Our History
Founded way back in 1907, the Robbinsdale Library Club was made up of leading citizens who worked toward gaining a library building for Robbinsdale. Club members also recognized the value of preserving Robbinsdale’s early history, and they spent decades collecting pictures, clippings, and memorabilia. Thanks to their efforts, the library was built in 1926, and the repository of records continued to grow.
Then in 1978, several area residents, including some longstanding Library Club members, formed the Robbinsdale Historical Society. The Library Club collection was passed on to the new organization. Ten years later, the Historical Society moved into its own space in the old Robbinsdale Library building.
Today the Robbinsdale Historical Society is a viable community organization, self sustaining, active, and ambitious. Membership dues and donations are our main source of support.
Come and Join Us
Membership is open to anyone interested in the past, present, and future of Robbinsdale. Dues are currently $25 annually or $250 for a lifetime membership. Please join us and help us continue to tell our town’s story.
Come and See Us
You are invited to visit the history museum, open Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, and by appointment. The museum showcases a wide array of Robbinsdale artifacts, photographs, and documents, and much more. Our knowledgeable volunteers are happy to show you around and answer your questions. Tours are available for school classes and other groups. Please call (763) 260-1183 or contact us to schedule a visit outside of open hours.
Buy the Books
To help raise funds for the organization, we offer for sale a series of “Images of America” books. The “Robbinsdale” book contains brief text and many images from the early days of the village on up to the city’s second century.
Another interesting read is the “Breezy Point” book, telling the story of the famous resort built by Robbinsdale’s famous citizen, Cap’n Billy Fawcett. And of course “Ewald Bros. Dairy” was a fixture here for many years, starting in the days when milk was delivered to your door. Purchase these books at the museum or click here to buy online.
Archives and Collections
Robbinsdale Historical Society provides a wide variety of local history resources. Whether you’re just browsing or you’re interested in doing research, the resources in the museum and on our website are available for your use!
Robbinsdale Historical Society’s archives include:
- Extensive correspondence and papers from the Robbins family
- 19th century meeting notes and records of Crystal Lake Township, The Village of Crystal, and the Village of Robbinsdale
- A complete collection of Robbinsdale High School yearbooks and Robin’s Tale newspapers
- Hundreds of artifacts, thousands of photographs, civic publications, scrapbooks, local directories, municipal documents, and school records
- A variety of items from citizens who contributed unique objects and materials that relate to the history of Robbinsdale
Search our website
In addition to hundreds of Robbinsdale-related posts, articles, and images, this website contains a digital index describing the contents of many of our files. Use the search fields at the top or bottom of the site and enter a name or keyword to find items of interest. You can also search this site using the categories buttons located in the lower left portion of each page.
The image at the top of the post features a view West Broadway looking south from 42nd in the early 1950’s.