Robbinsdale Historical Society traces its roots back to 1907, when leading citizens formed the Robbinsdale Library Club. The members began collecting pictures, clippings, and memorabilia related to early Robbinsdale, and looked forward to building a public library for area residents.
Eventually, the Library Club was able to purchase, relocate, and repair a tiny building, formerly a bakery on West Broadway. It became Robbinsdale’s first public library. After opening in 1920, the little library became part of the growing Hennepin County Library system.
Finally, the club’s efforts to build a “real” library came to pass. The little library was moved to make way for a spacious new library building at 4915 42nd Ave. N. When it opened in 1926, it was big enough to hold the club’s growing local history collection and boxes and boxes of books. When a larger library was built nearby in 1977, the club donated the building to the city of Robbinsdale.
Longstanding Library Club members and other local history buffs formed the Robbinsdale Historical Society in 1978, and the club’s collection was passed on to the new organization. Ten years later, the Historical Society moved into its own space in the Historic Robbinsdale Library building, where its collection is on display.
Today the Robbinsdale Historical Society is a valued nonprofit organization, self sustaining, active, and ambitious. Membership dues and tax-deductible contributions are our main source of support.
Click Here to See our Bylaws
Our main sources of income are
- Membership dues
- Book sales
- Donations
To become a supporting member, click the blue button. Join Us!
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, Captain 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.
Donate
Help sustain us with a monetary gift of any size. You can mail a contribution, or if you’re at the museum, you can drop a check or cash into the “tip box.”
To make an online donation, click the “Donate with PayPal” button, fill in an amount (either one-time or monthly) and use a PayPal account or a credit card. Thank you for your support.
Spread the Word
Be sure to tell you family, friends, and neighbors about website and our unique little Museum in downtown Robbinsdale.