The History of Louisville Township Part 4: Marystown

View of Marystown. ca. 1970-1980. SCHS Collection.

Marystown began as a collection of mostly German immigrants in the southeastern corner of Louisville Township. As Father Klein, a famously verbose priest, wrote in the 1930s, Marystown was founded “by intrepid settlers and their wives who hewed out of the primeval forest homes in what is now one of the fairest and most productive regions of this smiling land.”  

St. Mary’s Church

By 1850 there were “around 700 Germans” in the area but no church. Instead, traveling priests would hold services in local homes, announcing their presence by ringing a bell as they rode through farmsteads. To remedy this, community members built St. Mary’s Church. It is generally agreed that St. Mary’s is the first organized Catholic parish in Scott County and likely one of the oldest in the entire region. 

According to legend, the church was named St. Mary’s due to a passing conversation during its construction. One day, two men were cutting wood for the building. One asked the other what day it was. He replied, “Maria Lichtmess - the Feast of St. Mary’s of the Purification.” The name stuck and was given to the completed church.

The original building for St. Mary’s Church was completed in 1855, though it burned during a brushfire before it was even completed. It was rebuilt in 1856. Subsequent rebuildings took place in 1870 and 1882. 

In 1917, St. Mary’s Church was once again destroyed by fire. The parish chronicles described the fire thus: 

“Father Ziskovksy gave the alarm. The flames were shooting high up into the sky. The people, aroused by the telephone, gathered around the scene. Human power could not stay the demon of fire. The church bells crashed down from the belfry and were shattered to fragments. The flames licked up all except the heavy stone walls. Pastor and people were in tears and sorrow. . . . The disastrous fire stirred the spirit of sacrifice in pastor and people, and they set to work at once to rebuild the church on improved architectural style...The old stone walls were inspected by competent authority and declared in good condition. Architect and contractor were engaged and the constructed progressed so rapidly that by the end of the year the church was completely rebuilt at a cost of $23,183.43 and all paid for.””

St. Mary’s church was also home to a great deal of celebration. In addition to the usual weddings, services, and community events, the people of Marystown came together to commemorate the history of the church itself. Below is a sampling of celebrations at St. Mary’s Church: 

July 1882

The cornerstone was laid for the newly rebuilt St. Mary’s Church. Celebrations happened on July 14, and according to the Shakopee Courier, were attended by nearly all community members. Vierling’s Shakopee Band accompanied “the formation of a long procession of societies and people escorting [Bishop Grace of Saint Paul] into town.” The reporter concluded that “the day was fine and all seemed to enjoy the occasion very much.” 

October 1980

St. Mary’s held a gala to honor the church’s 125th anniversary. The day began with a Mass held by Archbishop John Roach, in which he stated, “I have long been aware of the depth of faith, vitality of community, and the long history of this church in Marystown.” Afterward, visitors and church members were taken on tours of the church and grounds, where a display was set up showcasing photographs and memories from past parishioners. At noon, a turkey dinner for several hundred was served, followed by turkey and cake throughout the afternoon. 

“Pig-Kissing, games, quilt raffle highlight Marystown Church festival.” Shakopee Valley News, August 14, 1997.

Marystown School

In 1864, a priest known as Father Benedict organized a school society for St. Mary’s Church. According to Father Klein’s 1930 history of the parish, “There was no schoolhouse. The first children, few in number, came to Mr. John Thies who operated a saloon, and received from him a few hours’ instruction daily at certain periods of the year.” Klein also recounted an often-told story that resulted from holding school at a saloon: “A humorous (or tragic) incident occurred one day. One of the boys, Louis-‘played naughty.’ Not resorting to the rod as teachers were wont to do in those days, Mr. Thies opened the cellar door and sent Louis down below. It is not told how bright Louis was over his books and figures; but in the dusk of the cellar he got the bright idea to pull the stopper of a barrel and test the strength of the “spirits” contained in the cask. Mr. Thies inflicted no more punishments of that nature.” 

Not long after that, St. Mary’s school moved out of the saloon and into the original parish house, a 16 x 22-foot cabin. During this time, school was taught by the Catholic Sisters of Charity and consisted of 5 months of academic education and 5 months of religious instruction each year. 

