About Us

Linwood Township is located in the extreme Northeast corner of Anoka County. Presently Linwood is the last township in the county. This area became a township in 1871, and by 1880 there was a population of 227. As of April 1, 2022 Linwood Township had 2,104 household units, 1988 households, and 5,279 people. The average household size was 2.648 persons per household. 

The Linwood area consists of flat and low land, with much of the acreage across the central and eastern area in the Carlos Avery Wildlife Refuge. Along with this land is a chain of lakes including, Linwood Lake (from which the town received the name), Island, Tamarack, Martin, Typo, Fawn, Pet, Mud, Ryan, Skunk, Boot and Rice Lake.

The first known settler in the area was Joseph Sausen in 1855, followed by Sanford Broadbent after the Civil War. Many of the new arrivals came from the land and wished to take up farming. In 1880 Linwood farmers produced: wheat, oats, corn, barley, rye, buckwheat, potatoes, sugar cane, hay, apples, tobacco, wool, dairy and honey. With so many new arrivals coming from the war there were close-knit ties made. These ties helped to form and support the Crescent Grange Hall #512 in 1874. The Grange was a national movement made to educate farmers on new and proper techniques and acted as a political movement. In 1881-82, after meeting in homes and churches, the Crescent Grange Hall constructed its own building. The building still stands today and was named to the National Register of Historical Places in 1979.

In 1916 the Helping Hand Club of Linwood and East Bethel was organized with the object of “lending a helping hand wherever the Club sees fit.” The women's club still operates today. From that point on there were many clubs, committees and departments established. One of the largest departments was the Linwood Fire Department in 1951. Carrol Broadbent was its first fire chief. The first years saw the volunteer firefighters handling the dispatching of their own fire calls. In 2000 the Department became well known for their action in the Carlos Avery Game Preserve grass fire. Memories of that event are still talked about today.

Sources:

Anoka County Historical Society. Anoka County, Minnesota. 1980

Anoka County Historical Society. Law & Ladders: history of Anoka County's Fire, Police & Sheriff. 2009 Goodrich, Albert M. History of Anoka County and the Towns of Champlin and Dayton in Hennepin County, Minnesota. 1976 Ed. Minnesota and Federal census record from various years.