stars in a two-game series on June 15 starting at 4 p.m. at the University of Minnesota Softball Stadium.

June 13, 1991

Township opposes bypass name. The Jackson Town Board shot down a proposal by a local group hoping to have the Shakopee Bypass named in honor of the late Walt Harbeck, a former Shakopee mayor, by objecting to the proposal…

Bid-letting set. Bid-letting for the second phase of the Shakopee Bypass project is scheduled for Friday…

Shakopee students go to Germany with teacher. Twenty-four Shakopee High School students and their German teacher, Lisa Riddle, left for Frankfurt, Germany Monday. They are spending four weeks in Germany in cooperation with a high school exchange program known as GAPP – the German American Partnership Program…

Unisys honors local math students. Kristi Ohlmann … and Adam Wierzbicki … and their math teacher, Janet Kieber … were honored for exceptional mathematical achievements at a breakfast and tour sponsored by Unisys Defense Systems, Inc., in Eagan. The students received the highest scores at Shakopee High School in the National Mathematics Competition.

Leisure Ledger: Wacky Jelly Bean Tournament Day. Kids of all ages will enjoy our six summer special events that begin next week. The wacky jelly bean tournament is next Friday morning, June 21 starting at 9:30 a.m. at Hiawatha Park. There is a small fee of $1.

June 20, 1991

Chad Rasmussen won a 1984 Pontiac Fiero car during a drawing at Shakopee High school’s all-night party for graduates on June 7. The car was donated by Dan Routson’s automobile dealership in Shakopee. Chad’s parents are Gary and Patricia Rasmussen.

Hospital adds new equipment

St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee recently obtained several new pieces of monitoring equipment.

Two heart-monitoring units for the intensive care and cardiac-care units were recently purchased… The units were purchased for $110,000 with funds donated by the St. Francis Foundation and the Festival of Trees fund raiser.

The hospital also acquired two endoscopy units, four gas analyzers for patients under general anesthesia, and two electrocardiogram monitors, which were purchased by the hospital at a cost of more than $70,000.

June 27, 1991

Cole becomes Rotary governor. Rajendra K. Saboo of Chandigarb, India will become head of the Rotary International July 1, the same day Jack Cole of Shakopee assumes office as governor in this Rotary district. Cole will be the Fourth District governor named from the Shakopee club. He is preceded by Dr. Bror Pearson, Dr. Paul Nevin and Virgil Mears…

Robert Thielen, former chief, dies. Robert (Pat) Thielen, 72, who was hired as police chief of Shakopee in 1947 to rid the city of its gambling dens and liquor joints and ended up staying in the job 31 years, died of congestive heart failure June 19, 1991 at his home in Longville…

July 4, 1991

Canterbury Downs cuts purses by 12 ½ percent. Canterbury Downs will cut purses at the Shakopee track by 12 ½ percent beginning Wednesday…

July 11, 1991

Fireworks spark blaze at Anchor Glass

Damage estimated between $150,000 and $200,000 was caused July 4 after fire caused by fireworks damaged plant property at the Anchor Glass Co., 4108 North Industrial Blvd.

The fire was probably started by a Roman Candle that was shot off after dusk by two Anchor employees working the evening shift, according to Shakopee Fire Chief Charlie Ries.

The Shakopee Fire Department received the call at 10:49 p.m. En-route to the fire, Shakopee Police officers radioed fire fighters and told them the fire was a major one. Officers said flames were 50 to 75 feet high.

The size and shape of the fire prompted Shakopee fire fighters to call in Chaska and Savage fire departments as well…

July 18, 1991

Track cuts purses for stakes races by 12 ½%

For the second time this season, Canterbury Downs will cut purses because of declining attendance and handle, according to General manger Paul Mangiamele.

