Robbinsdale Historical Society
Sharing Your Past To Build Our Future
1952 In July, 20 year old JoAnn Melberg (pictured above courtesy of Sheldon Smith), the Sweetheart of Sigma Chi fraternity at the University of Minnesota and Robbinsdale’s Queen of the Lakes candidate was crowned as … Read more
1951 The Terrace Theatre opened on May 25th, 1951. The Mid-Century Modern building designed by the architectural firm of Liebenberg & Kaplan, for movie house owners, Sydney and William Volk, won national acclaim from newspapers, … Read more
1950 Census: 11,289 (an 87.6% increase since 1940) The decade of the 1950’s was busy. World War II was over. School activities were fun for all the new parents. In April, the City Council reapportioned … Read more
1949 In February, a PTA was organized at Lee School with Mrs. James Walker as the first president. A card party, a KSTP Barn Dance at the high school, a square dancing party, paper sales, … Read more
1948 The new Lee Elementary School opened in the fall of 1948, with Mr 0. B. Aftreth as its first principal. Over the next 28 years the war babies and the post-war baby boom were … Read more
1947 The August 20th edition of the Robbînsdale Post reported that the Robbinsdale City Band won the Minnesota State Fair Championship for the third time in a row under Paul Larson, director, and Léon Chelmosky, … Read more
1946 A May 9th copy of the Robbinsdale Post shows a picture of Mrs. Kate Howe, of one of the pioneer families, receiving the 6,000th chest X-ray in the survey being conducted in School District … Read more
1945 The U.S. Navy assigned the name “The Hollisters” to a 2,200 ton destroyer in honor of three gallant Robbinsdale brothers lost in World War II. Lyle Eugene Hollister, Radioman Second Class, served in the … Read more
1944 In August, Mrs. Edith Robbins Daniel, daughter of A. B. Robbins for whom Robbinsdale was named, died at age 73 after having been hit by a car a month earlier. She had been the … Read more