In 1893, a new brick building was constructed. The actual teaching in the school flipped back and forth between Catholic sisters and “lay teachers.” Finally, in 1921 a system was put in place whereby Grades 1 and 2 were public school with a hired teacher, and the rest of the grades were run as a Catholic school and taught by sisters. This system continued until the school closed. 

Regina Mechtel remembered going to school in Marystown in the early 1900s and shared her recollections with a reporter from the Prior Lake American in 1987. She said there were only three or four teachers for the whole school, and “the teachers also moved students up as their skills improved. Age wasn’t such a big thing. You went into the next class when you were ready.” She also noted that some students missed a great deal of the school year due to farm work, spending years in the same grade. Students would also miss school in the winter because of bad weather. Regina lived only a short distance from the schoolhouse and was usually able to make it in. She noted that “there would be some days when there would be just a few of us in class because the rest couldn’t get here. Those days were kinda nice because those of us who were there got a lot of help from our teacher.” 

The Marystown School closed its doors in 1970, with students joining other, larger districts. 

“98-Year-Old Marystown School Torn Down to Make Room for Parish Center.” Shakopee Valley News, October 4, 1990.

Business in Marystown

One of the first notable Marystown businesses was the Marystown Creamery, organized in 1918. Like several other early creameries in Scott County, the establishment was cooperatively owned. Farmers pooled their available milk and sold butter collectively at the highest price.

During Prohibition (1920-1933), there were burglaries at several creameries in Scott County. Stories accused bootleggers of stealing butter in order to trade it for illicit alcohol. The Marystown Creamery was stolen from three times in 1922. Each time the theft was of a relatively small supply of butter. For example, 96 pounds were stolen in December. Each of the incidents was conducted on a Sunday night, leading locals to believe that the same person was responsible for all of the thefts. The culprit was never apprehended, and Marystown Creamery stayed in business until 1927.

Another farmers’ cooperative was the Louisville Mutual Insurance Company, established around 1886 by a group of Marystown farmers. In 1936, the company celebrated its golden jubilee. A speaker praised the fact that it had “1205 policies in force with no unpaid claims.” This organization merged with other community insurance groups several times and it still exists today. 

Wagner General Store supplied the area residents until the late 1960s. Wagner claimed, “We had this sign hanging above the door that read ‘if we don’t have it, you don’t need it,’ and that’s how it was.” He went on to describe, “You know it was one of those community affairs. For example we had 1400 lbs of bolts so if any of the farmers had something break on their machines they could come to our place and get something to fix it. . . . During the time they did harvest or filled silo, we never took any time off. We worked around their needs.” Since people did a lot of canning, the store kept a supply of vinegar in 50 gallon jugs.

Wagner’s store stayed open until the 1960s. Later, a bar opened in the old store building. By 1987, this bar was the only business remaining in Marystown and a gathering place for the local community. Local resident Brad Luce described it as “someplace to go after your chores. Otherwise you’d never see your friends.”

In 1987, the Prior Lake American published an article profiling Marystown. The piece noted that the community’s business district never really blossomed due to proximity to the larger communities of Shakopee and Jordan. In spite of this, Marystown was home at various points to “two general stores, a blacksmith shop, a saloon, a creamery, a garage and a gas pump.” 

Further Reading:

Most resources for this article on Marystown are from local newspapers. To dig into this topic further, come visit our Research Library and we can help you find the articles you’re looking for! We are located at 235 South Fuller St, Shakopee, MN and are open Monday-Friday 9am-4pm. 

The History of Louisville Township Part 3: Merriam Junction

Merriam Junction train tracks with the train station visible in the distance, date unknown. Scott County Historical Society collection.

Like Louisville, Merriam Junction was located in the northwestern part of Louisville Township, near the present-day site of the Renaissance Festival. From its onset, the community was conceived as a transportation hub. It was located at the crossing of two major railroad lines—the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad and the St. Paul and Sioux City. The crossing was an active transfer point for regional travelers.