In addition, the track will again change its post time. Beginning Aug. 28 live racing will start at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays through Fridays. Post time for live racing is now 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays…

July 25, 1991

Local girl is finalist in pre-teen pageant. Kirsten Shumaker, a seventh-grader at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Shakopee, was a state finalist in the Miss Minnesota American Pre-teen Pageant, representing Shakopee which took place July 5-6 at the Radisson Hotel in St. Paul…

Local swimmer to be in nationals. Shakopee’s Jennifer Carlson, 14, has qualified for the Junior National Swimming Championships which will be held in Mission Viejo, Calif., Aug. 2-6…

Aug. 1, 1991

Bank to hold groundbreaking Aug. 8. Marquette Bank will break ground at the future site of its new building at Fourth Avenue and Marschall Road Aug. 8 with an ice cream social and entertainment starting at 5 p.m.…

Gordon Gelhaye, popular instructor, dies. Gordon J. Gelhaye, a former Scott County deputy sheriff who played professional football in the 1930s and ‘40s, died Tuesday, July 23, 1991 at St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee after a long illness…

Aug. 8, 1991

Circus brings menagerie to track. This Monday, the internationally acclaimed Carson & Barnes Five-Ring Circus will bring its famous wild animal menagerie to Canterbury Downs…

DOT makes offers on property for downtown bypass

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (DOT) has presented offers to the owners of property that will be acquired to make way for the $7.6 million downtown mini-bypass and river bridge in Shakopee.

The acquisition involves 28 property owners, one of which is the city of Shakopee…

Aug. 15, 1991

Proposal to reduce City Council size by one going to voters in November. Shakopee voters will be asked in November whether the Shakopee City Council should be reduced in size by one member…

Council endorses plan for new rail crossing. After a public hearing Aug. 6, the Shakopee City Council let stand plans to close the railroad crossing at Naumkeag Street in exchange for a proposed crossing at Market Street…

New Marystown parish hall to buzz with activity Sunday

After constructing a large social hall this year, raising tents for their annual festival will seem easy to the parishioners of the Marystown Catholic Church.

The parish recently completed construction of a two-story facility to replace the aging former school that was torn down last fall. The new building, along with the tents, will be the center of activity Sunday during the parish’s summer festival…

Hot Shakopee House rumors untrue; it’s being renovated

Rumors that the Shakopee House restaurant, which had recently closed, had burned over the weekend were quenched when the new owner was found renovating the empty structure on Monday.

Gus Khwice, a restauranteur from Shorewood, Minn., and his construction crew are stripping the dated building from top to bottom to create a new restaurant that is expected to be completed in 90 days…

Aug. 22, 1991

Riviera Tan & Balloons has moved to 205 S. Lewis St. The seven-bed facility is owned by Sally and Gary Beck…

Prime time for fun. The First Presbyterian Church youth group, “Prime Time,” had a summer lock-in last Friday and Saturday with over 40 fourth- through ninth-graders staying up all night for fun, such as this volleyball game, and fellowship. The group is open to youth of all denominations. A parents’ information meeting will be held this Saturday at the church.

Aug. 29, 1991

Shakopee schools among 65 in state failing to comply on sports equality

The Shakopee School District is among 65 percent of the districts in the state that have failed to offer the same number of varsity sports for boys and girls in the 1989-90 school year.

A Minnesota Department of Education report released Monday showed that 169 districts, including Shakopee, offered one fewer sport for girls, while 91 districts offered at least two fewer sports…

Sept. 5, 1991

LeRoy Lebens dies at age 73. LeRoy R. Lebens, 73, Shakopee, a noted photographer and entertainer, died Monday at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park…

Council digests city management analysis

Faced with a tightening budget and state-aid cuts, the Shakopee City Council on Aug. 27 accepted a management analyst’s report and some suggestions he made on how to cut costs of providing services and ways to raise revenues…

Among major recommendations were that some city departments should be reorganized, the number of department heads should be reduced from nine to five, early-retirement options should be offered to city employees, and the city consider hiring private vendors to provide some services…

Sept. 12, 1991

Bypass delayed six months over funding. Bid-letting on two stages of the Shakopee Bypass – and the project’s completion date – have been delayed six months due partly to the Shakopee City Council’s refusal to contribute more than the $1 million the city originally pledged to the project…

Marschall Rd. site chosen for hospital…The hospital has a purchase agreement to buy property fronting Marschall Road, south of Vierling Drive and just north of Valley View Road and south of where the Shakopee Bypass will be located, contingent on the ability of the city to provide sewer and water service to the site, according to Donald J. Leivermann, president and chief executive officer of St. Francis…

Auto dealership closing leaves questions. About 30 employees were out of work without warning Labor Day weekend when the Dan Routson automobile dealership in Shakopee closed without explanation…

Sept. 19, 1991

Group’s goal is to end prejudice, discrimination in schools

Mention the words “multicultural gender-fair” and some people will think it is an ethnic event they can attend.

