Early modes of transportation

by June Anderson

On June 12th the city of Coon Rapids celebrated its 50th birthday. In anticipation of this event, the Coon Rapids Historical Commission asked old-time residents to contribute stories to their project, “50 Stories for the 50th.”

With their permission I am sharing excerpts from some of their stories in the history column of this paper during the months of June, October, February and again in June 2010. Today’s stories were based on research by Jody Cook, John Stoeckl and Tony Walsh and accounts by John Wood, Stephen Schelb, and Beverly Wells Anderson.

Oxcarts and Streetcars

Modes of transportation in Anoka County were varied and unusual. In the early 1800s the sparse population depended on dogsleds, buggies, wagons, stage coaches and ox carts to get around. The Red River Ox Cart Trail, later to be the U.S. Military Road and still later East River Road, was a pioneer trail for early travelers. Just prior to and shortly after the Civil War, Anoka Township, part of which would later become the city of Coon Rapids, was host to vast caravans of 50 to 200 ox carts ponderously and noisily making their way north into the wilderness.

The Red River Ox Cart Trail started at Fort Snelling and followed the Mississippi River, along what is now East River Road, stopping off at the Banfill Tavern (Banfill-Locke) in Fridley and the Dunn residence in Coon Rapids as the drivers continued their journey to Pembina. In his “History of Anoka County,” Albert Goodrich compares the sound produced by wooden wheels turning on wooden axles without the smallest particles of grease to ease the friction, to that proceeding from a group of swine whose lunch is half an hour overdue.

After the Civil War more and more settlers began to arrive in Anoka Township by railroads which were beginning to creep over Minnesota. The early 1900s brought with it the invention of the Trolley Car. In 1912, Minneapolis and Northern Railway Company obtained the right of way for a trolley line from Minneapolis to Anoka. For a few cents you could ride the trolley from Minneapolis through Fridley and Coon Rapids to Anoka. In 1915 the Minneapolis-Anoka-Cuyuna Range Railroad (MACRR) took over. This railway system joined surrounding communities and enabled the village of Coon Rapids to taste a bit of the city life.

According to John Wood, the most popular way of locomotion in Coon Rapids was undoubtedly the Cuyuna Streetcar running from Anoka to Minneapolis along what is known as Coon Rapids Boulevard today. The starting station was in Anoka, near the Rum River Bridge, located where the Anoka City Hall is today. Stations for pickup were River (by Mercy Hospital), Oakland (near Crooked Lake Boulevard and East River Road) and Coon Rapids (near L.O. Jacob Elementary School).

Stephen Schelb writes, “It cost 10 cents to ride from Anoka to L.O. Jacob School. “The streetcar left Anoka on the hour headed for Minneapolis and two streetcars ran the complete route. “The streetcar provided a comfortable, reliable ride, cool and well-ventilated in the summer and warm in the winter. Steam heaters were located beneath the wicker seats. “The ride was bumpy though, but you could always find a seat since it was not too crowded. “Many friendships were made among the regular riders of the streetcar.”

Beverly Wells Anderson remembers the trolley coming from Anoka going into Minneapolis. “We nicknamed it the ‘Toonerville Trolley’.” During World War II a bus service was begun which included special busses going to the Twin Cities Arsenal to take workers to work. The automobile industry expanded at the end of the war and the streetcar’s use lessened. The last run of the Cuyuna Streetcar was in 1946 and MACRR went bankrupt.

Editor’s note: An Andover resident, June Anderson serves on the Coon Rapids 50th Anniversary Commission and is a member/volunteer of the Anoka County Historical Society. This month you can join her for one of the ACHS Ghost Tours of Anoka.