Every year, ACHS moves into the Farm House on the Anoka County Fair for a week in July. In celebration of the Fair starting on July 23, this mini-history episode of the podcast explores its history, and the surprising buildings that have been moved onto the grounds over the years.
Host Rebecca Desens, ACHS Director, and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator.
Read MoreMary Woodbury lived in the same house on the Rum River in Anoka for 75 years! She moved there as a toddler in 1861 and was on the front lines watching the city grow and change. The Mad Hatter Restaurant, which now resides in her home, and ACHS have unveiled new house tour you can enjoy that covers the 167 year history of the home. In this episode, learn about the self-guided tour, and hear Mary’s own stories in excerpts from her diary and short memoir, “Reminiscences.”
Host Rebecca Desens, ACHS Director, and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator.
Read MoreSergeant Peter Burr Hedlund was born in the microscopic community of Cedar, Minnesota, on February 16th, 1944, and served in the United States Marine Corps during the Tểt Offensive of the Vietnam War.
Read MoreHistorical research doesn’t always go smoothly. Sara reveals the three biggest research fails she experienced while creating a new tour for St. Genevieve’s cemetery in Centerville.
Host Rebecca Desens, ACHS Director, and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator.
Read MoreBefore 1968, contractors and landowners deliberately wrote racial covenants and clauses into some property deeds to keep anyone "other than the caucasian race" from buying or occupying homes. Rebecca Gillette talks about the history of these racial covenants and their work at Mapping Prejudice to find and identify them among millions of pages of documents, including in Anoka County.
This is a portion of a program given at the ACHS Annual Meeting, May 19, 2024.
Host Rebecca Desens, ACHS Director, and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator.
Read MoreIn 2005, ACHS produced an award-winning exhibit focusing on the veterans of the Vietnam War. One of these veterans, Bruce Sommer, created a piece of art titled “Anguish” as part of his healing process. In this episode, Collections Manager Kassandra Mackenthun visits with Gather Committee member Jo Rhoady to hear more about the art, Jo’s connection, and how ACHS plans to revisit the exhibit material.
Host Rebecca Desens, ACHS Director, and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator.
Read MoreIn this episode, MSgt USAF (retired) Troy Woodruff reminisces with ACHS Board Member Steve Florman about his time in service, including flying AWAC (Airborne Warning and Control System) planes with NATO forces. During his 20-plus year career, Troy participated in Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, the Cold War, the Yugoslavian conflict in the 1990s, the drug war, and missions over South Korea. To hear the entire conversation, become a History 21: The Vault member or visit the history center and request the interview recording.
Host Rebecca Desens, ACHS Director, Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator, and Steve Florman, ACHS Vice President
Read MoreIt’s a busy spring at the Anoka Count Historical Society! Our Executive Director Rebecca, along with Board Member Orville, break down all the upcoming events that you don’t want to miss including a Murder Mystery fundraiser.
Host Rebecca Desens, ACHS Director and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator.
Read MoreThe Anoka County Sheriff's department history dates back to 1857 with the 1st Sheriff James C. Frost. Who someone complained was speeding his horse down Main St. in 1868. In this episode, listen to a portion of the program about the department given March 9 at the Anoka County History Center.
Host Rebecca Desens, ACHS Director and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator.
Read MoreWhat is a typical day like at the Anoka County History Center? It’s not all working with artifacts, and definitely not quiet. Follow along with ACHS Volunteer Coordinator, Sara Given, for her first audio diary of everything that happened around the museum on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 - well, at least everything that happened until lunch time.
Host Rebecca Desens, ACHS Director and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator.
Read MoreListen to Burton Dupre's stories as he remembers growing up in Centerville in the 1920s and 30s and the farm chores and shenanigans he and his friends got up to (including when they were arrested by the Anoka Game Warden for fishing without a license.) Burton also shares his time in the service during WWII as a medic at an English hospital, and then bartender for the Company Bar in Germany.
Stories taken from his collection of short stories, “Sincerely, Burton” printed in 2001 and read by ACHS volunteer Brian Boldt.
Host Rebecca Desens, ACHS Director and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator.
Read MoreValentine’s Day is billed as the day of love, couples and all things romance. But where did this day of hearts and cupids come from and why do we celebrate it each February 14? Skeptics may say it is only a plot from the greeting card and candy companies….but Anoka County residents were celebrating and engaging with Valentine’s Day long before Hallmark Company even began. Learn how people in Anoka County celebrated Valentines Day through the years.
This episode is a portion of a program given at ACHS February 10, 2024.
Host Rebecca Desens, ACHS Director and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator.
Read MoreWith a round “tower” column and a stately presence, the 157 year old Ticknor Hill Bed & Breakfast has been welcoming guests since 1997. For 25 of those years they were greeted by Deb Wallace. In this episode, she sits down in her own parlor with Rebecca to talk about how she purchased the property with her husband, tips of running the business, and what the future might hold for the beautiful home as they decided to sell.
Host Rebecca Desens, ACHS Director and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator
Read MoreOver 120 years ago, the first male occupants arrived at the newly constructed State Asylum for the Insane following a battle for the Anoka location. It’s history looms large in local lore and this program promises to tease fact from fiction. Listen to a portion of the program given January 13 at the History Center in this episode.
Host Rebecca Desens, ACHS Director and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator
Originally aired June 17, 2022
Read MoreOn 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 Rebecca Desens, ACHS Director and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator
Originally aired June 17, 2022
Read MoreScott Ledoux served as an Anoka County Commissioner from 2004 to 2010. But years before his shift to politics, LeDoux, or “The Fighting Frenchman,” was a professional heavyweight boxer. In this episode, Scott describes his time as a boxer, as boxing commissioner for Minnesota, and how he decided to run for County Commissioner to serve Andover, Coon Rapids, and Fridley.
Hosts Rebecca Ebnet Desens, ACHS Executive Director, and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator.
Read MoreIn this episode we remember Pearl Harbor with Charles Triggs. He served on the USS Wright, a sea plane tender, during WWII stationed at Pearl Harbor. He describes his journey to enlisting in the Navy, his responsibilities, and the shock of returning from a routine mission on December 7, 1941 to find the ships in the harbor destroyed, sunk, or still burning.
Hosts Rebecca Ebnet Desens, ACHS Executive Director, and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator.
Read MoreArthur Donald “Two Gun Pete” Caswell was born in 1898 and saw a different world than we do today. Through a couple recordings of him from 1977 and 1983 he shares snippets of his life during before serving in WWI, his time as a federal officer during Prohibition raiding stills, and as an inventor to make shooting ranges safer and more efficient.
Hosts Rebecca Desens, ACHS Executive Director and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator.
Read MoreArthur Donald “Two Gun Pete” Caswell was born in 1898 and saw a different world than we do today. Through a couple recordings of him from 1977 and 1983 he shares snippets of his life during before serving in WWI, his time as a federal officer during Prohibition raiding stills, and as an inventor to make shooting ranges safer and more efficient.
Hosts Rebecca Desens, ACHS Executive Director and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator.
Read MorePearl Marea Schenk was born in 1911 on her family’s farm along the Mississippi River in Ramsey (city). Over 90 years later she sat down to share her memories of growing up on the Howling Hound Farm, the changes as highway 10 became busier and busier, and the transition from horses, to cars, and then greyhound bus on her school commute along the way.
Hosts Rebecca Desens, ACHS Executive Director and Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator.
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