Although those words mean much more than attempts to instill an appreciation of culture, Ron Zimmerman, chairperson of Shakopee’s Multicultural Gender-Fair Steering Committee (more commonly known as “MGCF”), said the perception is not entirely inaccurate…

Prejudice and discrimination are not things that go away overnight. And the absence of minority group representation in the Shakopee School District does not mean cultural diversity should be overlooked. These ideas are part of the rationale behind the school district’s MCGF plan…

Sept. 26, 1991

Jazz musician, band leader ‘Red’ Wolfe dies. Ervin “Red” Wolfe, 69, of Shakopee, a jazz musician and one of the best known and most respected band leaders throughout the Twin Cities and Midwest, died Sept. 18 of cancer…

Task force says city should buy land for facilities. A task force has recommended that the city of Shakopee purchase land behind the high school for the possible future site of facilities for community activities, and to later sell a portion of the land to the school district for school expansion…

Track GM resigns. In an unexpected move, Canterbury Downs announced Monday that Executive Vice President and General Manager Paul Mangiamele has resigned to pursue other interests…

Oct. 3, 1991

Ferry Bridge groundbreaking scheduled Oct. 15 in city. The long-awaited groundbreaking for the Bloomington Ferry Bridge project is scheduled for Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. at Murphy’s Landing in Shakopee…

Eagle Creek Thrift Shop to observe anniversary. The Eagle Creek Thrift Shop will observe its 13th anniversary this Tuesday (Oct. 8). The shop, which is located at the intersection of county roads 16 and 83 just south of Canterbury Inn, provides quality recycled clothing to citizens of the two county areas at modest prices…

Joe Ries to retire from county Jan. 3

In a move that was anticipated but nevertheless startling to commissioners, Scott County Administrator Joe Ries announced his retirement Tuesday, effective early next year.

Ries, 62, has been the county’s first and only administrator over the past 24 years…

Oct. 10, 1991

Co. 18 access issue appears closer to resolution. Local city and county officials and the Metropolitan Council may be closer to agreeing on whether direct access from County Road 18 to the new Bloomington Ferry Bridge will be permitted…

Denial of track license for Ladbroke proposed. Angered by continued declines in attendance and handle at Canterbury Downs, a member of a horsemen group asked the Minnesota Racing Commission to deny Ladbroke Racing Corp. a license to operate the Shakopee track next year…

St. Francis gets award for its 445-CARE phone service

St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee received a Community Service Award of Merit recently from the Minnesota Hospital Association for its 445-CARE phone service.

The phone service, which was established in 1985, provides healthcare information 24 hours a day. Calls are answered by registered nurses at the hospital…

Oct. 17, 1991

Bridge project is closer to reality. …After 30 years of lobbying, they joined Gov. Arne Carlson and other state and federal officials Tuesday for groundbreaking ceremonies for the Bloomington Ferry Bridge replacement project…

Program to improve schools implemented

Improving communication among staff. Creating a better climate for growth among students. Becoming more effective in decision-making strategies.

Those are all goals of MEEP – the Minnesota Education Effectiveness Program – according to its team members at Shakopee High School and Central Elementary School…

Oct. 24, 1991

County group selling community cookbooks. The Scott County Employees Association of Shakopee is sponsoring a fund-raising drive by selling community cookbooks featuring favorite recipes from contributors of Shakopee and the surrounding area…

Oct. 31, 1991

School enrolment expected to grow 30 percent in decade. Enrollment in the Shakopee School District is likely to grow by 31 percent over the next 10 years, according to projections…

Shakopee schools among 30 in state awarded OBE grants

The Shakopee School District will be one of 30 in Minnesota to receive a grant from the state Department of Education to develop an outcome-based education (OBE) program.

