On Einar’s Easel

Born in Hedemark, Norway, Einar Dahl immigrated to the United States in 1902. He found work as a harness maker and shoe salesman. After Dahl came to the Twin Cities in 1907, he eventually found … Read more

The Great Bank Robbery

Joe Roche, son of former mayor and Bank President Joseph William Roche, remembers the “Great Robbinsdale Bank Robbery.” His written account is dated July 9, 2002: For the record, this is what I recall about … Read more

Victory Hospital

Frustrated by Minneapolis licensing requirements and bureaucracy, Dr. Samuel Samuelson decided to build Victory Hospital on property he already owned in Robbinsdale. A year before the building’s completion Dr. Samuelson told the Robbinsdale Post newspaper … Read more

The Friendly Cootie Bug

William Herbert Schaper (1914-1980) was a postman and a fisherman who enjoyed making his own fishing lures. While sitting on his front porch one day in 1948, he whittled a wooden lure that reminded him … Read more

Haakon’s House

Haakon Christensen was born in Oslo Norway in 1859. He first visited Crystal Lake Township to attend a ceremonial laying of the cornerstone of the Lutheran Seminary. Dedicated in 1889, the seminary was located on … Read more

Robbinsdale Oil on West Broadway

The original Robbinsdale Oil, pictured above, was built in 1938 at 4082 West Broadway. (Note the the old bandstand behind the truck. Eventually Robin Center would appear in the background.) In the photograph are partners … Read more

New: Lilac Way Posters!

In 2007 graphic designer Karen Laukkonen started her website to advocate for the preservation of Highway 100’s remaining roadside parks, and to document the seven original parks. Since then, she has extensively photographed and reported … Read more

The Beauties of Robbinsdale

Among the good things that 1904 brings to the homeseeker, nothing is more attractive than Robbinsdale Park as a desirable place in which to build a home. Adjacent to the largest and most prosperous city … Read more