Robbinsdale Historical Society
Sharing Your Past To Build Our Future
Shortly after Andrew B. Robbins moved his family to Robbinsdale, he gathered a group of investors and built the Hubbard Specialty Manufacturing plant. The firm made chairs, wheelbarrows, camp furniture, grocery boxes, and wooden washing … Read more
The MacDonald and Russ Grocery on the southwest corner of 42nd and West Broadway. Pictured from left to right are Everie Russ, Ross Wiley, Allan MacDonald and Herbert Clasen. After Nathan Russ retired he turned … Read more
The Ben Franklin five and dime variety store chain was established in 1927. At its peak, there were 2,500 stores nationwide. Hollsten’s owned and operated the Robbinsdale on West Broadway for over a decade. Frank … Read more
The Chase family owned the Hamburger Inn in Robbinsdale. The little building, seen on the right hand side of this postcard was torn down last summer to make way for the new Travail restaurant. Sam Chase and Ma Chase are pictured behind the counter below. Sam worked at Ewald Dairy. He started deliveries with a horse and buggy and eventually drove a truck. The family operated the restaurant on West Broadway for 35 years.
“The American Suburbs Company is using every honorable means of inducing investors and prospective home builders to become new citizens” An Ad in July 8th, 1908 Robbinsdale Tellit (Tell-it!) Newspaper This postcard from 1911 looks … Read more
William Mueller opened his drug store in a new building on the corner of 42nd and West Broadway in 1926. The Village Council approved a sidewalk out front the same year. In 1982, after years of neglect, the building was declared uninhabitable and torn down by the Robbinsdale Housing Authority. The adjoining store front is still standing on West Broadway.
On May 23rd, 1945 a 160 pound, four point buck bounded into the open basement door of Morris W. Henney’s Robbinsdale Pharmacy at 4139 West Broadway. Game Warden, Ben Cohen and Robbinsdale Policemen, Matt Spurzem and Adrian Mattson, came to the rescue, but not before the deer had done more than $600 dollars worth of damage by crashing into medical cabinets. After Cohen and Mattson dragged it outside and trussed it up, the deer was taken to Sheriff Earle Brown’s farm for doctoring and then to a game refuge.
Built as a temperance house by C.T. Griffith, the wooden, three story Hotel Georgia opened in 1890. The hotel had 23 bedrooms and a large double parlor. Meals were served family style. The Georgia was … Read more
Robbbinsdale boosters built this float for the Minneapolis Industrial Parade in July of 1911. The parade was part of the Minneapolis Civic Celebration was held during the week of July 2 to July 8. The festivities … Read more