OBE places an emphasis on an individualized approach to education in which students are expected to fulfill certain goals, rather than furthering their education on a grade-by-grade level. For example, instead of receiving a diploma, students may accumulate a portfolio of accomplishments.

The Shakopee district will receive $37,966 over the next two years to implement the program, which was written by Joy Robbins, district curriculum coordinator…

Nov. 7, 1991

Survey finds strong support for land purchase near school

Acquisition of land south of Shakopee high School for both city and school district needs was supported by 78 percent of residents who took part in a recent community survey.

According to the survey, compiled by Decision Resources Ltd. of Minneapolis for the Shakopee School District, 32 percent strongly favored land acquisition and 46 percent favored it. Another 15 percent opposed or strongly opposed the idea; 8 percent did not know or refused to answer the question…

Councilors vote to move forward on land purchase

Shakopee City Council members, meeting as a committee last week, voted to release about half of the land behind the high school that it had placed in a development moratorium and to extend the moratorium on the remainder for an additional 18 months.

Council members also voted to direct staff to study options the city has to finance the purchase of the land, which is being considered for use as a site for athletic and community facilities.

Council members also voted that a committee be named to conduct a survey to determine what facilities the public is willing to support. Councilors also discussed conducting a series of town meetings with neighborhood groups to gauge public support for proposals…

Nov. 14, 1991

With hockey opening near, Indians make contingency plan

Although he’s looking forward to starting his season in the “bubble,” Shakopee High School hockey coach Dave Hamlin isn’t taking any chances that his team will be without a facility on Monday’s opening day.

Fearing the nylon and Canvas membrane that covered the arena won’t be repaired and reinflated by Monday’s scheduled season opener, Hamlin has been working hard to find a place for his Indians to practice and play their home games…

Nov. 21, 1991

Hockey boosters reinflate Shakopee ‘bubble’. Nearly three weeks after it collapsed under the weight of a mega snowstorm, members of the Shakopee-Prior Lake Youth Hockey Association (SPLYHA) reinflated the Valley Ice Arena’s nylon and canvas membrane last Thursday night (Nov. 14)…

Valleyfair to add attractions

Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee will add $3 million worth of improvements before the 1992 season.

The park plans to add a $2.4 million water ride, as well as a food concession and climate-controlled employee cafeteria. The water ride, called “The Wave,” will include a bridge suspended over a splash-basin area for viewing.

Also scheduled to open is a 36-hole “adventure” golf course and clubhouse at Challenge Park, a separate attraction that does not require regular park admission. The park opened this year with a go-cart track. The expansion will include two 18-hole golf courses built with various landscape challenges.

Nov. 28, 1991

$38 million for Ferry Bridge included in bill. The Bloomington Ferry Bridge project is expected to receive a $38 million boost from the federal government after House and Senate conferees Tuesday approved a six-year, $151 billion highway and mass transportation bill. The bill was expected to be approved by the full Senate and House Tuesday night, but disagreements over tax cuts have delayed final action, possibly until next month…

Commission OKs telephone wagering. By a 7-1 vote last week, the Minnesota Racing Commission approved telephone account wagering for horse racing from Canterbury Downs. Legislative approval for telephone wagering was approved in the original parimutuel bill in 1985…

Santa arrives at mall on Friday. Santa Claus will arrive at the Shakopee Town Square by fire truck at 10 a.m. this Friday. His journey to the mall will begin a few minutes earlier at the fire station and proceed down 10th Avenue…

Dec. 5, 1991

County gets new radio tower

Scott County recently accepted ownership of the new 220-foot radio tower from Cellular One. Located in Jackson Township, the tower cost Cellular One $325,000 to build.

Cellular One last year agreed to build the tower and give it to the county in exchange for the company’s use of the tower over a 10-year period. The county will use the tower for police, fire and emergency medical services radio systems.

