Afton Town Square Park

Tour Site #7

St. Croix Trail and 34th Street | Google Maps
City of Afton Designated Historic Site

Included in the original 1855 Village of Afton map, the park has long been the center of community events and activities. In the past, it had a dance hall and a merry-go-round. The merry-go-round had galloping horses, carriages, and a “lover’s tub.” It was operated by a steam engine, and tickets cost 5 cents each. Today, the park is the site of many city celebrations, including Strawberry Fest, 4th of July celebration, Art in the Park, and a tree lighting ceremony for the Holiday Village.

Park and Dance Hall Locations

4th of July Celebration Disrupted by Fight

In the 1920s the park had a wooden pavilion built by the American Legion. Here residents came to see plays and dance to bands. As it is today, the 4th of July was richly celebrated in Afton. In the 1920s, the celebration included “parades, speeches, games, fireworks and decorations of flags and buntings.” Selma’s needed three stands on the street and sold 100 gallons of ice cream to meet the demand.^[1]

Read about how an Afton 4th of July celebration turned into melee when non-residents brought “moonshine, got drunk and began shooting off fire crackers and breaking chairs in the pavilion.” Attempts to stop the outsiders led to fist fights, arrests, and a call for the Minnesota Boxing Commission to end “fight shows put on by private promoters under the name of the American Legion and other organizations.”^[2]

This was the Prohibition Era when alcohol was illegal in the U.S. and St. Paul Police Chief John O’Connor’s “layover agreement” contributed to illegal activity in the Twin Cities and wider area. Read about the agreement at the Minnesota Historical Society and the lessons learned from the American Experiment in Prohibition.