The community itself was not surveyed until 1866, at the behest of the rail companies. The first structures built were not stores or farm buildings, but a train depot and a rail agent’s house belonging to the St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad. Because the two lines running through the junction were competitors, a second depot for the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad was built about a mile away. It wasn’t until 1878 when the original depot burned down that the two companies finally reached an agreement to share a single structure. 

The Merriam Junction train station, date unknown. Scott County Historical Society collection.

Because Merriam was a major crossing point, a community soon sprang up around the rail buildings. A store opened, along with two hotels—one in 1879 and one in 1881. Both hotel buildings were two-story, wood-framed buildings. The hotels provided meals for those with short layovers and a place to stay overnight for travelers with longer delays. A water tower and coal bin were also built for the settlement, useful for resupplying steam engines. A post office opened in 1872, run by H. H. Spencer, the former promoter of Louisville. Like Louisville, this post office was unfortunately short-lived, closing in 1873. 

Julius Coller described Merriam Junction in his book The Shakopee Story, published in 1960. He said, “It was quite the little settlement. The businesses were largely patronized by traveling people and people working for the railroad.” He also described the outsized impact that Merriam Junction had on the region: “Shakopee became a way station with a stub train consisting of an engine, a baggage car, and coach running from St Paul to Merriam and return. Travelers had to change trains at Merriam to make the 12 mile trip from Shakopee to Jordan” 

At the community’s height, an average of 20 trains went through Merriam Junction each day. With such a high rate of mobility in the population, Merriam developed a local reputation for being home to transitory communities. The area was home to a group of Eastern European immigrants, called gypsies at the time. Supposedly they camped near the waystation because the water tower and coal bins provided easy access to fuel and fresh water. Local residents at the time also complained that they would beg, or come to local houses in an attempt to buy food. Unfortunately, this small group of families took on a negative, almost legendary status in households at the time. Children would be warned that they would be taken by the “gypsies” if they were naughty, and unsubstantiated tales of stolen livestock abounded. 

Merriam Junction was also chosen as a hideout for the nationally notorious James Brothers gang. After their famous robbery at the Northfield Bank, the gang hid out in a cave near Merriam, supposedly obscuring their tracks by putting their horses’ shoes on backward. Some members of the gang, the younger brothers of Jesse James, were captured after this incident.

Though the train spelled disaster for Louisville, the rise of the automobile led to the end of Merriam Junction. Even though trains were still being used for shipping and distance travel, by the 1920s, shorter-distance trips for business and pleasure were being taken by automobile instead of rail. Passengers no longer needed the services of a community like Merriam Junction, and the hotels and stores, reliant on travelers, lost their customers. By the end of the 1920s, Merriam Junction, like Louisville before it, was mostly deserted. 

Further Reading

• Coller, J. (1976). The Shakopee Story. North Star Pictures, Inc. Available to look at in the SCHS research library.

• Stanwood, M. (2017, October 19). “A Chance for Beginners”: Ghost Towns of the Southwest Metro. Swnewsmedia. https://www.swnewsmedia.com/eden_prairie_news/news/local/a-chance-for-beginners-ghost-towns-of-the-southwest-metro/article_d9645265-06d1-5fd5-9b10-447998297792.html

The History of Louisville Township Part 2: Louisville

Building a Town

Louisville was originally platted by French fur trader Louis LaCroix who established a trading post on the bank of the river, likely in 1850. In 1853, H. H. Spencer arrived from Louisville, Kentucky with his family. He envisioned a community in the northwest corner of the township thriving on steamboat travel and trade along the Minnesota River. Spencer soon began buying up lots. He built a home for his family, a grocery store, and a post office where he established himself as postmaster - and also offered free lots to other tradespeople who were willing to set up shop in the new community. Spencer then began working to recoup his investment, and make the town a financial success. Soon, he was advertising the prospects of  Louisville in newspapers around the region. 

