Minnesota is a state where people love to connect. Whether it’s over mini doughnuts and corn on the cob at “The Great Minnesota Get-Together” or a concert at the Orpheum, Minnesotans love to unite and commiserate over our state’s nasty habit of hurling winter snowstorms at us in April. These days, because of the coronavirus, instead of Minnesotans “getting together,” we are being told to stay away from each other.
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OAK PARK PLAZA: BLAINE’S FIRST SHOPPING CENTER
Other than Doberstein’s convenience store in the Johnsville area, shopping in Blaine was almost nonexistent before the 1960s. Residents did their shopping in Columbia Heights, Northeast Minneapolis and Anoka.
Read MoreMany of our conversations today reference articles printed in magazines, newspapers or online articles for evidence to support our intellectual positions. We look to the media to make sense of events we don’t witness ourselves and provide us with meaningful information. The debate over what portion of this material is biased, inaccurate or inflammatory for political gain continues to rage.
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The Anoka County Historical Society is helping Federal Premium/Vista Outdoor with their historical materials in part because the Anoka-based ammunition company will be reaching its 100th anniversary in 2022, marking a century since the Federal Cartridge Corporation, as led by Charles L. Horn, began its many decades of successful business. But that was not the first year that the ammunition company known as Federal came into being — for that, 1916 is the year we want.
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With each pile of lemons found on our front steps, we also receive an invitation to mix up that magical pitcher of lemonade — as long as you can find some sugar. Otherwise you’ve just made yourself sour water. The Anoka County Historical Society hopes that the upcoming “Un-Wise Murder” digital event will use our pile of COVID-19 lemons wisely (cough, get it?) and create something memorable.
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What better memories than a warm kitchen belonging to a bustling grandmother holding a cookie sheet in her hand, filled with doughy blobs and melted chocolate? Or perhaps frying fish, fresh caught that afternoon and filleted by the skilled hands of a grandfather? Or those special holidays where a tattered cookbook or recipe card saw the light of day once more, only to receive another splash of oil or dash of flour over the handwriting ... but no matter, because the tradition had become so ingrained?
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James W. Groat was the great-grandson of John Groat, who immigrated to the United States from Germany in the 1700s, eventually settling in upstate New York. Born in 1824, James married Rebecca and the family came west, settling in Anoka in 1854.
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In the mid-19th century Green Chambers (also known as Greenberry Chambers) lived as a slave in Barren County, Kentucky, with a wife, Charlotte, and five children who were apparently scattered among several slave owners. In 1864, Green was enlisted as a private in Company H of the 115th U.S. Colored Infantry in Bowling Green, Kentucky. His owner, Frank Chambers, received a certificate for the $100 bounty normally payable to an enlistee, as well as $300 in compensation for his value. In the fall of 1864 Green was severely injured while helping to erect a stockade at Fort Cynthiana, Kentucky — an injury that plagued him throughout his life.
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While it has been a great relief to work part-time at the Anoka County Historical Society’s museum again since the beginning of June, that is not the only place I’ve been working. With a hundred-year anniversary coming up quickly in 2022, Federal Premium Ammunition has partnered with the historical society to get their business archives organized, and I’ve been spending a couple days a week working to process those materials.
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Flashes of red, white and blue sparks soar through the dark sky, each one more spectacular than the last. Fireworks have always been symbolic of when America finalized its freedom from England, but the history of these loud, colorful sparks that always evoke some “oohs” and “aahs” reaches much further back, before the Declaration of Independence was signed.
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The news last week that Quaker decided to retire the Aunt Jemima syrup brand sparked a quick and heated conversation on social media. While many declared the move positive on face-value, others dug into the history of the models who portrayed her, and still others posed some version of the question, “If I was innocent to the meaning, then has that meaning changed enough for it not to matter?”
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For several years, the Anoka County Historical Society had an exhibit called, “Farms to Flamingos: Building a Mid-Century Modern County.” This display showcased the post-WWII housing boom that created what we know today as the suburbs, as well as that idyllic time in history when neighborhood baseball teams, washing machines and family trips in large cars became typical.
It also featured a companion display titled, “Shattering the Myth.” This exhibit called out the societal inequalities of the era, as well as blatant discrimination practices against people of color such as redlining and disproportionate combat casualties in Vietnam.
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For many people, coloring served as the first introduction to how art impacts our world. Whether on plain paper or in coloring books, children experiment with mixing, outlining and blending to create what they see in their mind’s eye. For some lucky ones, the colors of the rainbow follow them into adulthood and provide an opportunity to bring joy in times of need.
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I spoke with a black man today who said, “How can you help? Talk to white people. They won’t hear me.”
I spoke with a Hmong woman today who said, “I just need space to feel all of this right now. I’ll get over it, but not for a while.”
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Back in January when I thought about a new year full of experiences, this isn’t exactly what I was expecting. I envisioned my youngest child graduating from high school, parading across the stage while her dad and I cheered for her even though the administration said not to. I imagined adventures of summertime fun — the backyard bonfires, barbecues and outdoor excursions we all cherish. I imagined being an empty nester as my children went their separate ways, leaving JC and I to explore the new territory of being “just a couple” once more.
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When the Anoka County Historical Society sent out our initial survey for COVID-19 in March, we didn’t anticipate a Phase II, let alone rounding the corner on creating a Phase III survey. By the results we’re receiving, most of Anoka County didn’t either.
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By its very nature as a global pandemic, the coronavirus has reached into every country and crevice of our earth, unilaterally changing the lives of those in its wake. For many residents in Anoka County, the inconvenience of sheltering in place, receiving unemployment, or wearing a mask causes stress. The routine has shifted, work has changed, lifestyles shaken. For some, however, it has brought about an unmatched level of instability and worry.
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Since the History Center remains physically closed to the curious, the Anoka County Historical Society continues to brainstorm ways of bringing the information out and about. To that end, we relocated the microfilm machine to the home of a staff member, who has spent time rolling through the reels to find some great content. Search #microfilmMadness on the internet to discover the video series.
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As we entered the second installment of quarantine thanks to the COVID-19 virus, the Anoka County Historical Society also tackled the second half of the alphabet in our #MNMuseumAlphabet challenge. Joining other historical societies across the state, ACHS has posted daily, in alphabetical order, an item from our collection.
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American culture loves its fast cars, its freedom and its food. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 quarantine has taken a swipe at all three lifestyle pinnacles. But, as tradition would have it, the Anoka County community has fought back with resilience and innovation.
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