Anoka ( ) is a city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Anoka County, Minnesota
Anoka County ( ) is the List of counties in Minnesota, fourth-most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 363,887. The county seat and namesak ...
, United States. Its population was 17,142 at the
2010 census.
Anoka is the
"
Halloween
Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
Capital of the World" because it hosted one of the first Halloween
parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...
s in 1920.
It continues to celebrate the holiday each year with several parades. Anoka is a northern
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
of the
Twin Cities
Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...
. U.S. Highways
10 /
169
Year 169 (Roman numerals, CLXIX) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Senecio and Apollinaris (or, less frequently, year 922 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denominat ...
and
State Highway 47 are three of Anoka's main routes, and it has a station on the
Northstar Commuter Rail
The Northstar Line is a commuter rail route in the US state of Minnesota. Northstar runs from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis at Target Field using existing track and right-of-way owned by the BNSF Railway. Passenger service began on Nove ...
line to Minneapolis.
History
Colonists first settled the site that is now Anoka in 1844. By the mid-1850s, Anoka had a school, a store and a flour mill. In 1856,
C. C. Andrews called it a "large and handsome village" and noted that pine logs were floated down the
Rum River
The Rum River is a slow, meandering stream that connects Minnesota's Mille Lacs Lake with the Mississippi River. It runs for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 5, ...
to
sawmill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...
s there. The city was formally incorporated in 1878. The name ''Anoka'' was possibly derived from two Indian words.
Santee Dakota used ''anoka'', meaning "on both sides" or "from both sides", referring to its location on both banks of the Rum River.
Ojibwe
The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...
used , meaning "I work", referring to the town's busy local lumber sites.

Anoka has a strong claim to having provided the first
Union Army volunteers during the
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
, as noted by a small plaque at the corner of West Main Street and Park Street.
Alexander Ramsey
Alexander Ramsey (September 8, 1815 April 22, 1903) was an American politician, who became the first Minnesota Territorial Governor and later became a U.S. Senator. He served as a Whig and Republican over a variety of offices between the 18 ...
,
Minnesota's governor in 1861, was in
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
when
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a historical Coastal defense and fortification#Sea forts, sea fort located near Charleston, South Carolina. Constructed on an artificial island at the entrance of Charleston Harbor in 1829, the fort was built in response to the W ...
was fired upon. He immediately offered a regiment to the
War Department, and telegraphed former governor
Willis Gorman and Lieutenant Governor
Ignatius L. Donnelly
Ignatius Loyola Donnelly (November 3, 1831 – January 1, 1901) was an American Congressman, populist writer, and pseudoscientist. He is known primarily now for his fringe theories concerning Atlantis, Catastrophism (especially the idea of ...
that 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 on July 5, 1863, after sustaining a mortal wound as a member of the
1st Minnesota Regiment in defense against
Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault on July 3, 1863, during the Battle of Gettysburg. It was ordered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee as part of his plan to break through Union lines and achieve a decisive victory in the North. T ...
at the
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...
.
Geography
Anoka lies at the
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...
of the
Rum
Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...
and
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
s, approximately 20 miles (30 km) northwest of
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
. According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, it has an area of , of which is land and is water.
Adjacent communities include
Dayton
Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
,
Ramsey,
Andover
Andover may refer to:
Places Australia
*Andover, Tasmania
Canada
* Andover Parish, New Brunswick
* Perth-Andover, New Brunswick
United Kingdom
* Andover, Hampshire, England
** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station
United States
* Andov ...
,
Coon Rapids, and
Champlin. The
USGS
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an government agency, agency of the United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geograp ...
tracks the city by the ID 639396 and the coordinates of
45°11′52″N, 093°23′14″W.
USGS
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an government agency, agency of the United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geograp ...
's Geographic Names Information System
The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and location information about more than two million physical and cultural features, encompassing the United States and its territories; the Compact of Free Association, asso ...
entry for Anoka, MN, ID#639396 Entry date 11-Jan-1980
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 17,142 people, 7,060 households, and 4,202 families living in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 7,493 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.0%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 4.7%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 1.0%
Native American, 1.8%
Asian, 1.6% from
other races, and 3.0% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 4.2% of the population.
There were 7,060 households, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.5% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.95.
The median age in the city was 37.6 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.7% were from 25 to 44; 26.3% were from 45 to 64; and 13.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.8% male and 50.2% female.
2000 census
At the 2000
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
,
there were 18,076 people, 7,262 households and 4,408 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 7,398 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.1%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 4.6%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.9%
Native American, 1.7%
Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.02% from
other races, and 2.5% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 4.2% of the population.