This lengthy paragraph about Louisville was placed in the Minnesota Democratic Weekly on May 23, 1855: 

“Located on the South Bank of the Minnesota River at the nearest point below the Little Rapids that is above high water, it is about 50 miles above St. Paul, by the river and 34 by land, and 10 or 12 miles by the river and 6 miles by land above Shakopee. Louisville is on a high rolling Prairie, with a number of springs of the best water and an abundance of good limestone in the vicinity. Louisville has a first rate landing for steamboats and is the landing place for that rich expansive country bordering and on the prairie and the big woods, and when the water is low for steamboats to cross the rapids, it is the place for the travellers to and from the Upper Minnesota country to leave the steamboat and take one when bound for st paul, being the principal traveled road from St Paul to St Peter, Fort Ridgley etc. Travellers to the upper country will find teams at Louisville and vicinity to convey them up to this country. Strangers looking for claims can get information of conveyances to a very rich country back unclaimed and well timbered and water interrupted with meadows and beautiful lakes abounding with fish. Louisville has a store and hotel in operation, and a blacksmith shop and several dwelling buildings. Persons looking for liquidations are also invited to visit this place where H. H. Spencer, one of the proprietors, will be found ready and willing to sell property at fair prices. Great induments will be offered to mechanics, merchants etc to settle her this season. The place is laid off on a liberal plan. Lots 50 by 150 foot. Streets and alleys wide, and liberal donations have been made by the proprietors in the way of public grounds for churches and school purposes. ”

— Minnesota Democratic Weekly on May 23, 1855

Another example is this advertisement, published in the Daily Minnesotan Newspaper, November 1st, 1854: 

“A new town is to be laid out on the Minnesota River, some 15 miles above Shakopee. A saw mill, warehouse, and a large hotel are to be erected this fall and early in the return of spring. Enterprising gentlemen from New York and Wisconsin have recently made purchases at the place, and will be on with their families in spring. A friend of ours in the section says we in St Paul can have no real conception of the rapidity with which this whole upper country is being filled up with immigrants. He estimated that no less than six thousand settlers have gone in above Shakopee since the opening of navigation last spring. This village is situated on the south side of the Minnesota at the foot of the little rapids. The town is going ahead- keeping pace with other thriving villages of the valley.  Mr. H. H. Spencer is one of the proprietors and he has set up business on the spot. He took up by the Black Hawk yesterday several families to settle there, and lumber to build them houses. The land in the vicinity is excellent, and the country is rapidly filling up.”

— Daily Minnesotan Newspaper, November 1st, 1854

As a result of this campaign, around 30 families moved to the settlement.

A section of the obituary for J.W. Sencerbox, printed in the Scott County Argus, January 16, 1896

Building up Business

In 1856, Spencer built a gristmill in Louisville. Later that year, two steam mills were constructed, one by Ezra Gibbs, and one by J. W. Sencerbox. Both mills were operated by steam, as the Minnesota River was too placid at the townsite to provide enough power to operate a mill. Neither mill was destined for a long life, however. Gibbs’ business was unprofitable from the onset, and closed within the year. Sencerbox’s mill only lasted four years, closing its doors in 1865. 

In 1857, Spencer put down the funds to have a schoolhouse built in the town. A teacher, Hattie Kingsly, was brought on board. However, a 1937 article in the Jordan Independent describes the grim future of the schoolhouse thus: “An interest in education did not take in Louisville and from 1859 to 1863 the schoolhouse stood idle. Summer school was conducted in the next two years, and in winter of 1865-1866 Miss Belle Spencer held classes, but they were the last for Louisville”

Louisville never established a church, often a bedrock of early European American settlements in the area. Services were only held intermittently by circuit riders, usually in the home of H. H. Spencer. 

The Decline of Louisville

In this period of history, rail could make or break a fledgling town. Trains brought goods and supplies, as well as convenient shipping lanes for local farmers and merchants. They also brought new people to settle and expand local communities.

Soon after Louisville was constructed, shipping and travel began to move from steamboats to the more convenient rail lines. Louisville’s death was foretold when the St Paul and Sioux City railroad was mapped out. It bypassed Louisville entirely, traveling from Shakopee to Jordan, and crossing with the Minneapolis and St Louis railroad line at a point called Merriam Junction.  Farmers in the area began to take their goods and business elsewhere. 

