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, bought land from Mr. Robbins, and built his blacksmith shop in 1888. This shop stood for a long time at the southeast corner of Crystal Lake Avenue and Shingle Creek Road, now West Broadway and 42nd. He was actively engaged “in business here for over fifty years He shod thousands of horses, repaired farm tools, etc. He fulfilled his civic duties as well by serving on the board of trustees of the village from 1893 for at least 20 years. (According to the RobbinsdaJe Post, December 8, 1938, he was still in business, at age 79.) He died in
March, 1945, at the age of 85.
In 1888 the Village Hall for Crystal Village was erected on Jefferson Highway (now West Broadway) from plans drawn by Mr. L. J. Nasett, uncle of Lars. The hall was described by Mrs. Stillman, 47 years later, as “our pride and joy.” When it was dedicated, she said she had never seen so much food in her life—everyone in town furnished! It was a two-story brick building, costing between $2,500 and $3,000, on a quarter-acre lot donated by Mr. Jonathan S. Malbon and his son-in-law, Alfred Parker. When the village of Crystal, was dissolved in 1893, Parker purchased the hall The VilIage Hall of for $500 and the land went back to the Parkers and the Malbons. When Robbinsdale officially became a village in 1893. Parker offered the hall back for $500, but the Malbon family received $2000 for the two lots. In 1936 a $5,000 addition was made. In spite of the fact that the land was to be always used for public purposes, the Village Hall was torn down in 1954 to make way for a municipal liquor store that was never built. The land became for a much-needed parking lot for a Red Owl grocery store. The Village Hall stood on the other side of the driveway north of Ace Hardware and the Urban Block on West Broadway. The Village Hall was used for many things: by the Salvation Army for Sunday afternoon and evening services, by the Congregational Church on Sunday mornings before their church was built, for school entertainments and plays on the tiny stage, for library books before the library was built. for fire equipment in the shed behind, and for frequent dance parties because it had the best floor in the area. Voters had to climb the long, dark, steep stairs in the rear to cast their ballots. The summer of 1888 brought our first land boom. The result was that thirteen houses were built. Mr. Nasett manufactured much of the tinware for them. [A dwelling would cost about $1,200,) The “Big Three” in the founding of the village were Mr. Nasett, Mr. Parker, and Mr. Robbins. They were all so modest [or so they said) that no one wanted the town named after him. Mr. Parker eventually sent the papers for a post office, calling it ROBBINSDALE. Difficulties arose—the Government insisted that the same name be used for the post office and the railroad station! However, it was comparatively easy to get the railroad to change the name from Parker to Robbinsdale, but for a while we were blessed with three names. Crystal Village, Parker Station and Robbmsdale Post Office! The name of the civil organization was not changed until 1893.
This post is part of a series based on the book Robbinsdale Then and Now by Helen Blodgett.