1991 Map of Anoka

About this map

The Mississippi River carves a diagonal path through this landscape, serving as a historic corridor for the Burlington Northern Railroad and the growth of river towns like Anoka, Elk River, and Monticello. To the north and east, the map reveals a transition from the developing suburban fringes of Coon Rapids and Blaine into the conserved wetlands and forests of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge and Carlos Avery State Wildlife Management Area. The western portion of the sheet is defined by the winding Crow River and its South Fork, which thread through agricultural lands and small lakefront communities such as St Michael and Buffalo Lake. This 1991 revision provides a clear picture of the region's expanding transportation network, including the heavy rail lines of the Soo Line Railroad and the burgeoning suburban layout around Maple Grove and Plymouth before the turn of the millennium.