On a high shelf under a stack of age-old maps and scrapbooks, we came across a little old album. There were just under 50 photos neatly arranged on black paper, framed by captions and comments written in white. The album appears to have been put together by a woman named Johnson. The photos provide us with a warm and intimate portrait of our city a century ago. Many of the names and places will be familiar to local history buffs and anybody who was ever paged through Helen Blodgett’s “Robbinsdale, Then…And Now” or Pete Richie’s “Images of America: Robbinsdale”. When the album was put together in 1914, the Village of Robbinsdale had a population of about 800. Johnson appears to have been friendly with quite a few of the town’s early settlers and their families. The photos wonderfully convey the warmth of the community. Robbinsdale has been through so many changes over the past 100 years, but some of these houses are still standing and we are all still neighbors. Clicking on the images below will bring up a caption and a larger view.
Red Cross Fund Raiser on Mrs. Parker’s lawn, $1500 dollars raised.
Crystal Lake
Taken from the top of the School House. X marks the Pollard house.
Mrs. Stillman and Maude
The Stillman House
Mrs. Newell’s house.
May and her flock
The Parker Residence at 4109 West Broadway
Willie (Billy) Johnson’s house at 41st and Quail
Mrs. Johnson and Beth
Mrs. Newell
Ready for cold weather when it comes.
Auntie Pollard with her sewing on the front porch. Thanks giving Day in the afternoon, warmest since the weather bureau started.
Thanksgiving Day Morning
The Bee Hive Houses Four Families. The x shows our living room and kitchen. The house faces south.
Mrs Russ and Ethel
May’s Family with Billy and Bertie at the south end of the porch.
Mrs Gilman visiting the Pollards
The Franklin Home
Mr. and Mrs. Franklin sitting just north of their house.
The Christensen home at 42nd and Regent
Ready for Church, Christine and Mrs Johnson
Maude Hurston, Hattie Johnson, Don’s Children, Phillip, Marion and Don.
Evelyn Tompkins, Does Esther remember her?
The Russ House just east of the Shumways
The Johnson Girls Bungalow on Quail next to the Huff House.
Crystal Lake Road
The Congregational Church
Baby Catherine’s first home on Quail next to the Johnson House
Congregational Parsonage
The Pollard House on Quail
Robbinsdale School
Auntie Pollard
Biddy Malone Always Cleaning the Rugs
The Huff House at 41st and Quail
Mrs. Newell
Twin Lake looking north, taken in back of Mr. Shumway’s place.
February, 1914
Mrs Christensen , George and Dagmar on the north side of their lawn.
2 thoughts on “Our Neighbors: 100 Years Ago in Robbinsdale”
Hi- I am wondering if any of the first names of the Johnson’s are on any of the photos? I grandfather was Roy Johnson and he and his cousins lived in Robbinsdale in 1914. Fredrick and Matilda Johnson, Axel and Evelyn Johnson. Thank you.
My grandfather, Fred Rosnow, was on the police force in the later 40’s I believe and was until his death in 1953. I was only 3-4 years old but I remember seeing pictures of his funeral at Glen Haven Memorial Gardens and 1-2 lines of policemen lined up by the burial site. Do you have any pictures? I saw the article about the deer in the store and Ben Cohen was one of the officers that helped to corral the deer. He was a frequent guest at my Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Would appreciate any information.
Hi- I am wondering if any of the first names of the Johnson’s are on any of the photos? I grandfather was Roy Johnson and he and his cousins lived in Robbinsdale in 1914. Fredrick and Matilda Johnson, Axel and Evelyn Johnson. Thank you.
My grandfather, Fred Rosnow, was on the police force in the later 40’s I believe and was until his death in 1953. I was only 3-4 years old but I remember seeing pictures of his funeral at Glen Haven Memorial Gardens and 1-2 lines of policemen lined up by the burial site. Do you have any pictures? I saw the article about the deer in the store and Ben Cohen was one of the officers that helped to corral the deer. He was a frequent guest at my Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Would appreciate any information.