The Special Features (you deserve them!)
4.09 - Troy Woodruff
Listen to the full interview between Troy Woodruff and ACHS Board Member Steve Florman.
Interview length: 1 hour and 27 minutes
Episode & Show Notes
3.24 Scott LeDoux
Listen to the full QCTV episode of “It’s Your History” from February 2006. The program features an interview with Scott LeDoux and information about upcoming ACHS events.
3.23 - Charles Triggs
Listen to the full oral history interview 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.
History tells us that war brings out people's best and worst attributes. To fully engage other members of the human race in battle, one side must first dehumanize the other. These nicknames, derogatory terms, and other accepted methods of hatred often linger for generations as wounds take time to heal. Several items in the ACHS collection, including this one, contain remnants of language that reflect what we now hear as racial and ethnic slurs. While we don’t condone the use of this language today, we also don’t remove it from the historical record, as it tells a story of its own. When interacting with this artifact, please take the steps necessary to ensure your mental health.
Listen to the full conversation with Lynn and Nichole Klonowski. It isn’t uncommon for people to stop Lynn Klonowski and ask, “Are you related to that coach or counselor in Anoka?” In this episode Lynn, accompanied by her niece Nichole, remembers her father and mother — telling the stories of their life, victories, death, and her own adoption story. Mark Klonowski worked as a coach at Anoka High School, and then served as Principal at Anoka Junior High until his unexpected death in 1965. Anna Klonowski triple majored in college before working as a math teacher and later a school counselor.
Richard Sorenson & R.W. Johnson Full Interview
History 21 The Podcast 3.15
Full interview with Richard Sorenson and R.W. Johnson moderated by ACHS Board President John Weaver
Don Johnson (ACHS Staff) and Allison Schmitt’s (ACHS Board Member) full conversation about their experiences in archaeology and geophysics while also dispelling the myth of being a real-life Indiana Jones. They share how their academic skills transfer to the museum, proving that indeed, no education is ever wasted.
Full interview between Jill Morrison, Bee Memorable Marketing, and Rebecca Desens, ACHS Director.
Myra Blumenthal Shapiro Full Video
History 21 The Podcast 3.03
Myra Blumenthal Shapiro sits down and remembers her life growing up in Columbia Heights in the 1930s and 40s. She discusses her father, Dr. Blumenthal, the community that surrounded her, the Heights Theater and the way her graduating class still comes together each year.
Video File created 2010
Tony Palumbo Full Interview
History 21 The Podcast 3.01
Listen to the full interview with former Anoka County Attorney Tony Palumbo, January 2023.
Jim Kordiak Full interview
History 21 The Podcast 2.24
Listen to the full interview with Jim Kordiak recorded November, 2018.
Full interview with Sam Hermanstorfer about his time serving in Vietnam. TW - gun violence and injury.
Full interview with Liz McFarland about her time with Anoka Halloween and organizing the Anoka Halloween Parades.
Full interview with Mary Jo Pehl about her time growing up in Circle Pines, her journey to working on cult classic MST3K, and her current projects.
Anoka State Hospital Karen Siewert Full Interview
History 21 The Podcast 2.18
Watch Karen’s full oral history interview recorded in 2014 as part of a project recording stories about the Anoka State Hospital.
Full conversation with Jess Pratt, owner of Ambi Wine Bar, about how the business started, the ghosts that are in residence, and what it’s like to operate in the Halloween Capital of the World.
Full conversation with Deb and Missy, owners of The Big White House, about their business, the resident ghosts the Drs Aldrich, and being just a block away from the Halloween Parade each year.
Full interview with Linda Lee Rodgers about the town of Cedar in Anoka County, MN recorded on August 1, 2022.
Full interview with Mel Aanerud recorded July 7, 2022 about the history of Ham Lake.
Full interview with Bruce Cameron recorded September 25, 1991 at the Anoka County Historical Society about his time serving during WWII and after.
Full interview with Allen Taylor in which he talks about the 1965 tornadoes and the history of tornadoes in Minnesota.
Full interview with Ron Chamberlain in which he talks about his father Wilburne Chamberlain and the history of The Big Stoop Orchestra.
Full oral history interview with Hazel Hartman and an unidentified interviewer, January 1989. Note: In a portion of the interview Hazel shares history of Manomin County that isn’t fully researched. For more information on Manomin, watch the first part of our program on the History of Columbia Heights.
