People

Girling Gets Elected

1901 County commissioners paid contractor, D.J. Falvey $150 dollars per mile to build  a new bike path  between Robbinsdale and Champlin, 10 miles to the north. Arctic explorer Charles E.S. Burch spent two months in … Read more

Patch and the Post Office

1899 During the winter of 1899-1900, Isaac Patch (pictured above), concerned about the availability of reading matter, toured, by horse and buggy, the farms between Robbinsdale and Medicine Lake and got the required fifty signatures … Read more

Bloberger and Brimhall

1896 The February 22, 1904, issue of the Robbinsdale Park Progress gave tribute to a pioneer, George L. Brimhall, who died on September 17, 1896. In 1876 he purchased a farm of 160 acres on … Read more

Ice and Fire

1894 In January people in Robbinsdale were advised to arm themselves when traveling on Crystal Lake Avenue to Minneapolis after dark, after B.J. Browning had been held up by robbers while returning home after selling … Read more

Girling Gets Things Going

1893 Thomas H. Girling, born in England in 1865, had considerable impact as a publisher and civic leader in Robbinsdale. He had learned the printing business and in February, 1893, started publishing the weekly “Picturesque … Read more

Robbinsdale Park Additions

1892 At this time our area of Crystal Village seemed to be referred to as Robbinsdale Park because the platted areas were named A. B. Robbins First Addition to Robbinsdale Park,” “Brimhall’s First Addition to … Read more

Good Old Gus

1891 Mr. Robbins was interested in attracting people to the village and in order to make it more convenient for those who might live here and continue to carry on business in the city, he … Read more

Haakon and the Village Hall

1888 The late 1880’s were busy ones for this area. Haakon Christensen, born in Oslo, Norway, in 1859, first visited Robbinsdale to attend the laying of the cornerstone of the Seminary. He returned shortly after, … Read more

The Village of Crystal

1887 In 1886 Minneapolis made an effort to annex all bordering townships to secure more taxable property and money for improvements and perhaps to outclass St. Paul in population. At once, the people of Crystal … Read more