There were 7,262 households, of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
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 household income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...
was $42,659 and the median family income was $55,311. Males had a median income of $37,930 versus $27,753 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $21,367. About 4.7% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Top employers
According to Anoka's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, its top employers were:
Museums and other points of interest
* Anoka County Historical Society
*
Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center
* Anoka County Library
* Castle Field
* Goodrich Field
* Peninsula Point Two Rivers Historical Park
*
Anoka–Champlin Mississippi River Bridge
*
Windego Park Auditorium/Open Air Theater
* Anoka Nature Preserve
* Greenhaven Golf Course
* Anoka Aquatic Center
*
Colonial Hall and Masonic Lodge No. 30
* Lyric Arts Theater
Government
In 2000, Anoka elected 22-year-old Bjorn Skogquist as mayor. He was reelected in 2002, 2004 and 2006. Skogquist was the second-youngest mayor ever elected in Minnesota (one year older than John Gibeau, who was elected mayor of
Ceylon
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
in 1998). He worked for open government, code reform, protection of historic housing and open space and encouraged young people to become involved in civics.
Education
Higher education institutions in Anoka include
Anoka Technical College
Anoka Technical College is a public two-year technical college in Anoka, Minnesota, founded in 1967. The school is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
History
Beginning July 2011, Anoka Technical College and Anoka-R ...
. One of the two main
Anoka-Ramsey Community College
Anoka-Ramsey Community College is a public community college in Cambridge and Coon Rapids, Minnesota. Founded in 1965, the college annually serves more than 12,500 students as they pursue associate degrees that transfer as the first two years of ...
campuses is in neighboring
Coon Rapids.
Most Anoka elementary and secondary students attend schools in
Anoka-Hennepin School District 11
The Anoka-Hennepin School District 11 is a school district in Minnesota, northwest of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The district serves 13 communities: All of Anoka, Champlin and Coon Rapids, and parts of Andover, Blaine, Brooklyn Center, ...
. District 11 secondary schools in Anoka are
Anoka High School
Anoka High School is a four-year public high school located in Anoka, Minnesota, United States. It serves grades 9– 12 for the Anoka-Hennepin School District 11.
History
The first Anoka High School opened in 1904. Classes initially took place ...
and Secondary Technical Education Program or S.T.E.P. High School. The Middle School is Anoka Middle School for the Arts, formerly known as Fred Moore Middle School for the Performing Arts. Anoka Middle School for the Arts has two campuses: Fred Moore Campus (formerly Fred Moore Middle School for the Performing Arts), and Washington Campus (formerly Washington Elementary School). The District 11 elementary schools in Anoka are Franklin Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School, and Wilson Elementary School. 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, or students come from places such as Brooklyn Park under the NWISD Magnet Program.
Anoka has several private schools for all ages, including St. Stephens Catholic School.
Sports
Anoka High School competes in the
Northwest Suburban Conference in the
Minnesota State High School League
The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) is a voluntary, non-profit association for the support and governance of interscholastic activities at high schools in Minnesota, United States.
The association supports interscholastic athletics a ...
. The school mascot is the Tornadoes. They have won a combined 25 State Tournaments in its history.
Anoka is also home to two successful local baseball teams, the Anoka Bucs and the Minnoka Grays. Jim Lundeen started the Ham Lake Bucs in May 1980. The team was officially approved by the Eastern Minney League and moved to Anoka in the fall of 1982. The first official game for the Anoka Bucs was played in May 1983. The Bucs have been to five straight MBA State Tournaments. (2019-2023) The Minnoka Grays play baseball in the Federal League which is baseball for men 35 and older. The Grays won Class AAA in 2023 and 2024, they won the last 35+ Minnesota State Tournament in 2023 and won the 2023 MSBL World Series in Arizona - recognizing them as the 35+ National Champions. In 2024 the Grays reached the Championship Game again at the 2024 MSBL World Series losing to Houston in the last inning. Both the Bucs and Grays play their home games at Castle Field during the summer months.
Infrastructure
Transportation
U.S. Highways
10 /
169
Year 169 (Roman numerals, CLXIX) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Senecio and Apollinaris (or, less frequently, year 922 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denominat ...
and
State Highway 47 are three of Anoka's main routes, and it has a station on the
Northstar Commuter Rail
The Northstar Line is a commuter rail route in the US state of Minnesota. Northstar runs from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis at Target Field using existing track and right-of-way owned by the BNSF Railway. Passenger service began on Nove ...
line to Minneapolis, which opened in 2009.
[Paul Levy]
Northstar set to roll, but how far?
''Star Tribune'', December 11, 2007.
Notable people
*
Flora Aldrich, physician and writer
*
Stub Allison, American college football coach
*
Dale Arnold, sportscaster, co-host of the
WEEI-FM
WEEI-FM (93.7 Hertz, MHz) – branded SportsRadio 93.7 WEEI-FM – is a commercial Sports radio, sports Radio broadcasting, radio station licensed to Lawrence, Massachusetts, serving Greater Boston and much of surrounding New England. Owned b ...
''Dale & Holley (with Keefe) Show'' and the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
pre- and postgame shows on
NESN
New England Sports Network, popularly known as NESN , is an American regional sports cable and satellite television network owned by a joint venture of Fenway Sports Group (which owns a controlling 80% interest, and is the owner of the Boston ...
, resided in Anoka
*
Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann (; née Amble; born April 6, 1956) is an American politician who was the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for from 2007 until 2015. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican P ...
