The Banfill-Locke Art Center in Fridley is a historic building that has a colorful history, rich in culture and community service. Built in 1847 by John Banfill, a mason from Vermont, it first served as a wayside inn along the Red River Trail at the confluence of Rice Creek and the Mississippi River. Just two years later, the Banfill Inn had gained a reputation as a “resort hotel” to some, as described in a letter from 1849: “We arrived at Banfill’s in time for an early supper, which consisted of viands that even in these luxurious days would be tempting to the appetite; after supper the dining-room was cleared, and we had a grand dance …”
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The name “Lino Lakes” is unique and, according to the United States Geological Service, only one community by that name exists—the one located in Anoka County, Minnesota.
Unusual names most often have unusual origins and this story begins at a meeting in a small room in Tim Manning’s barber shop in 1955. The community, then called Centerville Township, would begin its life as a newly incorporated village and needed a name.
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Thousands of people attend the Anoka Halloween parades each year to see the floats. What they don’t see is all the work behind the scenes. Liz McFarland has organized the parades as a volunteer with Anoka Halloween for over 10 years. She stopped by the museum to share the story of how she fell into the role, and all the details that go into creating the Anoka Parades.
Host Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Desens, ACHS Executive Director
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Writer, comedian, and actress Mary Jo Pehl grew up in Circle Pines, MN. She carried those memories with her working on Mystery Science Theater 3000 in the 1990s, working them in for comedic effect. In this episode, Mary Jo sits down to talk about her childhood and her unique experience as a comedienne working on cult classic MST3K.
Host Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Desens, ACHS Executive Director
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The Anoka State Hospital housed and treated mentally ill patients from 1900 to 1999 and its large, three-story cottages standing next to the Rum River are a source of fascination. As part of an oral history project in 2014, Karen Siewert talked about her time working there in the early 1960s, conditions in the overcrowded buildings, and her continued work to transform the Hospital’s cemetery into one of remembrance and dignity for the patients buried there.
TW: Mental illness and outdated treatment practices
Host Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Desens, ACHS Executive Director
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To officially kick-off Ghost Tour season at ACHS, we sat down with Ambi Wine Bar and The Big White House to talk about their ghostly encounters. Both businesses are stops on the Ghosts of Anoka Tour which run September and October in the City of Anoka.
Host Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Desens, ACHS Executive Director.
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Linda Lee Rodgers grew up in the close-knit community of Cedar, MN (located within the south east portion of Oak Grove today). Once a small town in its own right with a Main Street, railroad depot, creamery, and grocery stores, Cedar’s “modest grandeur” has faded over time. Linda shares her love of her hometown, and its history she is working to preserve.
Host Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator
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ACHS's first podcast episode guest, Daryl Lawrence, returns! In this episode Daryl talks the journey writing a book about his great and great great grandmother, tips for other people thinking writing their family histories, and a grant we just received so everyone can access his family’s archive.
It feels good to welcome Daryl back after 40 episodes (gasp!)
Host Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator
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The history of Ham Lake’s name begins with Scottish settlers and a town named Glen Carey before Minnesota even became a state. Join Mel Aanerud as he tells stories from Ham Lake’s history including the origins of Soderville and how the construction of Highway 65 demolished the small town within Ham Lake.
Host Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator
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Josh Hamm began working at Federal Cartridge in 2021 continuing a family tradition after his mother, uncle, grandfather, and great-grandfather also worked at the company. During his oral history at ACHS he described what it’s like working at the factory, what line he watches over, and even the smells and sounds of the building.
Host Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator
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On her family’s Ramsey farm in 1890, 10 year old Phoebe [Daisy] Guderian was kicked in the head by their horse and survived. In this episode, follow along with the story as told from newspaper reports, Daisy’s own daughter, letters from the doctor who came from the rescue and his descendant. Special guest Peter Jablonski.
Host Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator
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Bruce Cameron enlisted to fight in WWII in 1942 and trained to be a part of an armored tank division. In combat a total of 19 months, he became part of history at Normandy, crossed France to take Paris back and was in the Battle of the Buldge. He shared his memories of his time in service in an oral history at the Anoka County Historical Society in 1991. On this Memorial Day episode we remember his, and all Anoka County County residents, that served.
Host Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator
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Over the last several years, ACHS has made thoughtful changes in staffing and operations. This, when coupled with strategic planning from the board of directors, resulted in a COVID-friendly digital existence and plenty of options for the future. The next step in exploring, “what if?” required an investment from the savings account and the creation of a Development Specialist position. To fill this part-time, one-year contract hire, ACHS partnered with Lindsay Christensen. In this podcast, you’ll hear more about Lindsay as a person, her hopes for ACHS, and how you can help support these endeavors.
Hosts Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Ebnet-Desens, ACHS Executive Director.
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On May 6, 1965 a series of tornadoes hit the Twin Cities, including Fridley and Spring Lake Park in Anoka County. We talk with author Allen Taylor about what happened that night, how people learned of the danger, and why this weather became so devastating. Interspersed in this conversation, you’ll hear clips of WCCO’s award-winning radio coverage of the event that saved hundreds of lives.
Hosts Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Ebnet-Desens, ACHS Executive Director.
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Adem Ojulu joins ACHS through funding from the McWatt Fellowship. In this episode they share how coming from an African immigrant family shaped their interest in helping black immigrants tell their own stories, preserving native languages, and how that melds with project plans during this fellowship with ACHS.
Hosts Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Ebnet-Desens, ACHS Executive Director.
Read MoreThe Ramsey County Historical Society, Anoka County Historical Society, Dakota County Historical Society and Hennepin History Museum have partnered to establish the Arthur C. McWatt Fellowship Program.
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The Big Stoop Orchestra played to a crowd of 600 at Anoka High School on January 28, 1948. In this special episode, hear the story of how Wilburne “Big Stoop” Chamberlain started the band in 1946, the band’s time at Oak Ridge Resort on Crooked Lake, as well as listen to music the band played at that concert in 1948. Special thanks to Mark Joslyn and podcast guest Ron Chamberlain.
Hosts Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Ebnet-Desens, ACHS Executive Director.
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Since stories remain the heart of history, ACHS consistently looks for new avenues of gathering and preserving those that live in Anoka County. In this episode of History 21: The Podcast, you can hear the conversation between Rebecca Desens and Ben Mchie, one of two fellows hired though Legacy funds this spring. Ben underscores the importance of intergenerational storytelling, how strategic conversations can help bring understanding to a community, and the magic of his program called Street Teams.
Hosts Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Ebnet-Desens, ACHS Executive Director.
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Born at the tail end of the 19th century in 1897, Hazel Hartman lived in a different Anoka County than we experience today. In this oral history, recorded at her home in 1989, she shares memories about growing up in Constance (located in present day Andover) and her life in a rural Fridley after she married Carl Hartman (Fridley’s first mayor) in 1928.
Hosts Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Ebnet-Desens, ACHS Executive Director.
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Erin McBrien returns to the podcast with ACHS Board Member, Steve Florman, to reflect on her one year anniversary working with the collection at the Anoka County Historical Society. How did Erin react to the (quite literally) dump truck-sized load of documents and photographs from Federal Cartridge to go through? What does Erin’s job have to do with a [19]80’s video montage? What surprised her most about being a “lone arranger”? This truly behind-the-scenes conversation will shed light on what goes into managing the collections at ACHS. Feel free to laugh along!
Hosts Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Ebnet-Desens, ACHS Executive Director.
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