Erik Skogquist Discusses The History and Culture of Anoka

Anoka is a richly rewarding place to live, with quality schools and a vibrant community.
Erik Skogquist, a local leader and member of the City Council, explores the local societal history of Anoka, touching on its history, culture, community, and government.

General Information About Anoka

Anoka is the county seat of Anoka County. It is located along the Mississippi River and the Rum River. It has approximately 17,000 residents, and it functions as one of the northern suburbs of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and has a commuter rail station linking its residents to workplaces in urban areas.
Top employers in the area include Federal Cartridge, Pentair, Wells Fargo, DecoPac, Mate Precision Tooling, and Firestone Building Products, along with several governmental and non-profit employers like the school district.

History of Anoka

Anoka was settled by European frontiersmen in 1844. The city grew rapidly, and by the mid-1850s, it already had a school, a flour mill, and a store. One of the first industries in Anoka was the lumber industry, and Anoka had several sawmills.
Anoka was originally inhabited by the Dakota and Ojibwa tribes. The name Anoka means “on both sides” in the Dakota language and “working waters” in the Ojibwa language.
The city was among the first to supply Union Army volunteers during the Civil War, spurred on by Minnesota’s governor, Alexander Ramsey. A historic marker commemorates Aaron Greenwald, the first Anoka soldier to die in the Civil War.

Culture and Community

Anoka prides itself on a thriving downtown and retail scene featuring many locally-owned small businesses. Downtown has a variety of shops, restaurants, and local cultural events including live music and theater performances as well as parades and art festivals.
Small business forms the backbone of the Anoka community, and Discover Anoka, a local organization, was founded to promote small businesses.
The city is locally known for its Halloween festivities, which are claimed to be the oldest Halloween observances in the nation. The festival draws many residents from Anoka County as well as the Twin Cities.
During COVID-19, the festival was adapted to celebrate in a socially-distanced fashion, including a house decorating contest and a pumpkin carving competition.
Another annual city event that many residents look forward to is the Anoka Classic Car Show. It is hoped that this festival will return again in 2021.

Education

The Anoka-Hennepin School District has over 37,000 students in 13 local municipalities. Schools generally receive positive ratings. The graduation rate is 86 percent and the student to teacher ratio is an impressive 9 to 1.
In addition to K-12 education, Anoka is also home to Anoka Technical College. The school provides training and education for students who want to enter the workforce. The school has popular programs in automotive technology, social services, construction and manufacturing, health sciences, information technology, legal administration, and turf management.
Many local schools place a focus on integrating arts and culture into their curriculum. In fact, Erik Skogquist and his wife Amanda recently worked with multiple organizations to build a local historic walking tour for students at Lincoln Elementary School for the Arts. This helps students make a stronger connection to their city while engaging in a socially distant outdoor activity.

City Government

The city was incorporated in 1878. The Council-Manager form of government was established in 1914. The City Council, including Erik Skogquist, is the policy-making body of the city. The Chief Executive Officer of the town is the City Manager.
The City Council includes a Mayor and four members of the Council. Elections are held in even-numbered years. The Mayor leads City Council meetings. The Mayor also has voting rights that are equal to those of the City Councilmembers, but they do not have veto power.
The City Manager is appointed by the City Council and serves an indefinite term. They are responsible for running the city day-to-day in accordance with City Council directives.
Most City Council meetings are open to the public, members of the public can attend meetings in person or remotely using Zoom. Erik Skogquist has worked hard to make meetings accessible to all and plans on trying to keep many of these adaptations in place even after the pandemic subsides. Alternatively, the public may submit questions through a voicemail system or by texting during the meeting, and they may view the meetings on the local community access cable channel.

Local Community Issues

Currently, the city is dealing with the effects of COVID-19 pandemic. All schools currently operating remotely. There has been a focus to work to keep students and teachers safe and provide services to students to meet their individual needs. COVID cases in Anoka County are on the rise. City and government offices have also been offering their services online or by phone rather than in person.
Other local community issues include the importance of development, infrastructure, historic preservation, and proper use of natural areas.

Living in Anoka

Local residents are able to enjoy living in safe residential neighborhoods. New construction is taking place, but there are many historic homes. People who live in Anoka know that it is a good place to raise a family and that there are many employment opportunities.

Looking Forward to the Future

Erik Skogquist is tasked with directing Anoka’s development and making sure that citizens receive the services that they need. Understanding what makes a small city like Anoka special only takes one visit. Visitors are encouraged to shop in local stores and enjoy the historic qualities of the downtown area.