Compiled and written by David R. Schleper, 2021

The Minnesota River was a highway for people going up and down the river. Starting in 1915, the thrill was the excursion boats, which started in St. Paul and arrived in Shakopee in late morning.

The boat would spend the day in Shakopee and then head back to St. Paul. The boat would have a barge in the back, where bands would play in the moonlight. Young adults, including those in Shakopee, would dance while the boat headed back to the capital. Lena Strunk, along with her three sisters, often were on the boats!

Once the boat arrived in St Paul, it was time for the young adults to walk two or three blocks to the train station, where they took the midnight train back to Shakopee, arriving at 1 a.m.

The anxious clergymen didn’t like the idea of sundown dancing and having those young kids having too much fun. So, the homilies in many weekend sermons told parents and children to stop the sundown dancing.

In a tape of Jack Coller II in a monthly episode of KSMM Radio show T, T, & O (This, That, and the Other), a show broadcast the first Wednesday of every month since 1976, the clergymen were not amused.

In Shakopee, in July of 1982, the radio was very popular, and many people in Shakopee listened.

Of course, just the opposite happened.

As more people heard about the moonlight dancing, more wanted to experience the thrill. So, excursion boats and sundown dancing continued in 1915, 1916, and 1917.

One time, the boat and barge headed back to St. Paul, and the people enjoyed the dancing.

But somehow, the people arrived in St. Paul too late, and they missed the train back to Shakopee.

Their parents were not happy.

At all.

It almost stopped the excursion boats. Luckily, the boats continued for a few more years.

And Lena and her sisters enjoyed the time dancing up and down the Minnesota River.