In 1890, three years before Robbinsdale became a village, a new grade school was built. The citizens of the area thought the new building would be large enough for all time. The School Board, consisting of L. A. Taylor, Chairman; H.R Stillman, Clerk; and Jarius Russ, Treasurer, authorized the raising of $10,000 in taxes to build the school. “District 24 secured one of the finest school buildings in the state, known as the Parker School, in honor of long time resident, Alfred Parker.”
The Parker School was dedicated and opened for inspection by the townspeople on October 3, 1890. School started on October 8 with four teachers, about forty pupils, and two grades in each room. On June 5, 1891, an event at the Town Hall raised money to get a flag for the school. A week later, flag-raising ceremonies were held, and parents were invited to attend.
In 1904 the Minneapolis Journal started publishing the Journal Junior supplement. The paper requested brief sketches of the lives of area students on a variety of topics. Here are some of the best from the kids at the Parker School in Robbinsdale.
PRETTY NEAR DINNER TIME
One day in June in the summer of 1902, after having been called on an errand to the Globe building in Minneapolis, I walked with mother to the corner of First Avenue S and Fifth Street, where she left me to take the Twentieth Avenue car for home; she was going shopping in another part of the city. It was about eleven o’clock and mama gave me permission to go a block from there and get some popcorn, so the last she saw of me I had started after it. When about three hours later she arrived at home, I had not been seen or heard from. Together father and mother started for the city in search of me. After having called at the police station and at the Globe building in the hope of finding me, mother decided to go back to the place where she had left me. When a block away she recognized me twirling first on one foot and then the other, gazing steadily at every passing car. During all this time, which had been from eleven till five o’clock, I had stood on the corner watching eagerly for my car. I was beginning to feel that it must be pretty near dinner time. I did not get home because the name on the car had been changed from “Twentieth Avenue N and First Avenue S” to “Twentieth Avenue N and Harriet,” and every time I inquired of any person passing I was told that the car would come in a few minutes. I never before or since knew of such long minutes. Need I say I did justice to my seven o’clock dinner?
-Irene Bullis,
Seventh Grade,
Parker School.
Box 36, Robbinsdale, Minn.
A NAME ON A SLIP
One day I brought a storybook to school because a friend of mine wanted to see the pictures. In school hours I took the book out of my desk and began to read in it. When I was very much interested, the teacher passed and took the book away from me. She put my name on a slip and said, “I will see you after school.” I learned all my lessons the rest of the day. I was very much frightened, as I thought she would punish me severely. It was soon four o’clock, and the pupils began to pass out of the schoolhouse. When they were all out of the room, she called me up to her desk and asked me why I brought the book to school. I could not answer. She told me not to bring any more storybooks to school. I promised I would not. She then excused me, and I went home happy and said to myself, “I am going to be a good boy tomorrow.” That was a danger signal to me.
-Lawrence Nasett,
Fifth Grade,
Parker School,
Robbinsdale, Minn.
A SMART HORNET THAT!
One morning mama told me that my uncle had come after me to go and visit my cousin, but finding me still in bed, had gone away without me. I had not seen this cousin all summer, as she lived several miles away, so I was sorely disappointed when I found this chance had slipped by. After feeding the little chickens and doing a few other chores, I took my favorite storybook and sat down under an apple tree and tried not to think of my disappointment. I had not been there long when there was a sting on my shoulder, and a big, ugly hornet buzzed away as though he had done something smart. And indeed he had, for oh! how my shoulder did smart. I hurried into the house, and after mama had put some soda on it, I felt much better. She said when the bee stung me, I screamed as though almost anything from a snake to a grizzly bear was after me. I lay down on the lounge and soon went to sleep, forgetting all my troubles, but my mischievous brother happened in. I awoke with a sneeze, for he had sprinkled some pepper about my nose. Then I thought I would do something to displease him, so I took his fishing rod and went to the pond to fish. In trying to bait the hook I stuck it into my finger; then I dropped the pole into the water and in trying to recover it fell in myself. I began to scream, for I thought I should drown. I climbed out all right and went home, crying at the top of my voice. When mother saw me, dripping wet, she forbade my going outdoors again that day, for every time I went out I came in crying.
