Parks, Trails & Recreation Master Plan

1850-1950 A dramatic shift happened in 1851, when the Mendota Treaty was signed between the Mdewakanton and Wahpekute Dakota people and the United States Federal Government. Under this treaty, and the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux, which was signed the same year, ownership of Dakota land was transferred to the United States government, opening up millions of acres of land for settlement and colonization by Europeans and Americans. The Dakota people were forced to move to nearby reservation land in 1853, but frequently made trips back to Tinta Otonwe through the 1860s. With the land now open for settlement, the region began to grow rapidly. In the early 1850s, Thomas A. Holmes established a trading post near the Dakota village, and mapped out a plan for “Shakopay Village”, naming the area after Chief Sakpe II. Holmes is now credited with founding the City of Shakopee (see chapter 4 for further information). The city was formally incorporated in 1857 but lost its status a few years later due to odd legislation but was able to reincorporate again in 1870. In the early years of the City’s growth, steamboats and the railroad were important methods of transportation and economic growth. Steamboats came up the Minnesota River and carried both people and goods to the City of Shakopee. These twin transportation routes helped keep the City of Shakopee’s economy strong and growing during the late 1800s. The City also benefited from a strong brick and limestone industry. As the city transitioned into the early 1900s, electricity and water infrastructure were formalized, allowing for more development and an increasing population. As the economy grew, new businesses began to appear such as flour mills, breweries, and creameries. In 1927, the Holmes Street Bridge was constructed and connected Shakopee with Chaska. Increased job opportunities supported a growing population and by the late 1930s, the population of Shakopee reached over 2,400 people.

AERIAL VIEW OF SHAKOPEE, 1909

THE RED WING ON THE MINNESOTA RIVER

THE SHAKOPEE RAIL, 1865

25