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Page 26 | September 3, 2011

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Babe’s Place murals included in Shakopee Historic Site Tour

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BY KRISTIN HOLTZ kholtz@swpub.com

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PACER EDEN PRAIRIE

Study the walls at Babe’s Place bar in downtown Shakopee and you might be left scratching your head. Four murals run the length of the southern wall, depicting pastoral settings and a scene right off a pirate ship. What they mean exactly, no one really knows, said Babe’s Place owner Don Matta. Local artist John Kodylek pai nted t he mu ra ls i n t he 1880s. Story has it, Kodylek was in town painting murals on t he wa l ls of St. Ma rk’s Church and the Opera House when he struck a deal with the owner of Babe’s building to paint the walls for food, beer and boarding. “This is the story I’ve always heard,” said longtime employee Mary Isakson. “I don’t know much about it, but it sounds good.” Located at 124 Holmes St., fact and lore have blurred at the downtown building. Check out the murals at Babe’s Place and other sites during the Shakopee Heritage Society’s Historic Site Tour. The downtown bar is one of nine historic sites featured on the biennial tour, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10. Tickets are $10 each and available at the Scott County Historical Society, 235 Fuller St. S., Shakopee. The original Babe’s building, then a saloon owned by

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news Register now to be eligible for random prize drawings!

Sept. 10, 2011

Purgatory Creek Park, Eden Prairie 9 a.m. start | 10:30 a.m. awards Exhibitors’ booths open 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

tomp out domestic violence by participating in the inaugural “Boots & Boas Fun Dash & 5K Run/Walk.” Bring along your favorite boots and don a complimentary boa for the 50-yard fun dash. A portion

porium to 124 Holmes St. Following his death, bartender Clair Sheffer purchased the business, running it as Clair’s until the 1980s. Darlene Matta bought the bar in the mid1990s. Isakson came to work at Babe’s shortly after Darlene purchased the bar. Darlene named the establishment after her mother, Elizabeth “Babe” Vig. About five years ago, Darlene restored the outside of the building, which has been painted a tan /peach color, Isa kson said. Crews sa ndblasted the brick and “brought it back to its former glory on the outside,” she recalled. Darlene died last summer and Don took over ownership of Babe’s Place. He has plans for a remodel and hopes to have Kodylek’s paintings cleaned.

What: Shakopee Heritage Society’s Historic Site Tour, featuring nine Shakopee homes and businesses. When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10. Where: Downtown Shakopee. Admission: Tickets are $10 and available at the Scott County Historical Society, 235 Fuller St. S., Shakopee. He reca l led t hat when his mother purchased the bar, murals were also visible on the northern wall but were damaged beyond repair. “They’re interesting,” Don said about the murals. “I’d like to know more about them.”

Step back in time by touring nine historic Shakopee homes and businesses during Shakopee Heritage Society’s third home tour. Learn more about each of the sites at shakopeenews.com. BABE’S PLACE 124 Holmes St. S. Current owner: Don Matta

KOEPER HOUSE 408 Sixth Ave. W. Current owners: John and Brenda Ward

Rebuilt after the 1879 fire, this establishment has had several owners, but it’s always been a saloon. In the 1880s local artist John Kodylek painted murals on the interior walls. What to ask: How was the mural artist paid for his work?

STEINHOFF HOUSE

STRUNK HOUSE 103 Third Ave. E.

Current owner: Susan Osacho

Current owners: Gary and Patricia Hawley

What to ask: How was the park grass cut in the early days?

What to ask: Who stayed in the upstairs apartment temporarily? GROSSER/CARLOS LUIS HOUSE 225 Fifth Ave. E.

This three-story Chaska brick home is best known for one of its owners, Carlos Luis, who owned it from about 1955 to 1968. He was a good friend of Maurice.

605 Fourth Ave. W. This 1860s home sits across the street from Shakopee’s first park, Holmes Park. In 1943, Louis and Genevieve Steinhoff moved their family from Jordan to the house.

This Shakopee brick home with its original stained-glass windows was once a private family home converted into law offices in 1971.

Current owners: Greg and Dixie Duff y

This 1910 home has had only four owners. The original Koeper farmhouse burned down but was rebuilt.

Major Sponsor LasikPlus Nutritional Food Sponsors Complete Nutrition Pure Market Express Water Station Sponsor Anytime Fitness Eden Prairie & Chaska

of proceeds will beneﬁt two local organizations dedicated to ending domestic abuse: Cornerstone and Southern Valley Alliance for Battered Women. The 5K Run/Walk takes place on easy, ﬂat terrain that wraps around a scenic wetland.

If you go…

Shakopee Historic Site Tour

What to ask: Where was the original barn located?

present

Saturday,

German immigrant William Heidenreich, was destroyed in an 1879 fi re. Heidenreich rebuilt at the same spot, and a picture of his building in Julius Coller’s “The Shakopee Story” resembles the current home of Babe’s. Anecdotal evidence suggests the building housed Main Meat Market around the turn of the 19th century. However, it’s believed to have resorted back to a saloon, possibly owned by Hilarius Schlink or John C. Abeln, shortly afterward. Little is known about the building during Prohibition, t hough Isa kson has hea rd stories of the basement being used as a Speakeasy. “They did some illegal stuff down there,” Isakson said. I n D e c emb er 1 9 3 6 , Hub Paron relocated his beer em-

What to ask: Which famous people stayed or visited here, including one U.S. president?

Originally built for C.J. Strunk (Frank Strunk’s father) in 1902, this home stayed in the Strunk family until the Hawleys purchased it in 1994. What to ask: Where was the original main entrance? STANS HOUSE 128 Second Ave. W. Current status: a museum operated by the Scott County Historical Society

BISEK HOUSE 505 Sommerville St. Current owner: Kasse Barta

Band director Hubert Stans built this bungalow in 1908, the year his son Maurice was born. Maurice later served in the Eisenhower and Nixon administrations.

