East Bethel

History

Linwood Township split from Bethel Township in 1871. East Bethel was incorporated as a village on June 7, 1957, and was incorporated as the city of East Bethel on January 1, 1974. The current boundaries of the City of East Bethel belonged to the Chippewa Indians until 1837, when the United States bought their lands east of the Mississippi River in what was later to become the State of Minnesota. Settlers began arriving in the area in the 1850s and the area was incorporated as a Township in 1858, the same year Minnesota was admitted to the Union. The Township was originally incorporated as the Township of Bethel, the name derived from the Bible and meaning the "House of God." Situated in the northeast portion of Anoka County, the Quakers were the first settlers in Bethel in 1856. The group quickly established a school and a church, but left the area following the Indian Massacre of 1862. The Quakers took their families to Anoka and Minneapolis and never returned to the area. Other settlers that left during the Indian Wars did return to the area and became farmers, tradesmen, and merchants. The Township of Bethel exhibited a slow but steady growth from 423 in 1880 to 1,286 in 1957. In spring of 1957, a local committee was formed to take the necessary legal steps to incorporate. On May 3, 1957, the petition was presented to the Anoka County Board of Commissioners and, as a result of the required election, incorporation was approved by 232 to 161 vote. This vote was challenged and the matter eventually was sent to the Minnesota Supreme Court and finally to the State Legislature for validation. East Bethel was officially incorporated as a Village on April 27, 1959 and as a City on January 1, 1974. The City is approximately 48 square miles, which makes it the third…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water. East Bethel is in the northern part of Anoka County. The city contains the primary site of the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve Central Minneapolis is 26 miles (42 km) to the southeast, along the Mississippi River, with the nearest international airport at Minneapolis-St. Paul, 34 miles (52 km) southeast. * Columbus (southeast) * Ham Lake (south) * Andover (southwest) * Oak Grove (west) * St. Francis (northwest) * Bethel (northwest) The neighborhood of Coopers Corner is in northern East Bethel, and the neighborhood of Coon Lake Beach is in southeastern East Bethel.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  7,884
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,559
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  6,007
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,614
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  5,415
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  5,294
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,186
• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta carolinensis Latham, 1790 · Aves
  5,162

Largest nearby schools

• Andover High School
  High · ANDOVER · 1,758 students · 20.4:1 ratio
• OAK VIEW MIDDLE
  Middle · ANDOVER · 1,268 students · 19.8:1 ratio
• ANDOVER ELEMENTARY
  Elementary · ANDOVER · 1,189 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• ST. FRANCIS HIGH
  High · SAINT FRANCIS · 1,168 students · 20.9:1 ratio
• DAVINCI ACADEMY
  Elementary · HAM LAKE · 970 students · 16.7:1 ratio
• RUM RIVER ELEMENTARY
  Elementary · ANDOVER · 863 students · 15.4:1 ratio
• St. Francis Middle
  Middle · SAINT FRANCIS · 828 students · 16.9:1 ratio
• Cedar Creek Elementary School
  Elementary · CEDAR · 678 students · 15.8:1 ratio