By Ruth Anne Maddox, Correspondent 

The exact weather conditions on May 11, 1858 — when Minnesota became the 32nd state — are not readily available, but the organizers of a 150th birthday celebration at The Landing are hoping that it was a warm and beautiful sunshiny day — and that history will repeat itself.

The local celebration is a free event that takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 17. Other events taking place that day in conjunction with the celebration at The Landing include a bike tour from Shakopee to Chaska and a movie at dusk in Huber Park.

“If anyone hasn’t been out here lately, it’s a great time to come out … and it’s free,” said The Landing site Supervisor Jefferson Spilman.

Spilman said that Three Rivers Park District was planning to have some sort of commemorative celebration at the park in May regardless what the county was doing. So, when a committee was formed last year and countywide support was thrown behind The Landing’s plans, “it was very exciting,” he said.

Of course, history is always at the top of the to-do list at The Landing so it goes without saying that there will be myriad accounts of times gone by. And, while some of the interpreters who are regularly in place and telling stories at The Landing will be called upon to spin their tales, there also will be other history players, as well as a presentation focusing on the 150 years of the state of Minnesota and the debut of “Mainstreet to Statehood,” a Scott County Historical Society traveling exhibit.

Kathleen Klehr of the SCHS said the public will get its first look at the “Mainstreet to Statehood” exhibit at The Landing and the six-panel display will consist of very little text — mostly photographs and items, such as a cigar mold from an old cigar store in Jordan and some Shakopee bricks.

“There’s a lot of really neat stuff going into this,” Klehr said.

After the unveiling, the exhibit will travel around the county over the next year, including stops at the Scott County Fair and various town festivals.

SCHS also helped secure one of the more unique historical re-enactments for the celebration: World War II pilot Virginia Mae Hope of the Minnesota Historical Society will offer a presentation. Donning her Santiago blue dress uniform, Hope will tell stories of women flying airplanes and serving their country during World War II. Hope, who died as a passenger in a plane crash in 1944, was a native of Winnebago, Minn., and a member of the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP).

Another highlight of the birthday party will be a presentation about the state of Minnesota – where it’s come from and where it’s going.

“We want people to talk about Minnesota history,” Spilman said. “Just take some time and think about Minnesota.”

Similarly, the SCHS “Mainstreet to Statehood” exhibit will include a notebook in which attendees can write about what “hometown” means to them. The information will be used in future historical society displays and on the SCHS Web site.

Klehr said that “Mainstreet” connotes a feeling of belonging and the exhibit prompts people to answer the question, “What’s that hometown feeling?” she said. “We want to know why you choose to live in Scott County.”

And, because Minnesota’s history is worth celebrating, programs at The Landing throughout the summer will carry on the birthday theme.

“Really, the whole year is Minnesota’s 150th birthday,” Spilman said.

Klehr is in agreement over a yearlong celebration and the SCHS is partnering with the Shakopee Ambassadors to create a parade float that will be used throughout the county, beginning with Savage’s Dan Patch Days parade in June.

Oldtime baseball

The final organized event at The Landing on May 17 will be a 19th-century baseball game between Quicksteps and Northfield Silver Stars.

The Landing is “home field” for the Quicksteps, Spilman said, but this will be the first time the Silver Stars have played there. The ball game will be played in the meadow, near the east end of the park.

Of course, there also will be horse-drawn trolley rides, tours of original 19th century buildings, more than a dozen costumed historical interpreters throughout the grounds, children's games, music (including a brass band) and food.

Many sponsors and organizers came together for this event and the Minnesota River Valley History Roundtable, a consortium of historical societies from Carver, Nicollet and Scott counties, also had a hand in its planning.

Spilman said he’s excited to be able to show off the many recent building renovations — including the Berger barns that date back to when Minnesota became a state — and the significant clearing of buckthorn that has given the park a magnificent river view.

“If you want a view of a 19th century river town, we’ve got it,” Spilman said.

Other events

As part of the celebration, but not taking place on The Landing grounds, are a bike tour and an outdoor movie.

The Carver/Scott Family Bike Ride is a 14-mile round-trip tour with starting points in both Shakopee and Chaska. It will follow the river front and cross the recently reopened trail bridge over the Minnesota River.

Shakopee's start will be at 9:30 a.m. at Memorial Park and travel to Chaska Athletic Park, with riders then returning to their prospective starting points to complete the tour.

The route will follow the Minnesota Valley State Trail between Shakopee and Chaska and highlight the reopening of the river trail bridge along Highway 41 connecting Carver and Scott counties. This seven-mile paved trail winds its way around the Minnesota River and features a glimpse at life shortly after Minnesota’s incorporation, with the historic remains of the Schroeder Brickyard and Shakopee Brewery.

The ride also will highlight the importance of the Minnesota River to the local economy in the 1800s and issues that endanger the health of the river today.

There is no fee to participate in the ride and advance registration is not required. Water will be provided at both starting points and midway on the ride.

The Movie in the Park will be “Barnyard,” a 90-minute animated feature that is rated PG, so it is family-friendly. The show begins at sunset in Huber Park. The event is sponsored by the Shakopee Parks and Recreation Department and this is the first in a series of summer outdoor movies and other free events.

Ruth Anne Maddox can be reached at rmaddox@swpub.com. What does “hometown” mean to you? Talk about it at www.savagepacer.com.