Born in England in 1865, Thomas H. Girling had considerable impact as a publisher and civic leader in Robbinsdale. He learned the printing business and in February 1893 started publishing the weekly, Picturesque Robbinsdale In the March 1893 issue of Picturesque Robbinsdale, edited by Girling this news item appeared.
“A telephone has been ordered and now is in place in the drugstore of George Swift this is something the villages needed and will be very useful in case of fire or sickness and will save a good me trips to Minneapolis for those who can very often transacted their business by telephone”
Picturesque Robinsdale was one of at least four early Robbinsdale newspapers. It was followed by the Robbinsdale Park Progress, the Robbinsdale Tell-It and the Northern Headlight. Herman Oliver “Sunny” Sonneyson’s much loved Hennepin County Enterprise and Robbinsdale Post did not appear until the 1930’s
