Bandits and Bank Robbers

In October of 1929 the stock market crashed in the United States. This financial disaster led to a worldwide recession, and the United States entered The Great Depression. This was a difficult time for most Americans, and while some had little choice but to grit their teeth and bare it, others took to a life of crime to get by. In Scott County, the months following the stock market crash saw a rash of bank robberies and heists throughout the county.

In November of 1929, the First State Bank of Savage was the first to be hit by a crew of robbers from St. Paul. The thieves were eventually caught and tried, but not before making off with over $1200 in cash and bonds ($18,000 in today’s dollars). Shortly thereafter, the First National of Bank of Shakopee was robbed, though this time by a different group of thieves. Here they made it away with $5997 (or 89,811 today). This second crew wasn’t content with their massive haul though, and on December 9th 1929, they struck again at the First National Bank of Shakopee.

The increase in violence and robberies (both bank and in private homes), had put the people and police on high alert. An early tip informed the police that the thieves were on their way, and so the police set up a look out. When he didn’t come out after the appointed time, they knew the heist was in progress. This second crew was gunned down by police and locals, though all of the robbers survived. They had taken $1500 from Shakopee’s vaults (some $22,400 nowadays). All three robbers went to try and were sentenced to prison.

Scott County has an interesting history during the 1920s, from bank robbery, to speakeasies, to rum running. In the decades that followed, Shakopee in particular would gain the nickname of Little Chicago due to its gambling parlors. IF you want to know more about the bank robberies, check out our exhibit case at the Scott County Courthouse. One of our recent interns, Ben Malacko, did a whole small exhibit on the matter. We also have Prohibition coming soon to our main gallery. If you have any prohibition stories from the county, or would be interested in placing any Prohibition era items on loan as part of the exhibit, please give us a call or email Dave Nichols.

Written by Dave Nichols, Curator of Collections

Research Conducted by Ben Malacko, Exhibits Intern

Prohibition in Scott County

In January 1920, Prohibition started and the nation would never be the same. Minnesota as a whole was in favor of prohibition; in fact the guidelines for it were put down by a Minnesota Congressman, Andrew Volstead. In Scott County, however, Prohibition was far from favored. It’s no surprise that the heavy German population in the county would be opposed to the law. In fact, prior to 1917 and World War I, Germans made up a large front in the anti-prohibition movement.

Jordan was a hotbed for Volstead violations during prohibition. Even those who were supposedly following the law often found themselves caught for selling liquor. In raids in the early 1920s, Jordan had the entirety of the soft-drink bar owners cited for violations. Soft-drinks are not necessarily the soda pop we think of today, it also included mixed drinks with things like simple syrups. As early as 1922, the Jordan Commercial Club sent a message to the US Congress demanding Prohibition’s repeal.

Jordan was not the only source of violations in the county. Shakopee had its fair share, and even New Market had a famous incident reported in in 1921. The story goes that a New Market man had made so much moonshine in the year and half since Prohibition that he had earn $16,000, that almost $250,000 today. It’s no surprise then, that not long after a night at the bar of him bragging of his success that the Prohibition agents raided his farm.
Raids in Scott County became quite frequent, occurring at least once a month in the early years and then becoming about a bi-monthly occurrence in the later years of Prohibition. A report in 1921 from the Jordan Independent mentioned a raid in March of that year that took Prohibition raids from a joke to a very real reality.

Prohibition impacted the county in many different ways, from the changing of livelihoods, to the increase in technically criminal activity; one could say Scott County is a good test case for the impact of Prohibition as a whole. If you want to learn more about how the county weathered the 18th Amendment be sure to visit us when we reopen in the spring for our new exhibit on the subject.

Written by Dave Nichols, Curator of Collections

The Scott County Fair: An Old Institution

Written by Marge McNeil

Fairs have been held in Shakopee since 1857 when an agricultural society was organized by Major R. G. Murphey and D. L. Howe. It was under the auspices of this society that the fair was held in 1857. It is recorded that some fine samples of produce, wheat and corn were exhibited and that the fine hogs show caused recently arrived immigrants to marvel at the possibilities of the new land.

