Anoka, Minnesota

Anoka is a city in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 17,142 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Anoka County. Anoka is also the self-proclaimed "Halloween Capital of the World", because it hosted one of the first Halloween parades in 1920. In 1937, city officials persuaded the United States Congress to officially grant the title. It continues to celebrate the holiday each year with several parades. Anoka is a northern suburb of the Twin Cities.

U.S. Highways 10 / 169 and State Highway 47 are three of the main arterial routes, and a station on the Northstar Commuter Rail line to downtown Minneapolis is located in the city.

History
The site which is now Anoka was first settled by immigrants in 1844. By the mid-1850s, a town had grown, including a school, store and flour mill. In 1856, C. C. Andrews described Anoka as a "large and handsome village" and noted that pine logs were floated down the Rum River to sawmills there. The city was formally incorporated in 1878. The name Anoka was derived from two Indian words. The native Dakota used A-NO-KA-TAN-HAN, meaning "on both sides", or "from both sides", referring to its location on the banks of the Rum River. The native Ojibwa used ON-O-KAY, meaning "working waters".

Anoka makes a strong claim for providing the first volunteers to the Union Army during the Civil War, noted by a small historical plaque standing at the corner of West Main Street and Park Street. Alexander Ramsey, Minnesota's governor in 1861, was in Washington, D.C. when Fort Sumter was fired upon. He immediately offered a regiment to the War Department, and telegraphed former governor Willis Gorman and Lieutenant Governor Ignatius L. Donnelly that same morning. Gorman, attending a district court session in Anoka, received the note by messenger from St. Paul and called a court recess, asking for volunteers. Aaron Greenwald, who has an "island" named after him on Lake George, and five others stepped forward; Greenwald was the first to sign. He died July 2, 1863, during the 1st Minnesota Regiment's famous charge at Gettysburg.

In 2000, Anoka elected 22-year old Bjorn Skogquist as mayor, re-electing him again in 2002, 2004 and 2006. He was the 2nd youngest mayor ever elected in Minnesota (one year older than John Gibeau, who was elected mayor of Ceylon in 1998 at the age of 21). Skoquist worked from 2000-2008 for open government, code reform, protection of historic housing and open space and encouraged young people to become involved in civics.

Anoka Station is served by the Northstar Commuter Rail line connecting the northwest suburbs and downtown Minneapolis; the line opened in November 2009.

Geography
Anoka lies at the confluence of the Rum and Mississippi Rivers, about 20 miles (30 km) northwest of Minneapolis. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.2 sqmi, of which 6.7 sqmi is land and 0.5 sqmi (6.97%) is water. Adjacent communities include Dayton, Ramsey, Andover, Coon Rapids, and Champlin. The USGS tracks the town by the ID 639396 and the coordinates of 45°11′52″N, 093°23′14″W

Demographics


As of the census of 2000, there were 18,076 people, 7,262 households, and 4,408 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,709.0 people per square mile (1,046.4/km²). There were 7,398 housing units at an average density of 1,108.7 per square mile (428.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.15% White, 2.47% African American, 1.05% Native American, 0.93% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.93% of the population.

There were 7,262 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.03. Age was represented as: 24.6% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,659, and the median income for a family was $55,311. Males had a median income of $37,930 versus $27,753 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,367. About 4.7% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Sports
Anoka Tornadoes

Education
Higher education institutions in Anoka include Anoka Technical College.

Most Anoka elementary and secondary students attend schools in Anoka-Hennepin School District 11. District 11 secondary schools in Anoka are Anoka High School and Secondary Technical Education Program or S.T.E.P. High School. Middle schools are Anoka Middle School for the Arts, formerly known as Fred Moore Middle School for the Performing Arts and Sandburg Middle School. District 11 elementary schools in Anoka are Franklin, Lincoln, Washington, and Wilson. District 11 is the largest school district in the state of Minnesota and includes parts of twelve other municipalities besides Anoka. Some students attend public schools in other school districts chosen by their families under Minnesota's open enrollment statute.

Private schools in Anoka include Cygnus Academy and St. Stephens Catholic School.

Sites of interest

 * Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center
 * Anoka County Library
 * Goodrich Field
 * Windego Park Open Air Auditorium
 * Anoka Nature Preserve
 * Greenhaven Golf Course
 * Anoka Aquatic Center

Notable residents

 * Reginald Berg, U.S. minor league hockey player
 * Michele Bachmann, U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 6th District, was raised in Anoka and graduated from Anoka High School in 1974
 * Gretchen Carlson, Fox News Channel anchor, 1989's Miss America, and celebrity spokesperson for March of Dimes
 * Jake Deitchler, Olympic wrestler, graduated from Anoka High School in 2008
 * Larry Foyen, trumpet player for Maynard Ferguson and Ray Charles
 * While serving in the U.S. Congress from 1993 to 2000, Senator Rod Grams kept an office in downtown Anoka
 * Herbert Funk Goodrich, a former judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, was born in Anoka
 * Alan Haskvitz, inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame
 * Garrison Keillor, radio host of A Prairie Home Companion and author, was born in Anoka and graduated from Anoka High School
 * Steve Nelson, son of Anoka High School Head Football Coach Stan Nelson, linebacker for the NFL New England Patriots in the late 1970s
 * Brandon Paulson, U.S. Olympic wrestler 1996 silver medalist, graduated from Anoka High School in 1992
 * Briana Scurry, U.S. national women's soccer goalie, graduated from Anoka High School in 1990
 * Richard K. Sorenson, master sergeant, USMC, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism in the Marshall Islands of the South Pacific in February 1944
 * Sean Sherk, former UFC lightweight champion
 * Bill Tuttle, major league baseball player of the 1950s and 1960s
 * Dick Wildung, NFL player for the Green Bay Packers