1936
It had long been the dream of many citizens to have a high school in the village, but conditions had never seemed right until 1935 when the Federal Government, under its PWA program, added $122,000 (increasing it finally to $135,000) to the $124,000 voted by the taxpayers. Ground was broken in March, 1936, and the building was completed so that classes started September 11. Two homes had been removed and the new high school was built 30 feet from Parker School. The building was dedicated with impressive ceremonies on May 19, 1937. Comments during the years that followed proved the wisdom of the investment, called by many the “best investment Robbinsdale ever made.” The School Board which guided this project to completion included: Dr. Henry E. Hartig, Chairman; Mrs. Edith Robbins Daniel, Clerk; A. E. Prince, Treasurer; Dr. F. P. Hosterman, William Cavanagh, and Dr, R. C. Rawson, Board members. Superintendent E. J. Cooper has given much to District 24 (now 281) by his energetic direction from the fall of 1930 to his retirement in 1965. He recalls the years in the 1950’s and 1960’s when the school enrollment increased 1500 a year—needing a new school every year—or as he put it, “a new classroom every week.” After his retirement, Cooper served on the Hennepin County Library
Board for ten years, supervising the building of the Rockford Road Library. He also served as Commander of the Legion Post 251 and of the Tenth District.
On June 6, 1936, Mrs. Clarence W. Carter held a tea at which Merle Potter, columnist for the Minneapolis Journal, was the speaker. Mrs. Carter was active in Crippled Child Relief, Inc., and chairman of the better movies committee of the Federated Women’s Club. She later (1967) wrote a book, “Memoirs of an Inventor’s Wife.” C. W. Carter in 1938 had received the Pioneers Award from the National Association of Manufacturers for his inventions in the milling industry.
Robbinsdale had its first annual “Good Will” Day celebration with a parade and other festivities. Planners included William J. Mueller, Willard Randall, Frank Hollsten, H. P. Billmyre, William Ambrose, Jess Anderson. Tom Howard, Hess Linderholm Ivan Wagner James Lowe, and Harvey Davis. This celebration became Whiz Bang Days in 1967 and continues each July. The Whiz Bang Committee, chaired in 1982 by Daniel Delmore, raises money for the fireworks in various ways, by collecting parking fees, operating refreshment stands and by selling tickets for prizes.
At the Hennepin County Historical Society, a booklet published by the Memorial Day Association, W. R. Ambrose, Chairman, lists veterans in the Brooklyn-Crystal Cemetery. In their memory we list them here:
Angell, Apheus 0.
Breckons, Thomas L.
Crandall, Leroy M.
Cook, Leo J.
Getchell, Alvah
Goodale, H. I.
Green, Clark T.
Hawkins, Adley
Hawkins, Albert
Jaques, Edward K.
Jaques, Richard
War of 1812
Smith, Nathaniel
Civil War Veterans
Jaques, Winter
Kirkwood, Thomas
Malbon, D. R.
McCausland, Andrew
McDonnell, Conrad
McDonnell, James
Merritt, Gilbert F.
Merritt, Levi W.
Newell, Oliver W.
Parker,Israel
Powers, Joseph
Rathbun, Eber M.
Roth, LaSalle C.
Russ, Nathan P.
Shumway, J. P.
Smith, George H.
Stillman, Horatio R.
Turrell, Daniel A.
Wattson, John
Wales, Samuuel S.
Johnston, Alien G. Kuch, Walter
World War I
Lindberg, Elmer A.
Wagner, Arthur H.
This post is part of a series loosely based on the book Robbinsdale Then and Now by Helen Blodget.