-Flossie Patch,
Eighth Grade,
Parker School,
Robbinsdale, Minn.
A PATIENT BEAST, DICKSIE
I was visiting at my uncle’s ranch out west and felt very homesick. Mama would arrive for a week and there was nothing for my amusement as far as I could see, as my uncle had no children. Aunt tried to amuse me, but she was not used to children and did not succeed very well. One night, noticing that I did not get over my homesickness, my uncle said that he would see if he could find something I would like. He was going to market the next day and expectation cheered me. At night when he came home great was my surprise to see a small, shaggy burro in the yard, and my uncle told me he was for me to play with. I ran to him put my arms, around his neck, and hugged him. I was overjoyed. The little animal liked, or at least appeared to like me, too, and seemed very friendly and tolerant of the ardent caresses that I showered upon him. We were then and there pronounced friends and we were constant companions for the rest of my visit. Time passed only too quickly for me. When I was about to go away I wanted to take Dicksie with me, but to my bitter disappointment, I could not. We had spent so many happy hours together, sometimes frolicking about, but more often the sturdy little animal bearing me on his back as he trudged about for my pleasure. And so my short visit passed. I have never heard from him since, but I think that when he was older he proved very useful to my uncle.
-Ruth Burdick,
Eighth Grade,
Parker School.
Robbinsdale, Minn.
REMEMBERING THE NEW GIRL
I expect to have a good time this May Day but not any better than I had last year. I was staying with my cousin and we had made many May baskets. We were going to hang one at the home of a little girl who lived a quarter of a mile from our home. She was a stranger, as the family had moved there about a week before. None of the children had been to visit her, so we decided to go that night. We made a heart-shaped May basket and covered it with blue tissue paper. We put some cream candy in the bottom and then put some violets and Mayflowers in. We tied them with white rib- bon and also tied some on the handle. So at dusk we started. We hung the basket on the front door and when Mabel opened the door and saw the basket with her own name on she was very much surprised. After she found us we went into the house and had a good time. She told us she thought at first none of the girls would call on her, but she was mistaken.
-Florence Moser,
Fifth Grade,
Parker School.
Robbinsdale, Minn.
A BEAUTIFUL BIG PUMPKIN.
There are a great many different kinds of trees and plants, and I believe each and every person has a favorite. For my part, I think there is nothing more beautiful than a large yellow pumpkin. The seeds, usually planted in cornfields, sprout, grow up, and become thrifty vines, and upon these grow large yellow flowers. These flowers are shaped something like petunia blossoms but are many times larger. Soon there appears, where the corolla joins the stem, a little green pumpkin about as large as a marble. This pumpkin grows till it becomes about as large as a water pail and soon, under the October sun, turns a golden yellow. What is more beautiful than a field of corn shocked up, and among the shocks great yellow pumpkins scattered here and there? And what tastes better than a pumpkin pie? I am sure there is nothing. All the small boys, and some larger ones, are very fond of making jack-o’lanterns. Could you make a jack-o’lantern without a pumpkin. There are many trees and plants in all parts of the world, but as far as I’ve seen a pumpkin, perfect in shape and golden in color is as beautiful as any.
-Flossie Patch,
Eighth Grade,
Parker School,
Robbinsdale, Minn.
In 1913 the old Parker School, was deemed too small for a growing student body numbering over 200 students. $14,000 in bonds were issued to pay for the construction of four additional classrooms on the front of the building. The name was changed to Robbinsdale Public School. In the 1920’s more classrooms, administrative offices and an auditorium were added on the north and west sides of the building. Robbinsdale’s high school, built 30 feet from Parker School was completed in 1936. The school on Regent Avenue became part Robbinsdale Junior High School after the new high school opened on Toledo Avenue in 1956. Fifteen years later, In 1971, the oldest school building in Robbinsdale was demolished to make way for a new 3.5 million dollar, thirty-five classroom addition to Robbinsdale Junior High.