If you thought these rural dances were all civilized and proper, apparently you were wrong.  The good ladies of Hopkins had had enough of these rootin’ tootin’ hoedowns.

December 4, 1915.  To the Honorable Council of the Village of West Minneapolis.  [Hopkins wasn’t officially Hopkins until 1928.]  Gentlemen:

We, the ladies of the Women’s Improvement League of Hopkins, hereby make an urgent petition that your body take steps to remedy the depolorable conditions that attend some of our Saturday night-Sunday morning dances by passing an ordinance calling for a 12 o’clock lid, and also restraining outside elements from using Hopkins as a “dumping ground” for their undesirable population.  It is not through our own people that Hopkins gets its reputation but it is on account of these outside influences that the wrong impression is received and given out.  A repetition of such dances as was given here on Saturday, November 27th, would be an insult to every man, woman and child of this village.

We feel that a twelve o’clock lid would do much toward remedying the conditions and that it would not work a hardship on any of the dancing public or lodges of our town.

Hoping that the above will meet with some favorable action by your Body and that it will be accepted as a move for a “Better Hopkins,” we respectfully submit the same for your consideration.

The report prefaced this petition in the Hennepin County Review with these words:

Every right-minded person desiring the best for their village should give this subject their keenest attention and do all in their power to make the name of Hopkins one to be proud of.

Now if we only knew where they were holding these rowdy dances!

Thank you to Mary Raabe of the Hopkins Historical Society for sending along this item!