, U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 6th District, was raised in Anoka and graduated from Anoka High School in 1974
*
Theodora Bean
Theodora Bean (March 26, 1871 – August 5, 1926), born Edna Belle Bean, was an American journalist and suffragist. She was a founder and president of the Newspaper Women's Club of New York, and started her own news syndicate, the T-Bean Syndica ...
(1871–1926), American journalist and suffragist
*
Gretchen Carlson
Gretchen Elizabeth Carlson (born June 21, 1966) is an American broadcast journalist, writer, and television personality.
Carlson was born and raised in Minnesota. A talented youth violinist, Carlson competed in a number of music contests befor ...
, former
Fox News Channel
The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American multinational conservative news and political commentary television channel and website based in New York City, U.S. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is ow ...
anchor, 1989's
Miss America
Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 18 and 28. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is judged on competition segments with scoring percentages: ''Priva ...
, and celebrity spokesperson for
March of Dimes
March of Dimes is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies. The organization was founded by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, to co ...
*
Larry Constantine
Larry LeRoy Constantine (born 1943) is an American software engineer, professor in the Center for Exact Sciences and Engineering at the University of Madeira Portugal, and considered one of the pioneers of computing. He has contributed numerous ...
, computer software pioneer and author, was raised in Anoka and graduated from Anoka High School in 1961
*
Jake Deitchler,
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...
wrestler
Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves diffe ...
, graduated from Anoka High School in 2008
*
Herbert Funk Goodrich
Herbert Funk Goodrich (July 29, 1889 – June 25, 1962) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He was also Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Education and career
Born on ...
, a former judge on the
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (in case citations, 3d Cir.) is a United States federal court, federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the United States district court, district courts for the following United Sta ...
, was born in Anoka
*
Anna Arnold Hedgeman
Anna Arnold Hedgeman (July 5, 1899 – January 17, 1990) was an African-American civil rights leader, politician, educator, and writer. Under President Harry Truman, Hedgeman served as executive director of the National Council for a Permanent Fa ...
, first African American to earn a B.A. from Hamline University and the first African American woman to hold a mayoral cabinet position in the history of New York.
*
Garrison Keillor
Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (; born August 7, 1942) is an American author, singer, humorist, voice actor, and radio personality. He created the Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) show ''A Prairie Home Companion'' (called ''Garrison Keillor's Radio ...
, radio host of ''
A Prairie Home Companion
''A Prairie Home Companion'' was a weekly radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor that aired live from 1974 to 2016. In 2016, musician Chris Thile took over as host, and the successor show was eventually renamed ''Live from He ...
'' and author, born in Anoka and graduated from Anoka High School
*
Ernest A. Larsen, Minnesota state legislator and educator
*
Tom Mangan, Minnesota state legislator and educator
*
Steve Nelson, son of Anoka High School head football coach Stan Nelson, linebacker for the New England Patriots in the late 1970s
*
Brandon Paulson
Brandon Douglas Paulson (born October 22, 1973) is a former Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler and current wrestling coach.Born in Coon Rapids, Minnesota,Paulson is a 1992 graduate of Anoka High School. At Anoka High, Paulson was a three time stat ...
, U.S.
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...
wrestler
Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves diffe ...
, 1996 silver medalist, graduated from Anoka High School in 1992
*
Briana Scurry
Briana Collette Scurry (born September 7, 1971) is an American retired soccer goalkeeper. Scurry was the starting goalkeeper for the United States women's national soccer team at the 1995 World Cup (3rd place), 1996 Summer Olympics (gold medal) ...
,
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) represents the United States in international women's soccer. The team is governed by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central Ameri ...
goalie, graduated from Anoka High School in 1990
*
Sean Sherk
Sean Keith Sherk (born August 5, 1973) is a retired American mixed martial artist and former UFC Lightweight Champion. Sherk competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and was one of the first combatants to have been a championship competit ...
, former
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...
lightweight champion
*
Richard K. Sorenson,
master sergeant
A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries.
Israel Defense Forces
The (abbreviated "", master sergeant) is a non-commissioned officer () rank in the Israel Defense Force ...
,
USMC
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...
, was awarded the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
for his heroism in the
Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean.
The territory consists of 29 c ...
of the
South Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
in February 1944
[Richard K. Sorenson](_blank)
, USMC
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...
History Division, web site accessed 20 January 2007 Rick Sorenson Park in downtown Anoka is named for him.
*
Matt Sorteberg (born 1986), professional ice hockey defenceman
*
Robert Stewart Sparks, Los Angeles, California, city council member, 1925–27
*
Bill Tuttle, major league baseball player of the 1950s and 1960s
*
Dick Wildung, player for the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
See also
*
Anoka–Champlin Mississippi River Bridge
*
Federal Cartridge
Federal Premium Ammunition is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Czechoslovak Group, located in Anoka, Minnesota. With a workforce of nearly 1,500, Federal manufactures shotshell, centerfire, and rimfire ammunition and components.
History
The ...
*
List of Minnesota placenames of Native American origin
References
External links
Anoka official city website
{{Authority control
*
Cities in Anoka County, Minnesota
Cities in Minnesota
Minnesota populated places on the Mississippi River
County seats in Minnesota
Populated places established in 1844
1844 establishments in the United States