Scott County Sheriff Bill Nevin said the new tower will provide emergency personnel with a better range of communication…

Dec. 12, 1991

Cindy Bahmer given Red Cross citation. Cindy Bahmer, manager of the Scott County branch of the American Red Cross, was awarded this year’s Employee Excellence Tiffany Award, given to the employee who most represents the high standards of excellence in the American Red Cross organization…

Ries replaces Ries as city fire chief

The transition of power in the Shakopee Fire Department could be noted by changing only the first name on the chief’s nameplate.

Charlie Ries, who has been fire chief for three years, is stepping down at the end of the year and will be replaced by his brother Frank. When he took the job, Charlie replaced his brother Joe. And Joe took over the job from Butch Ring, who had replaced the oldest of the Ries brothers, John.

Dec. 19, 1991

McCann to be interim administrator. The Scott County Board Tuesday appointed Deputy County Administrator Cliff McCann as acting administrator effective Jan. 3 when Administrator Joe Ries retires…

School district seeks members for new committee. Independent School District No. 720 of Shakopee is seeking interested community members to serve on a facility needs assessment committee. The committee’s charge will be to assess current facilities, facility needs and enrollment growth predictions…

Kids motivate other kids to make ‘Helping Hands’ a success

Kids motivating other kids – that was the key to the success of Pearson Elementary School’s “Helping Hands” holiday drive, according to Patti Kudrle, a third-grade teacher and adviser to the school’s Student Council along with Barry Kirchmeier, fifth-grade teacher.

From Dec. 9 to 13, the students brought in 1,205 items, which measured up to 1,134 pounds of food for the Scott-Carver Food Shelf…

Knowledge Master Open team attains highest score ever

Questions about Sununu, literary puns, and mathematical story problems were all handled in stride by Shakopee Junior High School’s Knowledge Master Open team Dec. 4.

In fact, the students did so well, they scored a total of 1,499 points, the highest ever achieved at the school…

Dec. 26, 1991

Marge says she’s retiring

Marge Henderson said she’s tired. She doesn’t act the part. For a large part of each day, her ear is pressed against her telephone, drumming up more business for Murphy’s Landing. She’s still working seven days a week. And she still buzzes Shakopee board rooms, haranguing any official whose interest in Murphy’s appears to be lagging…

Henderson is leaving Murphy’s, where she has been director for the past five years. But her retirement also means she will leave behind more than 23 years of the sweat equity she has poured into Shakopee’s historic 19^th century village that has been recreated against the Minnesota River…

About Wes Reinke

Bibliography

Ruth Gardner (1933)

Thumbing a Ride (1948)

Lucille Keppen Released from Prison at Age 93 (2007)

Teen Murderer Flees Jail to See the Smashing Pumpkins (1998)

Bibliography

Bibliography

Related Articles

From the Shakopee Valley News

Jan. 3, 1991

Jan. 10, 1991

Jan. 17, 1991

Jan. 24, 1991

Jan. 31, 1991

Feb. 7, 1991

Feb. 14, 1991

Feb. 21, 1991

Feb. 28, 1991

March 7, 1991

March 14, 1991

March 21, 1991

March 28, 1991

April 4, 1991

April 11, 1991

April 18, 1991

April 25, 1991

May 2, 1991

May 9, 1991

May 16, 1991

May 23, 1991

May 30, 1991

June 6, 1991

June 13, 1991

June 20, 1991

June 27, 1991

July 4, 1991

July 11, 1991

July 18, 1991

July 25, 1991

Aug. 1, 1991

Aug. 8, 1991

Aug. 15, 1991

Aug. 22, 1991

Aug. 29, 1991

Sept. 5, 1991

Sept. 12, 1991

Sept. 19, 1991

Sept. 26, 1991

Oct. 3, 1991

Oct. 10, 1991

Oct. 17, 1991

Oct. 24, 1991

Oct. 31, 1991

Nov. 7, 1991

Nov. 14, 1991

Nov. 21, 1991

Nov. 28, 1991

Dec. 5, 1991

Dec. 12, 1991

Dec. 19, 1991

Dec. 26, 1991