Shakopee Heritage Society Presentation Sure to Bring Back Memories of The Little Store, the Puppet Show, and More!
By Bill Schleper
If you grew up in Shakopee anytime from the early 1950’s until around 1980 or so, you will thoroughly be entertained by the memories and conversation to be had this coming Saturday, January 25th, at the Shakopee Public Library - located at 235 Lewis Street - across from Pablo’s Mexican Restaurant in Downtown Shakopee!
During the Shakopee Heritage Society’s open-to-the-public annual meeting from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm, a presentation titled “So Groovy! Shakopee in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s” will be given. Members will lead the presentation and spark your fondest memories of the Stagecoach Museum (1951-1981), the Rodeo (1955-1970), the Shakopee Park & Rec Department’s summertime Puppet Show (1960s-1970s), the Sand-bottom Swimming Pool (1969-Today), and the Little Store (1950-1980.) - which was most commonly referred to as, “Christensen’s Grocery”, but was also owned at one time by the Huss family, and later, before closing it’s doors, was owned by the Raasch family and then the Stocker family! Attendance is free of charge to the public.
The Shakopee Heritage Society in a non-profit group dedicated to the history of Shakopee. The Shakopee Heritage Society has a web site (shakopeeheritage.org), a book, articles, cemetery cleaning, and People of “Sha K’ Pay” (original town of Shakopee’s name) brochures of more than 400 diverse people from the past at https://shakopeeheritage.org/people-of-sha-k-pay, along with monthly presentations such as “So Groovy… “ at the Shakopee Community Center, and much more!
The monthly presentations have been a staple at the community center for the past seven years, and are both enlightening and entertaining! The audience continues to grow and participate in the memories of yester-year, with the elders sharing their stories, and the younger audience members learning about Shakopee’s past in an informative, entertaining, and truly enjoyable storytelling environment. These presentations are FREE OF CHARGE to attend!
In the past few years, the Shakopee Heritage Society has been an active group, with their members also working on local projects like the “Pathways of Shakopee” historical project in Memorial Park, along with delivering numerous presentations to school and community organizations, created books for schools, and many, many informative and interesting newsletters for it’s members.
The Shakopee Heritage Society Board of Directors includes; President David R. Schleper, Vice President Joanne Musick, Past President Lois Marschall Wendt, Treasurer Liz Lundin, Secretary Donna Lane, and Trustees Sandy Olson, Dave Regan, and Melissa Whiting, and has an active social media presence. For upcoming presentation(s) schedule and more information, or to donate to the many local historical projects, or if you’re interested in becoming a member of the Shakopee Heritage Society, please contact any of the (above listed) Board members, or check out their website at https://shakopeeheritage.org
. The stories shared from the past generations are the bridge to the present!