Full discussion between Erin McBrien, ACHS Archivist, and ACHS Board member Steve Florman reflecting on Erin’s first year managing the collection.
Full discussion between Cindy McKenney & Chris Erickson about Reading Corps in Anoka County.
Dennis Berg reading his unabridged autobiography, “Growing Up Barefoot.”
Full discussion with Daryl Lawrence, ACHS Board Member, and Sara Given, ACHS staff, about Flora Aldrich’s only novel The One Man.
Full interview with Albert Kordiak took place over two days in December 2009. He talks about his time growing up in Columbia Heights, and as an Anoka County Commissioner.
Full interview with Levon Williams discussing the Anoka County Historical Society’s engagement with Facing Change and DEAI.
Full interview with Dennis Tkach discussing the Tkach band from Columbia Heights with kindergarten friend and ACHS president, Lotus Hubbard.
Full interview with Karen George discussing her time as Anoka Princess, 1979-1980.
Full interview with Jenn Shoemaker, owner of 403 Van Buren in Anoka for four years in which she tells all the ghost stories her family experienced while living in the historic home, right in the heart of the Halloween Capital of the World.
Full interview with John Wetter, President of the Nowthen Historic Power Association, and Anne Zimmerman, director of the same, in which they discuss the Nowthen Threshing Show.
Full interviews with Lyle Bradley. Given in 2003 and 1993 in which he talks about his military experience in World War II and Korea.
2003.0992.001 - Recorded May 22, 2003 with Dave Niles. Run time 1:34:19. Read the full transcript here.
1993.0087.004 - Recorded January 10, 1993 with an unidentified student from Anoka Ramsey Community College. Read the full transcript here.
The full “Tornado Tape” interviews conducted in 1989 for the 50th Anniversary of the Anoka Tornado. Each recording contains multiple interviews, some of which were used in History 21: The Podcast 1.14 about the Anoka Tornado. The audio quality varies due to the recording medium.
Run time Tornado Tape AV2.33 - 57:01. Transcript unavailable
Run time Tornado Tape AV2.34 - 37:39. Read the full transcript here
Run time Tornado Tape AV2.48 - 42:22. Transcript Part 1-Herb & Laura Lee. Part 2 with Bernice Olson unavailable.
Charles L. Horn
The full interview with Charles Horn, Jr discussing his father Charles Horn, Sr from the Anoka-Ramsey Oral History Collection recorded in 1993. Run time 1:29:15.
Jon Arfstrom Self portrait, 1958
The full interview with Tory Arfstrom discussing her father, Jon Arfstrom, with Erin McBrien. Run time 1:14:33.
The full interview with JJ Reich, Federal Premium Ammunition, and ACHS staff member Don Johnson about the Federal 100th anniversary collection. Run time 33:16.
The full interview with Glen Lindstrom, WWII veteran. Run time 49 minutes. Recorded April 7, 2005 with Dave Niles, ACHS volunteer.
The full interview with Gina Overacker, Overacker Plumbing. Run time 49 minutes. Recorded over Zoom on March 10, 2021 the audio glitches in a couple places during the conversation.
The full oral history interview with Anna Gorham recorded April 14, 1989 at the Anoka County Historical Society when it was located in Colonial Hall at 1900 Third Ave. in Anoka runs 57 minutes. During the interview Anna describes chores and entertainment from her childhood growing up in Burns Township [Nowthen] and further details of her career as a teacher and educator. Original recording digitized from a cassette tape and enhanced.
The full oral history interview with Denise DeMars recorded in 2008 runs 1 hour and 17 minutes. She details her time in the Columbia Heights Fire Department, the sexism she experienced in her roll as the first woman in that department, her shift to deputy fire marshal for the state as well as her families connection to Columbia Heights as a multi generational fire fighting family.
Arch Pease, 1948
The full oral history with Arch Pease in 1989 runs 1 hour and 23 minutes. He details his years teaching and coaching high school students, moving back to Anoka and taking over the business from his father, experiencing the aftermath of the 1939 tornado, the creation of his column Pease Porridge and more.
Steve Griffiths, Impact Services
Listen to Steve Griffith’s full interview from episode 2 of History 21: The Podcast!
Daryl Lawrence, ACHS Board Member
In the full interview, Daryl shares more about his journey in learning about members in his family tree, from episode 1 of History 21: The Podcast!