One of the most enjoyable things I do as a volunteer for the Historical Society is to spend a few evenings each fall as a Ghosts of Anoka Walking Tour guide. I can’t think of a better place for ghost tours than the Halloween Capital of the World, and it’s a great opportunity to take a walk around town, share some history, and tell some stories that Anoka residents have shared with us about some of the unusual or unexplainable things which they’ve experienced in their homes and businesses.
Read MoreThe northeastern part of Anoka County was home to a unique industry in the 1890s because of a tall, tough grass, called wire grass, that grew there. More accurately the grass was sedge grass, but locally the common name of wire grass was used. This grass was too coarse and hard for animal feed, but the American Twine Company believed the grass could be harvested and used to make twine. The company bought roughly 30,000 acres in the Columbus and Linwood areas to harvest grass. Their efforts at making twine failed, but other companies were interested in the grass and several invested in Anoka County’s wire grass.
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As you read this, Eileen and I should be on our way to pick up Ted in Litchfield after being deployed for 11 months, almost to the day.
I’m sure it will look just like reunions always do in the pictures, just like it did for us when he came home from Kosovo. Three or four buses loaded with soldiers coming along the highway, escorted by police, local well-wishers and some Patriot Guard. Streets lined with signs made by families and friends shouting messages of pride and love. Electrified wives, girlfriends, children, even a dog or two, standing in front of the red brick armory wall, fidgeting with clothes, nails and hair.
Read MoreHistory happens! Find it in the news
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In order to take advantage of opportunities further west, George Morrill moved to Anoka in 1873 with his wife Olive (nee Caldwell) and daughter Eliza (Lida) Caldwell Morrill. He began a successful law practice, welcomed two more children, and served as Secretary for the Anoka Library Association for 1879 and as the Anoka County Attorney, 1877-1881 and 1885-1887. For all appearances, Morrill seemed a successful businessperson and happy family man in 1890--yet, he vanished never to be seen again. What happened to cause his sudden and mysterious disappearance?
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The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, today unveiled the names and locations of the museums taking part in AAM’s unprecedented national initiative to diversify museum boards and leadership. The full list of selected institutions below includes a cross-section of museums of all types and sizes.
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Welcome to Anoka County Fair week and all the festivities that go along with the tradition of gathering together to celebrate agriculture, community, and the legacy of our area! You’ll find us at the historic farmhouse once again, chatting on the front porch and putting together a puzzle or two. Funny enough, one of the puzzles we usually solve for visitors is just what is that thing in the corner?
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Ours is the greatest garden club in America! Okay, maybe that's a stretch, but we like our club. Why you ask? Gardening is a great way to reconnect with nature in this digital age. It's good for your mental health and acts as a stress reliever after a busy day. I enjoy growing and eating my own food in the vegetable garden, while the flowers are pleasing to the eye and the soul—and provide a habitat for our pollinators.
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Whether we look to the Garden of Eden, the paradise garden of Darius the Great, or the Zen garden form featured at temples, people have always adapted and tamed the foliage around them in one manner or another. Enclosed gardens emerged about 10,000 BC and the idea of landscaping moved from Western Asia and eventually spread westward into Greece, Spain, Germany, France, and Britain.
Read MoreIn 1969 our nation was in crisis. Anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, race riots and assassinations dominated national headlines while the city of Anoka had a dam problem.
Read MoreVIDEO: Naked Jell-O thumb wrestling at fire station three in Blaine last Saturday kicked off the first ever Anoka County Historical Society Jell-O Cook-off! The fundraiser also tested Jell-O tossing skills and trivia.
Read MoreVIDEO look behind the scenes at ACHS
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The tornado that struck Anoka on June 18, 1939, left a lasting impression in its wake. Although the damage is long since cleaned up, repaired, or covered over, the effects of the storm continue in ways we might be less familiar with today, 80 years later.
Read MorePreviously, we looked at the story of the Weber family, who emigrated from Austria-Hungary in the 1860s and settled down to farm near Centerville. Their farm, started by Joseph Weber and his wife Annie, was passed down to their son Leonard and his wife Mary, and then to their son Donald.
Read MoreLast week we began a three-part series about the Weber Family Collection at ACHS. This week, we’ll look at some more records that are part of that collection.
The Weber farm was handed down through three generations of the family. Some of the legal documents that trace these ownership transfers tell us another interesting story as well: How did older people plan for retirement in the years before nursing homes and assisted living facilities became common?
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Collections of records from a single family are generally referred to in the preservation world as “family papers.” Family papers would include many actual pieces of paper (correspondence, household or business records, legal documents, etc.) but can also include photographs and, sometimes, three-dimensional artifacts as well. One such collection at the Anoka County Historical Society is one for the Weber family of the Centerville area.
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Although the Jackson Hotel stands out as Anoka’s most famous hotel (and is one of the only extant historic hotel buildings in the city today), at one time the city on both sides of the Rum River boasted several places for travelers to lodge. One of these was the Farmers’ hotel, located on the northeast corner of Second Avenue and Jackson Street, facing Second Avenue.
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April showers may bring May flowers, but they also bring celebratory groups of teenagers all dressed up in their finest to nearby restaurants. That’s right, it’s prom season once more.
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