Trapeze artist at the Shakopee Fair, 1905. Photo from the SCHS collections.

In 1872 the Scott County Agricultural Society was organized. Fairs were held annually by this society until 1898. In the 1870s few farmers in Scott County were able to produce anything worthy of exhibition purposes, as they were lucky to raise enough to eke out an existence for themselves and their families. Everybody could raise giant pumpkins though, and there was considerable rivalry among farmers in this respect. Horse racing was then the sport of kings and no county fair was complete or of any consequence without a racing card. Among the amusement features of these early fairs were balloon ascents, tent vaudeville shows, and magic acts.

Trapeze artist at the Shakopee Fair, 1905. Photo from the SCHS collections.

In September of 1912 three days of fun, frolic and frivolity marked Scott County’s Agricultural Fair and Street Carnival. Shakopee was the lotus for thousands of pleasure seekers after progress in agriculture. Domestic arts, fine arts, music, dancing, free shows and carnival antics were presented creating an atmosphere of neighborly good fellowship. The Shakopee Street Fair and Carnival offered two open air exhibition stages, one at Lewis and Holmes and the other at Bridge Square. Adding to the festivities were ballgames, dancing until 3am, and of course…politicians.

In 1915 a decision was made that a County Fair would be held in Jordan in September to replace the mid-winter fair that had been held annually for a number of years. The acreage known as Schultz & Hilgers park was leased for a term of years to serve as the fairgrounds. The crowd for the three-day event was estimated to be seven thousand and it was considered to be successful. Entries in the agricultural department totaled 355. Friday’s livestock parade was the hit of the fair. For the second year of the fair a new women’s building was built. Attendance was estimated at 21,000 with 1607 exhibits in all departments. Entertainment included band concerts in the afternoon and evening, trained animal acts, entertainers, free movies, parades and a Grand Ball with two orchestras.

Livestock auction at the Scott County Fair, 1955. Photo from the SCHS Collections

There were several other fairs of note.  The 1927 fair was a record breaker in the department of 4-H club work, which was growing in importance throughout the county. Sadly, no fair was held in 1947 because of September’s rampant polio epidemic. Finally the Sunday afternoon parade was canceled in 1962 when the cost of engaging parade units became higher then the county merchants could support.

During the 1960s the fair board began to feature more local talent for the grandstand entertainment rather than pay professional acts. Tug-of-war contests were scheduled with teams made up from people from throughout the county, tractor pulls became popular, and in the 1970s demolition derbies were featured which are still a main grandstand attraction today. For fifty-seven years the fair was successfully staged in the park in Jordan

Demolition derby, Scott County Fair, 1980

In 1970s, the Fair Board purchased 80 acres in St Lawrence Township as a site for the future fairgrounds. New buildings were erected with additional ones added each year for several years. For three generations the residents of Scott County have enjoyed an annual fair. This gala event has brought competitive exhibits, thrills, entertainment and recreational activities, along with ever-present food. Who, young or old, doesn’t have great memories of the fair?

Originally published in the Scott County Scene, summer 2018

Creameries Around Every Corner

Scott County has a long agricultural history, as does much of the Minnesota River Valley area. When most people think agriculture, the first idea they have is of farming but agriculture as an industry is more than crops and cattle. When farmers harvest their yields, the next step of the process begins, turning that raw good into a finished product. A major industries that sprang up on the late 19th and early 20th century in Scott County was creameries which did just that.

Creameries could be found in every township, and nearly every major town had one. Most of these creameries started as Co-Ops, businesses that were founded and owned by the local farmers that made use of the business. While the list of creameries in the county is long, a look at three will help illustrate their impact on agriculture in the county: Joel, Blakeley, and Marystown.

Joel Creamery Building in 2006

The Joel Creamery was a small one man operation, and produced primarily butter. This creamery served the local farmers in Joel, but also had buyers in Belle Plaine Township. Butter is a staple of creamery production, and most every creamery produced it in some quantity. The Joel Creamery opened its doors in 1893 and remained in operation for 24 years, owned and operated by A.C. Schmit. Upon its closing, Schmit thanked his patrons for their support. For many in the early 20th century, local creameries were the primary way that people acquired dairy products.

