|
|
Rediscover Anoka Rediscover Anoka formed two years ago when several Minnesota businesswomen gathered to drink coffee and share ideas. Now the group includes nineteen business people interested in promoting their historic town as a shopping destination. Located at the confluence of the Rum and Mississippi Rivers, Anoka retains its small town, historic appeal though it is part of the growing Twin Cities metropolitan area. The downtown businesses, all within easy walking distance of one another, include many antique and specialty stores, as well as a tearoom, a Victorian bed and breakfast, a bookstore, and a full-service department store. A river walk along the Rum River features interpretive plaques focused on the town’s rich history, and the Anoka County History Center and Library showcases other aspects of local history. Because of its river location, Anoka has been home to many businesses throughout its 150-year history, including industries important to Minnesota’s beginnings, lumber and flour milling. When these industries faltered in the Panic of 1873, local citizens rallied to bring a shoe factory and potato starch factory to town. According to a history written by the 1943-1944 Social Science classes at Anoka High School, business people rallied after an August 16, 1884 fire burned most of downtown and began selling their wares from shanties the following day.
|