In spite of his hearty publicity campaign, Spencer’s interest in the town soon began to wane. He closed his original grocery store in 1859. By the end of the 1860s, the town was nearly deserted. 

Railroads in Louisville Township. Photo from the Shakopee Valley News, September 16, 1987.

The History of Louisville Township Part 1: Louisville Then and Now

Map showing Louisville Township, including Louisville Swamp.

Beginnings of Louisville Township

Louisville Township is located in the northwestern corner of Scott County, boarded by the twists and turns of the Minnesota River. The natural landscape is varied, including prairies, forest, marsh and swampland, an oak savanna. Like most parts of Scott County, the Louisville Township area was originally settled by the Dakota, thousands of years before European Americans came to the area. The area was home to the Eastern Wahpeton band of the Dakota. 

In 1930, a priest named Father Klien wrote a lengthy and detailed history of his church in Marystown in Louisville Township and the surrounding area. In his discussion of early census attempts, he wrote “The reported census did not measure up to the actual number of people”, and that “The territory was recognized as the legitimate domain of the Dakota”.

He goes on to describe the rapid change brought to Louisville Township by the 1851 Treaty of Traverse De Sioux. Like in other parts of Scott County, “settlers began to pour in from the Midwest, East, Germany, Ireland...drawn here by the chance to get good farms with what little money they possessed”

The history of Louisville Township is intertwined with the history of transportation in the region. Along with connections to Shakopee and Jordan due to proximity, the township was home to three European American towns. Two of these, Louisville and and Merriam Junction, grew and died along with transportation changes. 

Louisville was planned as a port city along the Minnesota River, taking advantage of steam travel. Merriam Junction was placed at the crossing of two major railroads, hoping to benefit from rail travelers. A third community, Marystown, sprung up around one of the oldest catholic churches in the region. 

Newspaper article showing the H.H. Spencer home which was the only structure still standing. “Spencer used it as living quarters, store and inn.” The man in the photo is August Holm who was one of the last Scott County residents who could remember going to Louisville. Jordan Independent July 8, 1937

Louisville Township Today

One of the most well-known yearly events in Louisville Township is the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. 

The first Renaissance Festival was held in Laurel Canyon, California in 1963. It was started by a local teacher who wanted to create an experience to share history with adults, modeled after the medieval fairs she would put on with her students each year. As the years progressed, the fair attracted members of the 1960s counterculture movement, and became less about historical authenticity and more about theater and community. 

As the Renaissance Festival expanded, people in other states began to take interest. Minnesota was home to the first festival outside of California, which took place in September of 1971 on a 22-acre field in Jonathan, Minnesota. It billed itself as “A Celebration of Nature, Art and Life,” and brought in over 25,000 people. 

The Renaissance Festival moved to its current location in Louisville Township in 1973. Today, it is the largest Renaissance Festival in the United States, attracting over 300,000 visitors yearly. It has launched the acts of nationally known performers, including Penn and Teller and the Flying Karamazov brothers. Singer Jason Mraz also had his first job at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, selling pickles.

Another Louisville Township attraction is Louisville Swamp. Louisville Swamp is currently part of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, located between the Minnesota River and Highway 169. It was purchased by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 1979 from Northern States Power Company. 

Newspaper article quoting Ranger McDonald on the attraction of the wildlife refuge at Louisville Swamp. Savage Pacer, October 31, 1998.

The title of “Swamp” is actually a misnomer, as the land includes prairies, forest, marshland, and oak savanna. The oak savanna is especially important. There were once an estimated 300 million acres of oak savannah in the United States. As of 1998, only 6500 acres remained. The area is important for local wildlife. It is a prime spot for birders, with sightings of hawks, kestrels and woodpeckers. Deer, raccoon, coyotes and walleye live in the park, and in the fall it is a resting place for migrating monarch butterflies. There has been an active effort to preserve native plants and reduce invasive species in Louisville Swamp, making it a home for flowers including the lady slipper and the nut rush. 

The area that is now Louisville Swamp includes parts of the ghost town of Louisville, and you can still see the foundations of several homesteads in the swamp. Hiking paths are open year round - visit the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge for details.