Originally built in 1888, the Shakopee brick home was damaged by fire in 2006, within a month after the current owner bought it. She has been remodeling it ever since.

What to ask: About a scandal that entangled one of the residents.

What to ask: About two special grocery deliveries made to the house.

525 First Ave. E.

LEAVITT-KENNEDY HOUSE Current owners: Jeffrey Kennedy and Roger Ramstad

ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN CHURCH 705 First Ave. E. Current tenant: Atlas Staffing Built in 1890 by the St. John’s congregation, the building has hosted an Assembly of God Church, a bridal gown shop, Salon St. John and current tenant Atlas Staffing. What to ask: Which building at The Landing was once part of St. John’s?

City to Country Tour is Sept. 24 Here’s how to win: • Go to this newspaper’s website and submit your photo. Users will vote for their favorite ﬁsh photo and a panel of judges will choose the winners. • Submit your photo at this newspaper’s website. Please, one entry per ﬁsh photo. • Entries are accepted now through 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6. • Voting for REEL ‘EM IN will begin Tuesday, Sept. 6 and run through 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12. No more than 10 votes per user per day will be allowed. • All entries must be submitted online at this newspaper’s website. This is an online-only contest, so no hard copy prints of photos can be accepted. • Winners are selected based on a combination of voting and judging. Judges determine winners from the Top 5 vote-getters.

ONLINE FISH PHOTO CONTEST Aug. 11 through Sept. 6 Show off your fishing skills with Southwest Newspapers’ REEL ’EM IN fish photo contest. All angler pictures are welcome: that trophy lunker you caught last year, your child’s first sunfish, etc. Enter the contest starting Thursday, August 11. Entries accepted until 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6.

WIN: First prize: $300 Boat Winterization Package from R & R Marine Shakopee and Ham Lake Second prize: $140 St. Croix Fishing Rod and Pﬂueger Reel from Sport Stop in Shakopee Third prize: $100 Gift Certiﬁcate for parts/service from R & R Marine Shakopee and Ham Lake

MORE INFORMATION: Go to any of Southwest Newspapers’ websites to enter, starting Aug. 11. There, you’ll ﬁnd all of the information you need to submit your photo and enter the contest. Visit any one of these websites: Chaskaherald.com PLAmerican.com Chanvillager.com Savagepacer.com EdenPrairieNews.com Shakopeenews.com JordanNews.com Questions? Call Angelo Gentile at 952-345-6676, or e-mail agentile@swpub.com

Southwest NEWSPAPERS

The 13th annual Scott County City to Country Tour will take place on Saturday, Sept. 24. The drive-it-yourself tour hosted by the University of Minnesota Extension in Scott County will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The purpose of the event i s to demon st r at e t he i mportance of agriculture and the rural character of Scott County. Each site is designed to leave a n i mpression on visitors about agriculture and horticulture in Scott County and Minnesota through demon st ration s, h a nd s - on activities a nd educ ationa l displays. The 2011 tour will focus on sites in the Elko New Market and southern Prior Lake. The cost of the tour is $10 per vehicle for the entire day. Vehicle passes will be available at the tour sites. Visitors can pick up a pass at their first stop and then use it as a passport for the remaining sites. For more information, call the Scott County Extension office at (952) 492-5410; e-mail Laura Kieser at torb0 022 @ umn.edu or go on Facebook: facebook.com/citytocountrytour. The tour brochure can also be found online on the Scott County Web site: www. co.scott.mn.us.

WHISPERING OAKS ALPACAS Whispering Oaks Alpacas

is owned by Dale and Tari Maxfield and their family. The Maxfields have been raising alpacas for seven years on their 10-acre farm. Alpacas are fiber-producing animals that are native to South America. They originate from the high Andes regions in Peru, Chili and Bolivia. They part of the camelid family. Try your hand at processing fiber using drop spindles and see the many things that can be made using the fiber from these animals. Whispering Oaks shears, cleans, processes, spins and dyes the wool from their alpacas. They will have a variety of handcrafted items for sale that were made from fiber from their very own alpacas. Address: 21851 Calmor Ave., Prior Lake; www.whisperingoaksalpacas.com

THOMPSON’S HILLCREST ORCHARD Thompson’s Hillcrest Orchard is owned by Gene and Barb Thompson and their family. This is a small but growing apple orchard. The Thompsons wanted to use their small acreage productively, so they planted their fi rst 200 trees in 1996. The orchard has expanded to more than 1,000 trees on approximately five acres. Eleven varieties have been planted, but their most popular apple is the Minnesota favorite, Honeycrisp. They have also added fall

raspberries and pumpkins. Produce is sold at the farm and at local farmers markets. Visitors can sample different apple varieties, enjoy a walk through the orchard, pick their own apples or raspberries, see how the apples are prepared for market, and learn how to make apple cider. University of Minnesota Master Gardeners will be available to provide cultural tips for growing and utilizing apples. Address: 6271 E. 250 th St., Elko; www.hillcrestorchard. org

FRIEDGES DAIRY FARM Charles and Jeri Friedges milk 45 Jersey cows and farm approximately 320 acres. They raise corn, alfalfa, soybeans and small grains to feed their cows. Jersey cows are distinctive by their fawn-like color and sweet faces. Visitors will have the opportunity to take a guided tour of the farm, have their photo taken with a calf, visit with local dairy princesses and other local agriculture businesses, and see machinery involved in harvesting crops. Local children’s book author Gordon Fredrickson will be performing a children’s program (“If I Were a Farmer: Nancy’s Adventure”) at noon and milking will begin at 3:30 p.m. Address: 25795 Texas Ave., Elko.