 Marystown Creamery was opened in the early 1900s and, like Joel, produced mainly butter. However Marystown specialized in sweet cream products. The creamery turned out several thousand pounds of butter.

Marystown Co-Operative Creamery Stock

By 1924, the Marystown Co-Operative Creamery had been leased out to the Redman Ice Cream Company, producing the cream that would go into their Ice Cream though not actually producing the desert itself. In 1925, the creamery became a depository for local farmers to drop off their milk and cream. In 1927, however, the creamery closed and the building was torn down not long after.

Lydia Co-Operative Creamery Calendar

 Perhaps the longest running of the small town creameries was that of Blakeley. Beginning operations in 1917, the creamery quickly boomed in business as local farmer bought in. On its first day in operation it is reported that it churned 1000lbs. of butter. In 1928 it produced 399,170 pounds of butter. By 1933, the Blakeley community was receiving $160833, or over $3 million dollars today, in revenue from the creamery. The average patron received about $22, or $426 today, annually. Rather a substantial profit considering they were in the height of the great depression. Blakeley creamery continued to operate until 1970.

Creameries were a means of production in the agriculture industry, but more than that they provide for their community. Goods coming out of the churns were bought by locals who couldn’t easily travel to larger towns, and farmers received dividends on the cream and milk they brought into the businesses. For many farmers, the creameries became a nucleus of farming in their area along with the feed mills, and grain mills. Creameries today are not as abundant as they once were, and few Co-Op creameries still exist at all. These business remind us of the larger impact agriculture has on our communities and ways in which people survived and prospered in decades past.

Written by Dave Nichols, Curator

Minnesota River Valley: The Beginnings

Excerpt From “Shakopee: An Environmental History” by Kathryn Cravens

The land features seen in the Minnesota River Valley today are largely the result of glaciers that moved across the landscape for millions of years. During the Ice Age, which began about 2 million years ago, large sheets of ice (sometimes up to a mile in thickness) moved across North America. As the glaciers traveled, they picked up and carried with them rocks and soil. During warmer periods, when the glaciers melted and receded, they left behind these rocks, or glacial till. In some places this till is so thick that it forms hills. In other places, the rocks scattered across the landscape are reminders of the glaciers’ former presence

The bulk of Lake Agassiz juxtaposed with the modern Great Lakes and state/national boarders 

Aside from the rocks left behind as glaciers melt, they also shaped the earth in other ways. The sheer weight and movement of the glaciers sculpts the earth into new land forms by creating hills and valleys. Minnesota, including Scott County, is a land of 10,00 lakes because of the glaciers. In many places, buried glacial ice eventually melted and left behind depressions in the earth that became filled with water to create the ponds, wetlands and lakes that define our state’s landscape.

Perhaps the most visible evidence of Scott County’s glacial heritage can be seen by drivers on Highway 169. In open areas, drivers can look to the north and see the bluff line on the other side of the river. Looking south they can see another bluff line. These bluffs mark the original banks of Glacial River Warren.

Glacial River Warren was a product of the last major era of glaciers, known as Wisconsinan Glaciation, which began about 100,000 years ago. About 12,000 years ago, the glaciers had melted significantly and this meltwater formed Lake Agassiz, an enormous body of water larger than all of today’s great lakes combined.

The Minnesota River- shown as a thin blue line above- inserted inside the approximate historical footprint of Glacial River Warren

Beginning around 11,500 years ago, for a time Lake Agassiz drained south through Glacial River Warren. Not surprisingly, a lake the size of Agassiz required an equally impressive outlet river, which is why the banks of Glacial River Warren were so far apart. The Minnesota River is a tiny stream in comparison to what would have been the raging waters of the Warren.

Approximately 8,500 years ago, the drainage form Lake Agassiz shifted back north to Hudson Bay. Today, the north-flowing Red River on the border between Minnesota and North Dakota is all that remains of the large drainage basin that was Lake Agassiz.

Hikers on the MN River Valley State Trail will see many seeps and springs trickling out from the base of the bluff. These springs are important water sources that made settlement and industry possible throughout Scott County.